Tuscan-Style Roast Pork

I really like pork. When we go out to eat I will usually try a pork dish. If you look at this site you can see several that Akemi makes for me. If you get a chance to come to Portland, be sure to make a trip to Higgins restaurant (one of our favorites). They have a dish there called “Whole Pig Plate”. It consists of: roast loin of pork, sausage, ribs and braised belly in saffron spiced white beans. While this is not quite to their level, I had to make it after reading it in “The best of Fine Cooking – Real Italian” magazine. It is a keeper I think.

For the Brined Pork

• 3 oz kosher salt
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 3 large sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 large sprigs fresh sage
• 1 3-lb boneless pork loin, trimmed of excess fat

For the herb paste

• 8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

Brine the pork

In a 3 to 4 quart saucepan, combine the salt, sugar, garlic, and herb sprigs with 2 cups of water. Stir over high heat just until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 6 more cups of water and cool to room temperature.

 Transfer to a large container, add the pork, cover and refrigerate for 8 to 18 hours.

Make the herb paste

Put the garlic, rosemary, sage, 1 tbs salt, and 1 tsp pepper in a large mortar and pound to a coarse paste with the pestle. Add the oil and use the pestle to work it into the garlic paste with the pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, combine all the ingredients in a mini food processor and pulse into a coarse paste.

Butterfly and season the pork

Remove the pork from the brine and pat it dry (discard the brine). Butterfly the pork loin by making a horizontal slit down the length of the loin, cutting almost through to the other side. Open the meat like a book. Spread half of the herb paste over the inner surface of the roast; then fold it back to its original shape. Tie the roast a 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine and then spread the remaining herb paste over the entire outer surface.

Grill the pork

Set up the grill for indirect rotisserie cooking according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Heat the grill to 350 degrees F. When ready to cook, skewer the roast lengthwise on the rotisserie spit and let it rotate on the grill, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center of the roast registers 145 degrees F, 35 to 45 minutes.

If you don’t have a rotisserie, set up your grill for indirect grilling. Heat the grill to 350 degrees F. Put the roast in the cool zone on the grill, and cook as directed above. Turning the roast about every 10 minutes.

Remove the roast from the spit if necessary and transfer it to a cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes, remove the twine, and slice thinly. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. 

It goes well with this Quinoa, apple, cashew salad.

One more week till I get to go on vacation to Hawaii too. See you next week, 愛する美人様.