BONE IN PORK LOIN ROAST - BLADE END

By akselden

The choicest roast from the pig comes from the shoulder-end loin. Ask your butcher for a "shoulder or blade-end loin nine ribs down." The meat at this end of the loin is dark, moist and very flavorful. Ask the butcher to butterfly the roast for a spiral stuffing.

Ingredients

• 1 clove fresh garlic
• 1 large sprig rosemary
• 1 tsp. cayenne red-pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. fennel seed, pounded in a mortar
• 1 bone-in blade-end loin of pork, 8 to 9 lb., trimmed and butterflied
• 2 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sauce: (optional)
• Diced carrot
• Diced celery
• Diced onion
• Sprig rosemary

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine the garlic and rosemary, and chop coarsely. Add the cayenne flakes and fennel seed, and mix together in a small bowl. Rub the roast with the garlic mixture. Salt the meat lightly, and grind an abundant quantity of fresh black pepper all over the surface.

2. If you can, cook this roast on the spit. Prepare a hardwood fire using oak or almond or grape pruning. Allow the fire to develop a 4 inch bed of embers. Sear the meat in front of high heat, then adjust the fire
to an evenly moderate heat. Allow the
roast to turn for about 45 minutes or
until it reaches an internal temperature of 138° F.

3. If using an oven, preheat it to 400°F. Cook the roast for 30 minutes at this temperature, then turn the heat down to 350°F for another 15 minutes or until the roast reaches 138°F (see note) internally.

4. Remove the roast from the spit or
oven, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Remove the
strings. Cutting from bone to bone,
serve each guest a chop. Serve with a
stew of fresh shell beans or seasonal
vegetables.

NOTE: The FDA prescribes a minimum of 155° F for pork, in order to kill off all bacterial pathogens, including trichina. However, Bertolli and other culinary experts believe that a juicier 140° F to 145° F (the temperature a roast will reach while resting if it's taken out at 138° F) is safe.

Sauce:
5. While the meat is roasting, brown the trimmings in a saucepan. Allow a
residue to form on the bottom of the
pan. Add a little diced carrot, celery, onion and a small sprig of rosemary and a little meat broth or water, scraping up all bits adhering(to the bottom of the pan to dissolve them. Cover with broth or water, and allow to simmer for 40 minutes. Strain away the meat and vegetables, and reduce the liquid to about 1/2 C. Add any juices the roast releases while resting. Spoon a little of this sauce over each portion.