Here’s a recipe for Ginger Apricot Glazed Pork Roast with potatoes and asparagus that’s easy, yet so guest-worthy. It’s straightforward and unfussy, but so incredibly good. Even if you’re not having company, treat yourself like a guest with this wonderful meal.

I really like this meal. The ease-to-guestworthiness ratio is absurd. Of all the meals I’d serve to guests, this one takes much, much less effort than most. The apricot gives the glaze a gorgeous color and just enough sweetness. The ginger is clearly apparent, but not especially assertive. The other glaze ingredients simply give its flavor more depth and complexity. And the glaze goes with the pork like you wouldn’t believe. The potatoes come out simple and clean, but with a melt-in-your-mouth creaminess. And the asparagus is perfect.

Social Learning

I say that this meal serves four based on the sides. You’ll have almost twice as much pork than you need for four people. But that’s purposeful. It leaves you with leftover pork with which you can make sandwiches in the next couple of days. That’s critical to me; I depend on leftovers to get me through most of the weekdays. However, four meat lovers who aren’t afriad of big portions could probably polish the whole thing off.

Note that “preserves” isn’t synonymous with “jam” or “jelly.” Preserves are looser, and have larger fruit pieces. I used an apricot “fruit spread,” which means a “more fruit, less sugar” type of preserve. I think that “less sugar” is key here. The resultant glaze was just sweet enough, and in fact I think a full-sugar preserve or jam would be a definite step down without being completely out of the question.

At first, I thought I should trim the fat off the roast. But I changed my mind, thinking that it’d fully melt during the roasting process. It didn’t. However, to my surprise, it was completely luxurious to eat. Some of the fat did melt, but the part that remained got crisped up by the glaze, which was wonderful. So, don’t trim the fat.

A probe that will stay in the oven while reporting the roast’s temperature to you without you having to open the oven door, or even without you even having to be near the oven in some cases, is a splurge, yes … on the order of nine-to-ten grande hazlenut lattes. So, it’s not insignificant. But if it’s an approachable expense for you, know that it will help you make the best imaginable roasts, since the perfect temperature is probably one of the most critical component of success. I get a ton of use out of mine.

It may take a bit of finagling to loosen the pork from the rack once it comes out of the oven. Be patient.

The Backstory

You might notice that I don’t put timings on my recipes, and that’s because dinner’s ready when I’m done cooking, thank you very much. But when I’m having guests, timing becomes obviously important. To serve this meal to guests – which I’d wholeheartedly recommend – start by establishing the time you’d like to sit down to dinner. T minus one hour is the time you should expect your guests to arrive. At T minus two or two-and-a-half hours, you should prep everything as completely as possible – including any pre-dinner cocktails you plan to serve – make the glaze, and clean up the kitchen. T minus fifteen minutes, preheat the oven. Slide the roast into the oven when the first guest arrives. Everything else will be fairly painless. You’ll be able to enjoy spending time with your guests with a few interruptions as you glaze the roast and turn on the Instant Pot and stovetop. An hour and two cocktails in, and your guests will be very ready for dinner. You should try a dry run on this if you can, because the one-hour guest-to-roast timing will vary, depending on a few factors, including the exact weight of your roast.

So, what kind of appetizer or hors d’oeuvre? I’d make it something so light and casual, that it was more of a symbol than anything else: sauteed nuts, for instance. That’d keep things nice and light, which is perfect, because this meal – although it’s quite satisfying – is not heavy – and that’s a nice thing. Then I’d follow it up with a fruity or custardy dessert, or maybe a cake with a delicate frosting – especially one that can be made in advance, like a Cardamom-Lemon Cake with Rosewater-Saffron Frosting.

Ginger Apricot Glazed Pork Roast

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. References: “Ginger-Apricot-Glazed Pork Roast,” in Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. (Des Moines, IA: BHG, 1996), 309. Also Food.com and Recipe Jazz. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #13 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.

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