I usually double this recipe, it doesnt last long and serve it with a starch, like white rice. It is a llittle involved but worth every minutes...trust me. Sunday night at the station slow calls and this is it!

Ingredients
1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin roast
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Essence or other Creole Seasoning, recipe follows
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces thick cut bacon, diced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 ounces button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 quart canned low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons sliced green onion tops
Cooked white rice, for serving
Southern-Style Smothered Green Beans, recipe follows
Directions
Season the roast evenly with 2 teaspoons of the Essence, the salt, and black pepper and rub into the meat. Heat a cast iron Dutch oven and, when hot, add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and set aside. Add the roast to the pan and increase the heat to high. Cook until the roast is evenly browned on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the roast to a platter and set aside.

Add the flour to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until a roux the color of milk chocolate is formed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have wilted, 4 minutes. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of Essence and the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they have released their liquid, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth and Worcestershire and bring sauce to a boil. Return the roast to the pan and cover the pan. Reduce heat to low and cook the roast for 30 minutes. Turn the roast over, cover the pan, and continue to cook on low heat until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 145 to 150 degrees F, about 20 minutes longer.

Remove the roast from the pan and transfer to a platter. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Add the green onion tops to the sauce and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir the reserved crispy bacon into the sauce, slice the roast and serve, with the sauce ladled over the roast and cooked white rice alongside. Serve with Southern Style Smothered Green Beans.


Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Published by William and Morrow, 1993.


Southern-Style Smothered Green Beans:

4 slices bacon

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until it has rendered most of its fat and has begun to brown, about 5 minutes. Add chopped onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the green beans and enough water to cover, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Season with salt and pepper, cover the saucepan, and cook until the beans are very, very tender, about 1 hour, occasionally adding liquid as necessary to keep the beans covered. As they get close to being done they will become quite fragile, so take care when stirring not to break them apart. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings