Days seem to be getting away from me. Without further ado, I give you:
Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Roast
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis8 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) tied boneless pork loin roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry white wineBlend the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oil in a small food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the garlic is minced.
Sprinkle the pork roast generously with salt and pepper. Arrange the pancetta slices on a work surface, overlapping slightly and forming a rectangle. Spread half of the garlic mixture over 1 side of the pork and between the 2 loins that meet in the center of the tied pork roast. Place the pork, garlic mixture side down, in the center of the pancetta rectangle. Spread the remaining garlic mixture over the remaining pork. Wrap the pancetta slices around the pork. Place the pork in a roasting pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour 1/2 cup of broth and 1/2 cup of wine into the roasting pan. Add more broth and wine to the pan juices every 20 minutes. Roast the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F for medium-rare, about 1 hour. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour the pan drippings into a glass measuring cup and spoon off any fat that rises to the top.
Using a large sharp carving knife, cut the pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with the pan juice.
I actually did not have wine or chicken broth, so I added apple juice and water as two substitutes. I also did not have thyme or enough garlic, so their wasn’t as much paste, but it still was enough to spread over the bacon that I substituted for Pancetta. For some reason, my pork roast came in one piece, so I didn’t have to tie it. I wove the bacon slices so that they stayed together and then spread the garlic mixture over them. Then I took the pork and rolled it over the bacon, pinching the ends of the bacon together so that they didn’t fall off while cooking.
We started out in the oven in the broil pan, but after an hour, my kitchen was so cloudy and my eyes were burning, that we lit up the grill. We moved the broil pan straight out on the grill and kept the grill on high so it would be the right temperature… and let it continue to cook for 30 more minutes. The bacon was a bit crisp, but the overall flavor was delicious. I served it with a side of mashed little red potatoes.
If I were to make this again, I would suggest tenting the pork from the beginning to ward off smoke. Isn’t that how we cook Turkey? I might even try the rotisserie on the grill. Let me know if you try this recipe!
