Rolled Pork Loin Roast with Marsala Mushrooms →

Stuffing and rolling a roast is a bit more work, but it yields important results. Rolling and tying the roast allows the meat to cook more evenly and the stuffing adds moisture and flavor to the interior of the roast. It also makes an impressive presentation for your family or dinner guests. I adapted this recipe for Marsala Sauce from Giada De Laurentiis’ cookbook Everyday Italian. Serve the dish with roasted potatoes and a green salad or corn and tomato salad.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Rolled Pork Loin Roast with Marsala Mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ pounds top loin pork roast, boneless, and butterflied

  (Note: if you aren’t comfortable butterflying the roast, have your butcher do it for you.)

• 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)

• 2⁄3 cup grated Fontina cheese

• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary

• 8 ounces sliced shiitake or other wild mushrooms of your choice

• ½ cup sweet Marsala wine

• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth

• 1 medium shallot

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• salt and pepper

• 4 thin slices of prosciutto

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

1. Mix the Panko, Fontina, and 1 tablespoon of sage in a medium bowl.

2. Lay the butterflied pork on a flat surface and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Spread the panko-cheese mixture evenly over the pork.

4. Roll the roast and arrange prosciutto slices across the top of the roast. Tie with kitchen twine at 1- to 1 ½ inch intervals. Place in a shallow roasting pan or cast-iron skillet, prosciutto side up, and roast for about 1 hour until a meat thermometer reads 140 F.

5. Remove roast from the oven, snip off the twine, and let rest 15-20 minutes.

6. While the roast rests, saute the shallot and garlic in 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until the shallot begins to turn golden (about 1 minute).

7. Add the mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of chopped sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid, and they begin to brown (6 to 8 minutes).

8. Add the Marsala and rosemary sprig and reduce by ½.

9. Add the broth and lemon zest and reduce by ½.

10. Add a tablespoon of oil to a hot skillet and sear the pork roast for about a minute on each of all sides.

11. Remove the roast to a cutting board and cut the pork in ½ inch thick slices. Top with the cooked mushrooms and Marsala sauce.

Wine pairing: a rosé or Pinot Noir pair well with this dish. For white wine, try a Rhone style white wine like Viognier or Roussanne.

Tonnato with Cold Rolled Pork Loin Roast with Herbs, Prosciutto, Panko, and Fontina →

Tonnato is a flavorful Italian sauce made with tuna, anchovy, capers, olive oil, egg yokes, and lemon juice. Often paired with veal (Vitello Tonnato) or turkey, it is also excellent on salads or as a dip for raw veggies! This recipe pairs tonnato with thinly sliced, cold, rolled pork loin roast. Serve it as an antipasto with a special meal, or as a light lunch with a salad. Buon Appetito!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 2 ½ pounds top loin pork roast, boneless, and butterflied

  (Note: if you aren’t comfortable butterflying the roast, have your butcher do it for you.)

• 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)

• 2⁄3 cup grated Fontina cheese

• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1- 6-ounce can tuna in olive oil (not drained)

• 2 anchovy fillets (if you love anchovies add an extra fillet!)

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons drained capers

• 4 thin slices of Prosciutto

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

1. Mix the Panko, Fontina, and 1 tablespoon of sage in a medium bowl.

2. Lay the butterflied pork on a flat surface and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Spread the panko-cheese mixture evenly over the pork.

4. Roll the roast and arrange prosciutto slices across the top of the roast. Tie with kitchen twine at 1- to 1 ½ inch intervals. Place in a shallow roasting pan or cast-iron skillet, prosciutto side up, and roast for about 1 hour until a meat thermometer reads 140 F.

5. Remove the roast from the oven, snip off the twine, tent and let it rest 15-20 minutes.

6. While the pork roast rests, add the mayonnaise, olive oil, tuna, anchovy fillets, lemon juice, and capers to a blender and process until creamy and smooth. Set aside and refrigerate. The tonnato will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for several days.

7. Add a tablespoon of oil to a hot skillet and sear the pork roast for about a minute on each of all sides until nicely browned. A minute per side should be enough; you’re just browning, you don’t want to continue to cook the roast and dry it out.

8. Serve the pork roast thinly sliced at room temperature or chilled with tonnato on the side.

9. A green salad and some crusty bread complete the light meal.

Wine pairing: this dish pairs well with a rosé or Pinot Noir. For white wine, you can try a Viognier or Roussanne from the Rhone Valley.

