Ingredients

• 1  cup  sugar
• 8  cups  water
• 1/4  cup  kosher salt
• 1  (2-pound) pork loin
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 3  cups  thinly sliced fennel (about 1 large bulb)
• 2  cups  thinly sliced onion
• 4  garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 2  (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 8  ounces  French bread or other firm white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) shredded fontina cheese
• Cooking spray
• 1  tablespoon  ground fennel seeds

Preparation

Combine sugar, water, and salt in a large bowl, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Add pork; cover and brine 2 hours to overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel, onion, and 2 garlic cloves; cook until golden brown (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup broth; cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add remaining broth; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Combine bread and fennel mixture. Stir in cheese. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown.

While bread pudding bakes, rinse pork and pat dry. Combine fennel seeds, 2 garlic cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub evenly over pork.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Place skillet in oven; bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140° (slightly pink). Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve bread pudding with pork.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Roasted Pork with Fennel Bread Pudding