Bacon-Wrapped Maple Pork Loin

Ingredients

• 1 lb bacon 
• 0.5 teaspoon peppercorns black crushed
• 4 lb pork loin boneless trimmed
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
• 0.5 teaspoon cornstarch 
• 2 tablespoons sage fresh finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove smashed
• 3  garlic clove finely chopped
• 0.3 cup kosher salt 
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B or amber)
• 1  bay leaves 
• 1 teaspoon water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• pot
• roasting pan
• kitchen thermometer
• cutting board

Directions

1. Combine all brining ingredients except pork loin in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and heat over high heat, stirring, until salt is dissolved.
2. Pour brine into a deep 4- to 5-quart pot; cool to room temperature, uncovered, about 2 hours.
3. Add pork to brine, making sure it is completely covered by brine, and marinate, covered and chilled, 8 to 24 hours.
4. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Pat pork dry (discard brine) and remove any strings, then transfer to a roasting pan. Stir together garlic, sage, and 1 tablespoon syrup in a small bowl and rub all over pork.
6. Lay bacon slices crosswise over loin, overlapping slightly, and tuck ends of bacon underneath loin.
7. Roast pork until thermometer registers 140°F, about 1 1/4 hours. Stir together 1 tablespoon syrup and vinegar until combined.
8. Brush vinegar mixture over bacon slices and continue to roast pork until thermometer registers 150°F, about 10 minutes more.
9. Remove from oven and let stand in pan 15 minutes.
10. Transfer roast to a cutting board with a lip, reserving juices in pan, and let roast stand, uncovered, while making sauce.
11. Skim fat from pan juices and discard, then transfer jus to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir together cornstarch and water and whisk into jus. Simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
12. Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon syrup.
13. Serve pork with sauce.