One 3 1/2-pound bone-in pork loin roast (with thick layer of fat on top still intact)
2 tablespoons sea salt, preferably Maldon
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram leaves, coarsely chopped
5 Fuji apples (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges
2 whole cloves
3/4 cup Calvados (apple brandy)
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
Position the rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 475°F.
Using a sharp knife, score the fat that covers the top of the pork. Rub the pork fat with the sea salt, garlic and half of the marjoram leaves.
Place the pork on a rack set in a heavy roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and roast the pork for another 45 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 140°F when inserted into the center of the pork.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the pork to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Combine the pan juices from the roasting pan with the remaining marjoram leaves and set aside to keep warm.
Combine the apples and cloves in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium to high heat, and stir for 3 minutes or until the apples just begin to soften slightly. Decrease the heat to medium to low. Add the Calvados to the apples and stir for 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Cover the pan and cook the apples, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until they are tender and most of the juices have evaporated. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Using a potato masher, coarsely mash the apples. If necessary, stir in the sugar to sweeten the compote slightly.
Thinly slice the pork on a cutting board, and arrange the pork slices on plates.
Drizzle the pan juices, and any accumulated juices that have exuded from the pork while it was being sliced, over the pork slices. Spoon the warm apple compote alongside the pork, and serve.