Roasted Pork Loin
Lean, tender cuts of pork such as the loin are often roasted on the bone, which adds flavor and helps prevent the meat from drying out during cooking. Boneless pork is also delicious when roasted, so long as you avoid overcooking—a common refrain throughout any lesson on roasting—and build in flavor through various techniques, such as barding with pancetta (page opposite). Because the exterior of the pork will not “sear” in the oven when covered in pancetta, it needs to be browned first on the stove, then rubbed with herbs. To roast the pork without barding, do not sear it first on the stove; the initial high heat of the oven will promote sufficient browning. To ensure a flavorful outcome, season generously with salt and pepper, then rub with some olive oil along with the herbs. Or make small slits in the top of the loin and insert slivers of garlic in each (known as “larding” with garlic, rather than the traditional fatback or lard; this technique is demonstrated in the leg of lamb recipe that follows).
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Sear pork Heat oven to 450°F. Let pork rest at room temperature 1 hour. Pat pork dry with paper towels, then season lightly with salt (don’t 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 it’s very hot, the pancetta will slip off). Pour (or spoon) off excess fat from pan.
Step 2
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.)
Step 3
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 138°F, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Carve and serve Remove twine. Slice pork to desired thickness, and serve.
Ingredients
Step 5
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.
Step 6
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 point—too thin and they will disintegrate under the intense heat of the oven).
Step 7
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.
