Roast Loin of Pork with Fennel, Onion and Pancetta

Mains food, mains, recipes, tastey recipes, recipe ingredients

Serves: 8
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 180 minutes

British pork. Loin is the leanest of the cuts, and can be cut from different areas. Blade end, sirloin end and the centre portion are all cuts of pork loin. Blade end is more suitable for roasting, because the fat melts to create tenderness without the



Ingredients

  • Large pork loin
  • 7 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 300g onions
  • 3 bulbs of fennel, trimmed and halved
  • 150g cubed pancetta (cubetti di pancetta)
  • 600ml red wine

Method

  1. On the fatty side of the pork, make small incisions with a sharp knife, and fill them with slithers of garlic, saving some for the other side of the meat.
  2. Put 5 tbsp of oil, the lemon juice, fennel seeds and leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary, into a large dish. Add black pepper, and mix into a paste.
  3. Put the pork into the dish and cover everywhere with the marinade. Leave to stand in a cool place for 5 -24 hours.
  4. When ready, pre heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 4.
  5. Peel the onions, and chop them into halves. Chop the fennel bulbs into thirds, and trim them of their fronds (if still intact).
  6. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, and fry the pancetta until crisp.
  7. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon to leave behind the fat.
  8. Put the onions and fennel into the pan to colour for a few minutes. Take everything out of the pan and set aside until needed.
  9. Put a large pan on the hob to seal the meat. Add a glug of oil and wait until hot. Season the meat, and seal all the sides of the pork.
  10. In a casserole dish, lay out all the vegetables, the pancetta, and a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Place the pork on top.
  11. In the pan used to seal the meat, pour off any fat and add the wine, leaving it to reduce for 2-3 minutes, then pour into the base of the roasting dish.
  12. Put the lid on the casserole, and place in the oven for 2 hours.
  13. When the pork is done, leave to rest for 30 minutes, carve and serve.


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