This cook was good and ideas here would make it better. Also, see ideas at the end of the earlier cook here.

Made 1/3 recipe of the seasoning below as only had about a 2 lb. piece of pork that did not look like lean tenderloin as had to remove a lot of fat. But, that was how we had labeled the vacuum sealed bag.

Ingredients: recipe – this cook

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt – 1t
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds – 1t
• 1 tablespoon anise seeds – 1t
• 1 bay leaves, finely crumbled – 1/2 half of a big leaf
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper – 1t
• 1 tablespoon paprika  Did not use as the Ancho will give it a red tone
• 3/4 tablespoon onion powder  ~1t
• 1/4-1/2 tablespoon crushed hot pepper flakes  1/2t Ancho chili powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil – used more than this so it was a marinade
• 6 -8 cloves garlic, chopped – 4-5 cloves minced

Put all dry ingredients together and into pestle. Ground and pounded to hopefully release oils from the seeds.

Put all back into SS mixing bowl and onto the stove to warm. While warm poured onto butterflied pork. Should have let it cool for safety reasons. Rolled and tied and into refer.

Preheat convection oven to 400 on the roast with No. 10 CI skillet with olive oil. When hot put tied roast in the center for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes crust is a nice brown and a little drying out.

Added 6 red potatoes and two onion sliced in quarters that had been rolled around in the oil and seasonings that drained off the roast while it has marinaded. Put all into over and let come back to 400 then reset to 300. [should not have let it get back to 400 but rather use the veggies to cool it and slow down the cook]. Inserted Chefworks probe in the center of the roll and set to alarm at 140.

IT was rising fast so opened door to let some heat out. 20 minutes after adding the veggies the IT was 136 so reset oven to 275. 10 minutes later the alarm went off when the IT was 140. Turned oven off and will let it sit in there for 30 minutes. Likely, the skillet at 400 never cooled down much and so even when the room-temp veggies filled it in, it stayed hot on the bottom of the roast and the top; therefore continued to cook at the higher temp.

Results – The pork was as tender as tenderloin usually is and not dry but still not like a pork chop. Flavor of the fennel blend was very mild and did not stand out. That was not bad but could have had more that the thin layer floating in oil as it had. The potatoes were barely done as were the onions that still were firm, crunchy and sweet.

Next Time:

1. should not have let it get back to 400 after adding veggies as it cooked too fast and the veggies did not have the time needed.  Rather use the veggies to cool it and slow down the cook.
2. Maybe the initial 400 time should be 15 min rather than 20. Did not notice much difference in the look during that last 5 minutes.
3. Apply at least twice the seasoning and include rosemary.
4. See ideas at the end of the earlier cook here.
5. Maybe butterfly the day before and brine with shrimp boil seasoning.