PEAR-STUFFED PORK ROAST WITH DARK-BEER SAUCE

Steps:

• Coarsely chop 9 of the pear halves, reserving the rest for later. Place them with the ginger in a small bowl, cover with 1/2 cup of boiling water and let stand 10 minutes. Drain the pears, reserving 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid, and return them to the bowl. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the thyme to the pears and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the pork on a work surface. Using a long, round metal or wooden skewer about -inch thick, pierce a channel through the loin's center. Stuff the pear mixture into the channel, using the skewer to pack it in. Season the loin with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan fitted with a rack.
• Roast the pork for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 and continue to roast until the meat is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. (When pierced with a knife tip, the juices at the center should still run slightly rosy.) Transfer the pork to a platter and let it rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove the rack from the pan and place the pan atop the stove over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the shallots and cook until they just begin to soften. Add the beer, stock and reserved pear liquid and simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally, till the liquid is reduced by about two-thirds and the sauce becomes somewhat thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining butter.
• When ready to serve, finely dice the remaining 3 pear halves. Remove and discard the string from the roast and slice the meat. Divide the pork among plates, surround with some of the sauce and garnish with thyme and the diced pears.