PORK LOIN in the STYLE of PORCHETTA (Arista alla Porchetta)
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Mrs Butterfingers
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins
Total time: 2 hours 15 mins
Roast pork loin stuffed with ground pork and seasonings
Ingredients
  • 4 lb boneless pork loin roast, butterflied (have the butcher do this if you can't)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • A good splash of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (fronds reserved and chopped)
  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • 2 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tbsp chopped fine fresh rosemary,
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage (do not use dry, omit if fresh unavailable)
  • grated rind of lemon (save lemon to squeeze over finished pork)
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 4 red onions halved
Instructions
  1. Lay the pork loin out flat and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Set aside. If possible do this the night before and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. In a saute pan add a a good splash of olive oil and over medium high heat saute the sliced onion and fennel until softened and lightly brown. About 10 minutes.
  3. Add the ground pork, fennel seeds, rosemary, garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh sage, grated lemon and 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper.
  4. Cook stirring occasionally until the pork is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
  5. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool. (You could prepare this the day before, cover and refrigerate.)
  6. Preheat the oven to 425F.
  7. Add the fennel fronds (reserving some for garnish), the bread crumbs and eggs to the pork mixture and mix gently.
  8. Spread the mixture over the pork loin. You may have some of the mixture left over. Saute this mixture up briefly to serve later with the pork if desired.
  9. Roll up the pork loin starting from a long side and tie with butcher's twine. (Metal skewers help to hold the pork together)
  10. Place the red onions in a roasting pan and sprinkle with a little olive oil and set the pork on top.
  11. Roast for about l hour and l5 minutes or until the internal temperature is 135F. Watch closely as this roast cooks quickly at this temperature.
  12. Remove from the roasting pan and let rest lightly tented in tin foil for 10 minutes.
  13. Slice the pork into 1-inch-thick pieces.
  14. You may serve this with a gravy or simply drizzle a little olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon over the pork, and garnish with fennel fronds with onions on the side.
  15. For a lovely gravy pour off any fat from the pan into a saucepan.
  16. For 2 tablespoons of fat stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
  17. Set the roasting pan on your largest stove top element and deglaze with 2 cups of chicken stock, scraping up all the lovely brown bits and pieces of charred onion.
  18. Strain this mixture into the saucepan containing your roux (flour/butter mixture).
  19. Whisk over medium high heat and until thickened.
Recipe by Mrs. Butterfingers at http://mrsbutterfingers.com/?p=2438