In all honestly, the mustard jus pictured was left over from this recipe: Braised Pork Belly, Roast Beets, Sautéed Mustard Greens with Mustard Jus. I tried to mimic the process for the purposes of this recipe but can’t promise the sauce will be great. It should be, but I’ve haven’t tried it yet. When I do, I’ll update this post.

Either way, this was a great, well balanced meal. The Jus brought it all together.  I love my pimento cheese grits and make them often. The fast wilting the mustard greens makes them almost crispy. The pork was awesome and the “everything” seasoning was a fun surprise.

Ingredients

• 1 pork loin
• Everything Seasoning (Montreal Seasoning work too)
• Grits (I prefer Anson Mills)
• Pimento Cheese (I prefer Pawley’s Island Palmetto with Jalapeno)
• Milk
• 1 bunch mustard greens (collard or kale works too), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, whole
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Olive oil
• Non-stick spray
• 2 bacon slices (I prefer Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked)
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 celery stem, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 2-4 cups no salt chicken stock
• 2-6 sprigs thyme
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ cup whole grain mustard

Directions

1. Coat the pork with Everything Seasoning liberally.
2. Pre heat oven to 450 F. Spray oven safe roasting dish with non-stick spray. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and continue cooking until desired temperature is reached (approx. 15-20 minutes). I basted the meat ever little bit. Let rest about 10 minutes prior to slicing.
3. For the Jus, heat a sauce pan over medium-high heat and coat the pan with olive oil. Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered. Add onion, celery and carrots. Season with salt and cook until slightly tender. Add 2 smashed garlic cloves and crushed red pepper (to taste). Cook a few more minutes. Reduce heat to medium add thyme, bay and wine, simmer and reduce by half. Strain out all the vegetables and herbs. Place the remaining liquid in a medium sauce pot and add mustard. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Reduce the sauce and skim as much fat as you can off the top. Keep warm.
4. Depending on the type of grits, cook per the instructions. I generally use half water and half milk. Also, if it calls for butter, I substituted olive oil. Just before serving mix in pimento cheese and allow to melt. For four servings I used 3-4 tablespoons.
5. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to coat the pan. Add 2 whole garlic cloves to season the oil. Add mustard greens and red pepper flakes. Toss often until desired wilting is reached. Remove garlic.