Bone-in pork loin roast is a sleeper hit for holiday celebrations. Less expensive than beef and more festive-feeling than chicken, this low-maintenance cut of pork resists drying out in the oven and requires minimal prep time, but feels impressive enough to say “it’s a party.”

As usual, the Italians know what’s up. In Tuscany, pork loin is known as arista, a word that comes from the Greek aristos, meaning “the best” (Greek bishops visiting Florence in 1450 declared it so). There, it’s normally studded with garlic and rosemary and cooked on a spit. If you don’t have a spit handy, though, the oven does the job perfectly.

Somewhat unusually, this pork loin roast recipe has you sear the chopped potatoes in a skillet before adding them to the roasting pan. This coaxes additional flavor from the starchy potatoes, which still soak up plenty of the delicious pan drippings. To make this pork entrée even more delicious, you don’t need a marinade; just sprinkle some kosher salt and black pepper on it a day before cooking. Allow the meat to come to room temperature before you slide it in the oven for a generous (but hands-off) cook time.

Carving a rib roast requires a sharp knife, a steady hand, and an anchored cutting board (seriously, place a damp paper towel under your cutting board—you do not want it shifting around as you carve this beautiful cut of meat). Depending on how hungry your crowd is, you can cut the whole loin off the ribs and thinly slice the boneless meat to serve. However, if your guests would like to gnaw on the bones (hint: they do), you can simply carve between the individual bones to serve the cooked pork as chops. Either way, there are plenty of potatoes to go around.

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Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°. Stir 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. finely chopped sage, 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, and 2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary in a small bowl to combine.

Step 2

Place one 4-lb. center-cut bone-in pork loin roast in a large roasting pan. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Rub garlic mixture all over pork. Cover pork loosely with foil and roast, rotating pan halfway through, 2 hours.

Step 3

Meanwhile, divide remaining ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil between 2 large heavy skillets and heat over medium-high. Divide 4 large russet potatoes (about 3 lb.), peeled, cut into 1" pieces, between skillets, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden but still firm, 10–15 minutes.

Step 4

Remove pan from oven; remove foil. Scatter potatoes around pork and toss to coat with pan juices. Return to oven and roast, uncovered, until pork is browned and cooked through, potatoes are tender, and pan juices are slightly reduced, 35–45 minutes.

Step 5

Transfer pork and potatoes to a platter. Carefully pour pan juices into a measuring glass and skim fat from surface; pour juices over pork and potatoes.

Do Ahead: Pork can be rubbed with garlic mixture 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.