Recipe of the Month Archive January 2012

Pork Roast with Pancetta

Marinade:
10 cloves garlic
1 ½ tbsps thyme minced
1 tbsp rosemary minced
1 tbsp olive oil

Place ingredients into the bowl of a small food processor or a mortar with pestle. Process or pound until a paste is formed. Set aside.
 

1 4 ½ to 5 lb tied pork loin roast ( it will look like 2 pork loins tied
together, one side of the loin will have a fat layer the other will not)
salt and pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups dry white wine

Untie the pork roast and lay the 2 loins into a nonreactive container to marinate. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Divide marinade equally into fourths. Place ¼ of the mixture onto the loins and rub in, turn them over and repeat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and place a layer of pancetta slices onto the nonfat side of one of the loins. Top with the nonfat side of the other loin. Now lay the remaining pancetta slices over the entire roast, covering it as best you can. Using cotton twine, retie the roast in 4 places along the length. Add one tie from end to end. Place pork into a roasting pan. Preheat oven to 450º. Add ¾ cup of broth and ¾ cup of wine to the pan. Bake roast, adding more liquid every 20 minutes as needed. Bake to an internal temperature of 145º for medium- about 1 ½ hours. Cover loosely with foil if top is browning to fast. Remove from oven and place roast on a cutting board. Cover tightly with foil and let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Add a little broth to the pan drippings to loosen baked on bits. Pour into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce a little to make a sauce. Thinly slice roast and serve with pan juices.

Serves 8 to 10.
 

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