Porchetta – Stuffed Pork Loin

First time but heat was to high early and overcooked as oven was miss-calibrated by 27 degrees. But, this has a lot of potential to be a family favorite.

11/3/16, 8 PM – 5.2 lb whole pork loin cut in half planning to use half in this cook and half smoked-see separate post. Brined in: 1 gal water; 1/2C Morton Canning & Pickling Salt, 1C ACV, 1/2C turbinado sugar, 2T yellow mustard. See Next Time item 4 below.

Cook to be based on Steve Raichelen’s background and recipe. Converted his paste based on fresh herbs to dried herbs using the 3 fresh to 1 dried ratio and arrived at this.

4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1.5 T dried sage (recipe called for 1/4 cup packed fresh sage leaves)
1.5 T dried rosemary leaves (recipe called for 1/4 cup packed fresh rosemary leaves)
2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 1/2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Microplaned maybe 1T lemon zest (recipe called for 2 strips (each 1/2 by 2 inches orange but we did not have an orange)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, or 3 more as needed

Blended in blender 6 hours before the cook. Butterflied 2.5 lb. pork loin and rubbed on paste. Rolled up and tied then rubbed remainder of paste on outside. Then wrapped in bacon.

Preheated convection oven on roast to 375 and inserted loin in SS roasting pan.  30-45 minutes later the fat and drippings was burning and lots of smoke. Added water.Porchetta

15 minutes later added Chefworks air probe hanging on pan handle and after stabilized found the oven is 395. Reduced setting to 350 and the smoking drippings was much less.

Left to get Piper and Olivia from school and forgot to check it when returned. When remembered the IT was 175. Pulled and let sit out uncovered to cool for maybe 15 minutes then wrapped in foil. Outside was crispy and the kids loved the crunchy bacon. The inside was overcooked but surprisingly not too dried out. Paste flavor was not as rich as expected no doubt at least partially due to high heat early and over cooking.

Next day checked oven calibration and found once we entered a -27 degrees adjustment it stayed at 375 plus or minus a few degrees.

Next Time

  1. Set oven a little low to warm then let oven coast up like for the MES. At least let it settle down.
  2. Could add more CBP or red pepper flakes. Maybe even a little more fennel and ground rosemary.
  3. Add chopped red potatoes and carrots to pan in the last 45 minutes to roast in the juices. Some baby portabella mushrooms would also be good.
  4. Try brining like Adam Perry Land with crab boil here.