Mustard-Crusted Pork Loin with Herb Pan Sauce

After a couple of decades advertising pork as “the other white meat,” during which pork chops become as lean as chicken, a new type of fattier, richer-tasting pork is finally infiltrating the butcher’s case and restaurant menus. This “new” pork is from older breeds not suited for large-scale intensive farming, so it’s mostly raised by small farmers who use natural farming methods and fewer antibiotics, and allow the pigs to roam freely. This heritage-heirloom-rare breed-pedigreed pork tends to be darker and redder than conventional supermarket pork. Look for it at your local farmer’s market or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture program), online, or at gourmet markets. Regardless of whether you use heirloom or traditionally farmed pork, it is important not to overcook the loin, a fairly lean cut of meat. Be sure to use an instant-read thermometer to gauge the internal temperature.