Pork Roulade

I was on a kick of making "Sunday roasts" for a few weeks when the cold weather finally hit. I think I was just excited that I could have the oven on without melting to death. But, there's only so much one can do with chicken and beef so when I saw a pork loin at the grocery store, I decided to make a play on porchetta. I didn't want to do the whole deal with pork belly and the works; after all, it's just three of us eating most of the time and though leftovers are nice, even with just the loin, I knew we'd have plenty of leftovers.

So, I just grabbed lots of herbs and crushed pepper flakes and ended up with a really tender and delicious meal.

Ingredients [serves 4 to 6]:
2 lb. pork loin
6 to 8 cloves garlic
4 sprigs rosemary
2 teaspoons crushed pepper flake
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 fennel bulbs

Start by making the herb stuffing. Chop up lots of garlic and rosemary and fennel fronds and add them to a bowl with plenty of salt and crushed pepper flakes. Stir in a generous amount of olive oil.

I had to butterfly my pork loin; the goal is to have a decently-sized slab of meat that's about one-inch thick. Spread the herb mixture all over the inside (so not the fat side) and then roll the meat up and tie with twine. Rub any excess herb mixture (that might've squeezed out in the rolling process) on the outside of the meat. Place the roulade in a dish uncovered and place in the fridge overnight. The meat will marinade in the herbs and because of all the salt, it will basically brine and get really tender.

To prep the meat for cooking, let the meat rest at room temperature for about an hour, just so it's not going into the oven ice cold from the fridge.

Slice up a bulb of fennel and place in the bottom of a baking dish. Nestle the roulade on top and roast at 400F for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat is 145F.

Once the meat is cooked, let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing into half-inch pieces.

To accompany the meal, I made some roasted broccoli and roasted potatoes. My sis made cheesy palmiers with store bought puff pastry.

The pork was so delectable and tender and herbaceous and savory and delicious with a hint of spice. My butter knife cut into it like, well, butter and it was just a great comforting meal to tuck into.

The Brits are really onto something with this Sunday roast concept. It's a great way to end a week and to feel warmed and comforted prior to starting the work week, especially in winter when sunshine is limited. At the v. least, turning on the oven is a great way to warm up the house.

Here's the recipe page: