Porchetta (Roast Pork Loin) *
- 1 center-cut pork loin with 1/2 inch thick belly flap (ideally attached) and skin on (8 to 9 pounds)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 11/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground to a coarse powder
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 11/2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
- 1. If you've bought a separate pork loin and pork belly, drape belly skin-side up around pork loin to test fit. If it extends more than 1/2 inch over ends of loin, trim it down. If there's a gap on the underside because belly doesn't reach all the way around, that's fine.
- 2. Arrange belly, separate or attached, so it sits skin-side up on a stable work surface. Using a utility knife or other razor-sharp blade, carefully but firmly score rind in criss-crossing parallel lines about 1/2 inch apart, cutting through rind and just into fat about 1/4 inch deep without cutting through to meat.
- 3. In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Flip belly of roast so it's skin-side down, and rub seasoning over entire surface of loin and on inside of belly.
- 4. Assemble roast by wrapping belly, skin-side out around loin. Secure roast with kitchen string, tying loops at 1 to 2-inch intervals.
- 5. Season surface of roast lightly but evenly with salt and pepper, rubbing some into score marks.
- 6. Set roast on a tray and refrigerate, uncovered, 48 hrs. Let pork sit at room temperature 1-2 hrs before roasting.
- 7. Position a rack in lower third of oven. Preheat to 500 deg. Place pork seam-side down on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it. Roast 25 min, then reduce oven temp to 325 deg. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 140-145 deg, another 2-3 hrs.
- 8. Transfer roast to a carving board with a trough. Let rest at least 25 min. The roast can rest at room temperature for an hour or more.
- 9. Carve into 1/4 to 1/2-inch-thick slices, removing strings as you go and doing your best to give each serving a bit of rind. If rind is too tough to slice through easily, remove it in larger chunks and transfer it to a second cutting board, where you can chop it into pieces to serve alongside the sliced roast. Use leftover meat for sandwiches.
center, garlic, fresh rosemary, fresh sage, thyme, fennel seeds, lemon zest, crushed red pepper, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/porchetta-roast-pork-loin-51734691 (may not work)