Roasted Pork Loin
- 1 boneless pork loin (about 2 pounds)
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary, plus 1 whole sprig
- Olive oil
- 12 ounces pancetta, very thinly sliced (about 20 slices)
- Sear pork Heat oven to 450F.
- Let pork rest at room temperature 1 hour.
- Pat pork dry with paper towels, then season lightly with salt (dont oversalt, as the pork will be wrapped in pancetta) and pepper.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high, then add enough oil to barely coat the bottom of the pan and heat until hot but not smoking.
- Sear pork until brown on all sides, turning with tongs as each side browns, 6 to 8 minutes total.
- Remove from pan and let cool about 15 minutes (if you try to wrap pork while its very hot, the pancetta will slip off).
- Pour (or spoon) off excess fat from pan.
- Wrap in pancetta Rub pork all over with chopped rosemary.
- Lay six pieces of kitchen twine on a clean work surface, putting four in one direction (these will wrap around the pork crosswise so should span the length of the roast) and two across them.
- On top of the twine, arrange about 12 slices of pancetta, overlapping them slightly, in a rectangle (it should be about 1 inch larger on all sides than the pork).
- Place pork on pancetta and lay remaining pancetta slices on top, again overlapping them slightly, to completely cover pork.
- Lay the rosemary sprig on top.
- To wrap, use the twine to secure them, tying first from end to end and then around.
- (This will make the roast more compact for more even roasting and hold pancetta in place.)
- Roast Return pork to the skillet and then place in the oven.
- Roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 138F, about 40 to 50 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Carve and serve Remove twine.
- Slice pork to desired thickness, and serve.
- The cooking times provided here are for a 2-pound boneless pork loin that is about 8 inches long and 4 1/2 inches in diameter.
- Adjust the roasting time accordingly for thinner or thicker loins.
- Pancetta, or Italian cured bacon, lends a distinctive flavor to the roast pork, although any type of bacon can be substituted.
- Have your butcher layer the pancetta slices between sheets of paper to keep them from sticking together; thin slices work better (up to a pointtoo thin and they will disintegrate under the intense heat of the oven).
- You could roast cipollini onions, or some fruit in the same pan for serving alongside; prunes, apricots (and other stone fruit), apples, and pears all pair wonderfully with pork.
pork loin, salt, rosemary, olive oil, pancetta
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-pork-loin-393867 (may not work)