Light Stunt: Weeknight Porchetta

Light Stunt: Weeknight Porchetta

If you hadn't noticed from the picture above, I went rustic with this dish.

Porchetta is a traditionally an Italian dish that originates out of central Italy and is traditionally a boneless whole pig, gutted, seasoned with garlic, rosemary and fennel, and slow roasted on a spit over an open flame for several hours. This dish version is considerably faster without sacrificing flavor.

The Challenge

It's been a while, so I thought I'd use this space to explain a Light Stunt. The dishes I publish under this category are quick but flavorful dinners, similar to a #WeekdaySupper.

The Source

Adapted from page 30 of Bon Appétit magazine's January 2015 issue but I also found the recipe reprinted on their website.

Ingredients

8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fennel seeds, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1-pound pork tenderloins
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 slicers bacon
2 heads garlic, halved through the equator

Method

1. Season the pork. Before you head to the office in the morning, combine the minced garlic, chopped rosemary, fennel seeds, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Rub this mixture on all sides of each tenderloin. Cover, and refrigerate until you get back from the office in the evening.

2. Roast the pork. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Scatter the rosemary sprigs in a large baking dish, then place the seasoned pork on top of the rosemary. Wrap each tenderloin in 4 slices bacon, pushing the ends of the bacon slices underneath the tenderloin so they stay in place, then place the garlic heads around the pork and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Roast in the oven until the internal temperature of each tenderloin reaches 145° Fahrenheit, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Once finished, transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Analysis

This dish is very satisfying for a cold winter evening and, from a technique standpoint, is very creative with the use of bacon. As the bacon cooks, it's rendered fat is soaked up by the tenderloin, thereby keeping it moist and adding flavor.