Tuscan Ribs

This is my take on a recipe I collected from Food and Wine Magazine over 15 years ago. It is a classic Mediterranean style recipe that flavors the ribs with a paste or olive oil and herbs and then finishes the meat with a Balsamic glaze. I prefer to slow cook the ribs in the oven with fruit juice and then make a basting sauce by reducing the juices from the meat with the balsamic vinegar and finishing the meat for a few minutes on the grill. Either way I think you’ll enjoy this alternative to traditional American style tomato-molasses-vinegar barbecue ribs. Buon appetito!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

• 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 ½ tablespoons fennel seeds

• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper (preferably freshly ground)

• 2 teaspoons chopped sage (or a rounded ½ teaspoon powdered sage)

• 2 teaspoons chopped thyme (½ rounded teaspoon dried thyme)

• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or ½ teaspoon for a milder rub)

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• ½ teaspoon ground allspice

• 3-4 pounds pork spareribs (tough membrane on the bone side removed)

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 cup fruit juice like Cranberry-Pomegranate or Apple cider/juice

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl or spice grinder, combine the dry ingredients (rosemary, kosher salt, fennel, black pepper, sage, thyme, paprika, crushed red pepper, coriander, and allspice) and grind to a coarse mixture. Add the olive oil to the spice mixture in a bowl mix until you have a thick paste. Rub the spice paste all over the spareribs, wrap in plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Arrange the ribs on a rack in a large, rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, meaty side up. Pour the juice into the pan, cover, and seal the roasting pan with tin foil. Roast the ribs for 2 hours, or until tender.

3. Remove the meat to a platter and tent. Skim off the extra fat and pour the accumulated juices into a saucepan with the balsamic vinegar, bring to a boil, and simmer until reduced to a light syrupy consistency. (about 1/3-1/2 cup)

4. Preheat the broiler. Brush the meaty side of the ribs with the balsamic-juice reduction and broil 6 inches from the heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut between the ribs and serve.

5. Alternatively, brush the ribs with the balsamic-juice reduction, place the ribs meaty side down over a low- to medium-hot grill and grill for about two minutes until you have a nice crisp crust. Monitor carefully so you don’t burn the ribs.

Wine Pair: a slightly spicy medium-bodied red with low acidity or a lighter-bodied Sangiovese-based red like Chianti. Portuguese red wines from the Douro River region as well as the neighboring Spanish reds from the Rio Duero region, or non-leathery Riojas.

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/tuscan-style-spareribs-balsamic-glaze
Bruce Aidells' Complete Book of Pork

Spice Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin →

This is a simple, quick and easy summer grill recipe that incorporates the classic flavor combination of garlic, rosemary, fennel, and sage into a dry rub for grilled pork tenderloin. To avoid an unevenly cooked piece of meat, fold the tapered end of the tenderloin back towards the thick end until you have a roast that is about the same thickness from end to end. Tie with white cotton cooking twine. Tangy, colorful Rhubarb Chutney is a perfect condiment to serve with grilled pork.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/2 pounds) silver skin and any excess fat removed

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• Porchetta Spice Rub (see below)

Photo c. foodblogchef 2020

Preparation:

Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to combine the ingredients for the dry rub.

• 3 tablespoons crushed fennel seeds

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 teaspoons dried sage

• 1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Rub the tenderloin with olive oil. Sprinkle and pat the spice rub onto the surface of the tenderloin and set aside while you prepare the grill. (See *Note below)

2. Optional: for a more evenly cooked tenderloin, fold the tapered end of the piece of meat back towards the thicker end and tie it with white cotton cooking twine at 1-1 ½ inch intervals so you have a roast that is about the same thickness from end to end.

3. Preheat your grill so you can cook with direct heat and then indirect heat.

4. Place the tenderloin over direct heat and sear all sides. (about 1-2 minutes per side)

5. Move the tenderloin to indirect heat and continue cooking turning once until the internal temperature reaches 140°F. (about 5 to 7 minutes per side)

6. Remove the tenderloin from the grill to a clean cutting board and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Rest for 10 minutes; the meat will finish cooking from the residual heat and the juices will redistribute for optimal flavor.

7. Slice and serve. Slice crosswise into thin pieces before serving.

*Note: the tenderloin can be trimmed and rubbed up to 24 hours in advance. You can wrap the prepared tenderloin in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour up to overnight. Remove from the refrigerator for 30 minutes before grilling.

Wine pairing: Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chianti, and Super-Tuscans are often recommended with grilled tenderloin. If you want a lighter summer wine try a Viognier-Chardonnay blend, a Vouvray, or white wine from the Rhone Valley.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples →

One of my favorite Pork recipes, this easy recipe pairs pork tenderloin, tart Granny Smith apples and onions; cumin, honey and vinegar round out the 5 Tastes. The recipe came to me from my wife’s mother, Jean Fitzpatrick Andrews. Serve with rice, or roasted root vegetables, and green beans or sugar snap peas, garnish with salty, toasted Sage leaves. (optional)

Ingredients:

• 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 ¾ lbs)

• 2 medium-size Granny Smith apples

• 3 Tbs. flour

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1 Tbs. oil

• 4 Tbs. minced onion

• 2 Tbs. red-wine vinegar

• ¼ cup chicken broth

• 2 Tbs. honey

• 1 Tbs. tomato paste

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle tenderloins with salt and pepper and cut into 3-4” pieces

2. Cut apples into quarters; peel and core

3. Blend flour with cumin and dredge tenderloin pieces

4. Heat oil in a heavy skillet and brown pork pieces evenly on all sides. Place the pork pieces on a platter and cover with foil to keep warm

5. Pour off most of the fat in a skillet and add the apples and onion and cook for 3-4 min;

6. Return pork to skillet and add vinegar, broth, honey, and tomato paste and bring mixture to a simmer; cover and cook for 15-20 min.

Serve pork slices with apple-onion sauce.