Tuscan Pork Roast

Ingredients :

• 2.5-3 lb Center cut pork loin roast with fat cap

• 8 cloves garlic - minced

• 1/3 c Olive Oil

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 lemon

• 1 Tbs FRESH rosemary, minced.

• 2 oz pancetta - cut into cubes

• 1 Tbs kosher salt

Directions:

1. In a COLD pan, add oil, garlic, red pepper flakes. Zest lemon and add 1 tsp zest.

2. Heat on Medium Low until garlic sizzles. About 3 min...watch and don't let it burn.

3. Add fresh rosemary to garlic mixture for ~30 sec, then remove from heat and strain mixture into bowl, press out maximum amount of oil. Reserve the oil and solids and let cool.

4. In a food processor, add the pancetta. Process for 30 seconds or so until it forms a smooth paste. Add the strained garlic and rosemary solids from step 3 into the food processor with the pancetta. Process for another 30 sec to combine. You want a nice smooth texture.

5. Now prepare the roast. You want to butterfly or almost make a jellyroll of the roast. You want to cut 1/3 below the fat cap most of the way through, then reverse and cut back at the 2/3 resulting in a even strip of pork.

6. If its a little uneven, place some plastic wrap on top and pound the meat till even.

7. Heavily season the inside and outside of the flattened pork with 1 Tbs salt.

8. Spread the pancetta/garlic/rosemary "flavor paste" on the inside (not the fat cap side) of the pork, leaving 1/4 border on all sides.

9. Roll up like a jelly roll, starting at the end furthest from the fat cap. Tie (truss) up the roast with twine.

10. Refrigerate for 1 hr.

11. Preheat oven to 275 degrees (F). Place roast on a rack on a sheet pan. Cook for 1.5-2 hours until internal temperature is 135.

12. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let rest ~20 min.

13. On the stovetop in a heavy pan, heat 1 tsp of the reserved garlic oil from step 3 over high heat till slightly smoking. Halve the lemon zested earlier and place cut side down into the pan to caramelize the sugars...approx 3-4 min. Remove to a plate to cool.

14. In the same pan, add 2 Tbs of the reserved garlic oil and bring it back to nearly smoking. Pat dry the rested pork loin and brown the fat cap and the two sides, but skip the bottom. Should take only 5-7 min.

15. Remove to a cutting board and remove the twine.

16. Juice the 2 lemons from step 13 and add 2 Tbs juice to the remaining garlic oil and whisk to make a simple vinaigrette.

17. Slice the pork in 1/4inch slices and drizzle with vinaigrette

Inspiration: America's Test Kitchen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdXvB9F0zFE