Tuscan Style Pork Roast

This is the first week since before Christmas that I feel like I'm back into the full swing of cooking dinners.  We certainly weren't lacking for food - just not in the form of healthy dinners.  I have been out of my usual routine and just couldn't seem to get it all together until this week - I finally feel like I'm settled back into my dinner routine.  

One of the great things about taking a road trip vacation, is that I get to read all of my cooking magazines that have been piling up on my coffee table.   I did exactly that over the Christmas break and I thoroughly enjoyed looking through all of my cooking magazines that I hadn't had time to read.  I was able to spend time actually planning menus instead of running by the grocery store to pick up dinner on my home from Christmas shopping.  Consequently, our dinners for the rest of this month are coming directly out of the pages of my magazines.

One of the recipes that caught my eye was a Tuscan Style Pork Roast in my Cook's Illustrated magazine.  This was a great way to launch myself back into the routine of cooking healthy dinners.  

Tuscan Style Pork Roast
1 lemon
​1/3 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
2 ounces pancetta
2 1/2 pound boneless center cut pork loin roast
Kosher salt
​

Zest lemon.  

Combine lemon zest, oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a 10 inch skillet.  Cook until garlic sizzles.

Add rosemary and cook another 30 seconds.

 Process pancetta in food processor until a paste forms.
​

Strain mixture through strainer over bowl.  Let cool.

Add garlic rosemary mixture and process until incorporated.

Butterfly pork loin and sprinkle with kosher salt.
​

Spread pancetta paste evenly on roast leaving 1/4 inch border. 

Starting with short side, roll up roast.  

Tie with twine.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.  ​  ​

Set roast on a greased wire rack over a baking sheet.  

Roast at 275 until roast registers 135 degrees.  (About 1 1- 1/2 hours)  Remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes.  

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet.  Add zested lemon halves - cut side down - and cook until browned.  

Pat roast dry.  Wipe skillet with paper towels.  Heat 2 teaspoons oil in skillet.  Brown roast on top and sides. 

Cut twine.  Slice roast.  Squeeze lemons into remaining reserved oil.  Serve vinaigrette with sliced roast.  

This roast took a lot longer to cook than 2 hours to cook. I ended up kicking up the heat at the 2 hour mark when the pork temperature was barely 100 degrees.  I think I ended up roasting my pork about 2 1/2 hours and finished it up at 400 degrees.  (I was in a hurry - and starving.  No time to wait another hour for dinner.)  

This elegant pork is perfect for a busy weeknight and a perfect meal to impress your guests.  

Ciao!

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