There are many ingredients you can use to coat the outside of a pork roast to achieve varying flavors and textures. Breadcrumbs, seasoning blends, and fresh herbs are some of the more common options to achieve a flavorful, crusted pork roast right out of the oven. To step it up with rich, smoky flavors, there’s an ingredient that you can borrow from Middle Eastern and North African cuisines. Haven’t you guessed it? It’s all about the harissa.
If you haven’t used harissa, it’s a bright-red paste made from dried chilis and spices like caraway seeds, coriander, cumin seeds, and garlic. Some recipes and brands of store-bought harissa might also contain lemon juice for acidity or other spices like cayenne pepper for heat.
As for why it works so well with pork roast, harissa will add a spicy, smoky, and subtly-sweet flavor to the dish. It’s also quite easy to coat on the outside of a pork roast, so you don’t have to accomplish great feats for a flavorful meal. Another perk is that it will help spices, herbs, or other ingredients cling to the pork roast.
How to add harissa to pork roast and ideal ingredient pairings
To achieve this smoky upgrade, find a store-bought jar of harissa paste or make it from scratch to have control over the flavors and spice levels. A harissa seasoning blend is another way to achieve a similar flavor if that’s already in the kitchen. You won’t need too much, however, because it only takes about ¼ cup of harissa paste or a teaspoon of the spice for every three servings of pork roast. Evenly rub the harissa paste or spice on the outside of the pork, which should also be seasoned with salt and black pepper.
You might want to temper the deep flavor of harissa with a squirt of honey for sweetness. For an element of crunch, use harissa paste then pat breadcrumbs around the pork roast. If the harissa doesn’t have an acidic ingredient, combine it with a little lemon or orange juice for a fruity touch.
It’s also easy to incorporate harissa paste with your go-to spices for pork roast. Add it to our simple roasted pork tenderloin recipe and add it before the spice rub in the instructions. Or replace the mustard with harissa in this roast pork tenderloin recipe for next-level smokiness in each bite.
