Porchetta-Style Pork Loin Roast, sliced for serving
This Porchetta-Style Pork Loin Roast is a good way to enjoy the flavor profile of porchetta—primarily fennel and aromatic herbs—without the hassle of buying and rolling a whole pork belly (which we still have in our freezer, btw). We essentially followed Kenji’s All-Belly Porchetta recipe, modifying the amounts for a smaller piece of meat. The result was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, ideal for serving with applesauce or kraut or in a hot sandwich with some sharp cheese. Allow 1/4 lb per person.
Ingredients:
Boneless pork roast, approximately 3 lbs
2 T Kosher salt
1 t whole black peppercorns
2 t whole fennel seed
½ t crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 T fresh thyme leaves or 1 t dried thyme
1 T fresh rosemary leaves or 1 t dried rosemary
Method: rub in the salt all over both sides and the ends of the roast. Toast peppercorns and fennel in a skillet for 3 minutes or until aromatic; grind in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Mix with all other ingredients and rub into the roast on all sides.
Method 1: place the roast on a rack in a small pan and cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes to crisp the surface, then turn down heat to 350 degrees for an additional hour. Allow to rest, then transfer to a serving plate and spoon juices over the top before slicing.
Sear pork roast after sous vide in a super hot cast iron skillet.
Method 2 (what we did, and recommend): seal the roast in a vacuum bag and sous vide at 140 degrees for the time recommended by your cooker for medium. (We cooked it for 6 hours.) Remove from bag, reserving liquid inside, and sear all sides in a very hot cast iron skillet. Transfer to a serving plate; add juices from bag to pan and cook down and spoon over the roast before serving.
