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Porchetta-Style Rolled Pork Roast

Written by Lara O’Brien

The smell of a roast in the oven is a scent that hits my memory banks harder than almost any other.

Growing up, my mum rarely cooked meat, but when she did, it was usually a roast chicken on Sunday.

I loved how the smell of that bird permeated the whole house–something the usual vegetarian chili and omnipresent tofu could never do.

rolled pork roast cut into slices, with broccoli rabe
Photo: Casey Barber

Call me a traditionalist, but somehow veggie fare doesn’t quite cut it on a Sunday night. So for this Sunday’s dinner, I decided to make a full-on porchetta.

Well, maybe a half-on porchetta.

Traditionally, porchetta is a whole deboned pig that is salted, stuffed, and then spit-roasted.

When I lived in Florence, my friends and I used to walk out of our way to a hole-in-the-wall spot that served porchetta sandwiches.

sliced rolled pork loin roast
Photo: Casey Barber

The locals knew their stuff–the line would be out the door as people waited patiently for what could be the best sandwich in the history of meat and bread.

With the memories of Italian porchetta sandwiches in mind, I decided to embark on a smaller version of the traditional whole stuffed pig for my own feast, given that I was only cooking for four people.

I’m also guessing there is some sort of Toronto bylaw that frowns upon open spit fires.

rolled pork roast cut into slices, with broccoli rabe
Photo: Casey Barber

Editor’s Notes:

This rolled pork roast is a simpler alternative to a classic porchetta,

The lean pork loin is butterflied, then rolled and stuff with a fragrant fennel and ground pork mixture.

While you can always ask your butcher to butterfly the pork loin for you, it’s not that hard to do at home.

sliced rolled pork loin roast
Photo: Casey Barber

Just grab a large chef’s knife and start slicing the pork loin on its longest side, about 1 inch thick. As you slice, the pork will start to fold open.

When you get about a third to halfway through the loin, you’ll have a thinner side (that you just cut) and a thicker side (which you have yet to cut).

Adjust your knife and continue slicing through the rest of the pork loin at the same 1-inch thickness. You’ll end up with a thinner rectangle of pork, ready for stuffing and rolling.

To truss the rolled pork roast, cut a very long piece of twine. Make it long! Don’t worry about it being too long!

Shimmy the end of the twine under the end of the pork roast closest to you, and knot closed.

Extend the twine a few inches along the top of the roast. Hold that in place while you shimmy the twine underneath the roast again to encircle it.

Loop the twine around itself on top of the roast to make a closed circle, then continue along the roast, making loops every few inches.

Finish by knotting the final loop.

rolled pork roast with broccoli rabe

Watch the video in this post to see exactly how I butterfly a pork loin and truss the rolled pork roast.

Leftover slices of rolled pork roast are perfect in next-day sandwiches. Grab a ciabatta bun, add broccoli rabe or fresh arugula, and melt a few slices of provolone on top.

sliced rolled pork loin roast

Rolled Pork Roast (Porchetta)

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Rolled pork roast stuffed with fennel-infused ground pork is a simple at-home version of the classic Italian porchetta. It also makes fantastic next-day sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sweet onion
  • 1 medium fennel bulb
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for seasoning pork
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning pork
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning pork
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 medium red onions
  • 1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin, butterflied to 1-inch thickness
  • kitchen twine

Instructions

Make the pork filling:

  1. Peel the onion and trim the fennel bulb, removing the tough root end, stalks, and fronds.
  2. Coarsely grate the onion and fennel on a box grater.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat.
  4. Stir in the grated onion and fennel bulb and cook until softened and fragrant, about 6 minutes.
  5. Increase the heat to medium and add the ground pork, breaking into small pieces with your spatula.
  6. Let the pork brown for a minute or so, then stir in the garlic, rosemary, fennel, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper.
  7. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
  8. Transfer to a large bowl and taste, adding more salt and pepper as desired.
  9. Let the filling cool for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then to help disperse the steam.
  10. Stir the beaten egg into the pork mixture.

Assemble and roast the pork loin:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a medium rimmed sheet pan with foil.
  2. Peel the red onions and slice into thick rounds (about 4 rounds per onion).
  3. Place the onions in a single layer down the center of the prepared sheet pan and set aside.
  4. Butterfly the pork loin, if it hasn't been done for you at the butcher counter, and lay it out on a large cutting board.
  5. Sprinkle the pork with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.
  6. Spread the cooled pork filling evenly across the pork loin.
  7. Roll the pork loin up, starting with one of the long sides of the loin and tucking the filling in as you go.
  8. Cut a very long piece of butcher's twine and truss the pork loin in loops to secure. (See post video for more details.)
  9. Place the rolled pork roast on the onions.
  10. Drizzle olive oil over the pork roast and gently rub it over the roast to coat evenly. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
  11. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the center of the roast reaches 145 degrees F, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  12. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes on the sheet pan.
  13. Slice into 1-inch pieces with a serrated knife and serve.

Notes

Adapted from Molto Italiano

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 336Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 305mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 28g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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10 Comments

    1. Jennifer, I have a friend who avoids pork because she’s Jewish – but she’ll eat things like prosciutto if you tell her it’s turkey-based (wink, wink)!

  1. I must tackle this for my boys (hubby and sons)…they LOVE pork. And thanks for mentioning Mario Batali’s cookbook – one cookbook I actually don’t own, but probably should.

  2. I thought this post might have something to do with a sports car, but it’s even better. My mom always cooked roasts and roast chicken on Sunday, too. And she seemed to collect people for Sunday Dinner on her way out of church.

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