Roast Pork Loin Porchetta Style
One of the dishes that I made for A Platter of Figs cookbook club was the Roast Pork Loin Porchetta Style from the summer menu – Feeling Italian, part I. I also made the Cherry Tomato Crostini with Ricotta from this menu. I was excited to be able to use wild fennel and rosemary from my garden and bought my humanely raised pork from the Berkeley Bowl West – my new favorite grocery store.
The recipe itself was straightforward, like most of the recipes from this book. I rubbed the pork a day in advance and wrapped him in saran wrap for close to 24 hours before cooking. I halved the amount of pork but kept the amount of the rub the same and it was fine. I also added some chopped garlic and chopped rosemary to the rub. I cooked it in a Le Creuset pot and found that it needed a little extra time to make the 130°F internal temperature.
Here is the recipe to make as is or modify to your own taste.
6 pound pork loin roast with 1/4 inch fat cover
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
Rosemary sprigs
Fennel fronds
Turn the pork roast upside down and insert the garlic slices into the loose flesh. Sprinkle the roast with the fennel seeds and black pepper. Season the meat generously with salt and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Strip the leaves from a rosemary sprig or two, chop them roughly, and sprinkle them over the pork. Massage the seasoning into the roast. 
Line a roasting pan with rosemary sprigs and fennel fronds. Set the roast on top. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two, or better, overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Roast the loin for about an hour (about 45 minutes for a boneless roast), until the internal temperature reads 130°F. For a smokier flavor, cook the roast outside over coals to the same interior temperature. Remove the roast, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.
Serves 8-10
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