My wonderful, piglicious, pork loin roulade, stuffed with port soaked cranberries, pancetta and fresh sage.
Yep. I know.
Pork loin is a pretty economic and versatile cut. The hunk I bought was only £5 and fed 5 as a main meal and then my sandwiches for the next two days. I think roast pork can sometimes be a little dull and almost always overcooked and dry so this is a nice way of adding flavour and preserving moisture.
Like I said, you could serve all manner of side dishes with it. I have a full roast, because I am a greedy twonk but depending on how you choose to stuff it, you could have it with anything from a salad to dauphinoise. I would recommend something with a little liquid to it, so if you're not the gravy type (which I am exceptionally picky about) then make sure you have some saucy veg, maybe creamed kale or even roast tomatoes...again, stuffing dependent. Go wild.
Ingredients:
(roughly) 1.5kg Pork Loin, prefferably skin on, with a good layer of fat (CRACKLIN AMARIGHT?)
A couple of shallots
A little packet of diced pancetta
A packet of dried cranberries
A small bottle of not terrible port or whatever you've left over from Christmas 6 years ago (sediment hopefully sieved ;)
A nice handful of fresh sage
A small glug of maple syrup
Salt and black pepper to season
Start yourself off pre-heating the oven. You want it on at least gas mark 8 to begin with, for that tasty crackling.
Next get your cranberries and whack 'em in a bowl with the port and roughly chopped fresh sage. This can be done the night before. In fact it should probably be done the night before. Depends how lazy and disorganized you are.
Whilst your cranberries are getting nice and sozzled, finely slice the shallots and add to a slightly oiled pan with the pancetta. Cook them off until brown but not burnt. Burnt=tastes like caustic soda.
Pop in your cranberries, add a small glug of the maple syrup and heat till the mixture is a little shinier and more combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Always taste. It is the best part of being the cook. Leave to cool.
You've two choices with the meat, you can leave the fat on or carefully cut it off and cook it separately, getting creative with whatever flavour crackling you want.You will probably get the best crackling this way but the meat will lose a little flavour and you risk it drying out.
Take off but try and keep in one piece the handy little elastic meat strings and set aside. Now and this is a descriptive writing nightmare but you will have to cut the pork in a sort of straight helix (?) cutting one way and then the other, until it opens out like a book, then cut again until it rolls out like a lovely meat rug. Take a rolling pin and give it a light bashing so that it is an even width across.
Take your cooled stuffing and layer thinly across the meat rug. Don't be tempted to overfill, you will give yourself a rolling nightmare. You can always save excess mixture to serve with it, or even better, combine with the fats after cooking and make a proper sterling gravy.
Next, you roll that pig right up. It's daunting but it isn't difficult. Just make sure your fat doesn't overlap and you've got your little elastic meat string things ready.
Voila. Now, if you've left the fat on, it's time to salt, salt, salt. You need to make sure you smash that salt right in. Give the fat a wipe dry with some kitchen roll, and massage that salt in like your last cheap, Spanish spa treatment. The salt dries the fat and is essential for a nice big puffy crackling.
Pop her in the pre-heated oven for about twenty minutes on the high heat and then turn down to about gas mark 4-5. Keep an eye on it, I nearly set fire to my entire kitchen. The Le Creuset was black by the time I released what the smell was. Just to clarify, that's my CAST IRON dish. Now it's turned down it should take between 70 and 90 minutes.
I swear by my kitchen probe. For the love of God, invest in one. There is no better way to see if meat is cooked without ruining it, than a good probe.
Your're looking for a minimum on this of 75c in the middle.
It should, come out looking something like this:
Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. Invest in a decent carving knife and the next bit will be easy enough.
Slice the front knobbly bit off and stash it for your sarnies (or plate it for your least favourite relative)
Then slice evenly, in relatively thick slices to the end. If it's rolled tightly enough it should hold it's filling, if it doesn't, don't worry, it's 'rustic'.
I honestly cannot get enough of this, the pork is so moist and takes in the flavours. Loads of different stuffings could work: Mushrooms, olive tapenade, sausage meat and a maple glaze, mustard, black pud. I guess apple goes with pork too, though I would personally rather gnaw off my own shins.
More stuff to cram in your gob soon.
Much love Ginge xx
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