Roast Pork Loin Porchetta-Style with Lemony White Beans

By minicoopercraig

Pork's role in American chain restaurants is limited to pork chops, ribs and bacon. The Italian take on the pig is the opposite. They embrace and use the whole animal in a variety of ingenious and economizing ways. And none is more dramatic than porchetta, a whole suckling pig stuffed with fennel and herbs and roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We've ditched the whole pig, but applied the same flavor-packed treatment to out favorite cut: the lean, meaty loin. Consider this our contribution to pig appreciation.

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Grated zest of 2 oranges
• 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pork loin (2 lb), preferably with a small rim of fat still attached
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 cans (16 oz each) cannellini, Great Northern or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• Juice of 1 lemon

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a cutting board, combine the garlic, orange zest, fennel seeds and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary. Run your knife repeatedly through the mix until it begins to take on a pastelike consistency. Scoop it up into a bowl and add the olive oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper, then rub it all over with the paste. At this point you can cook it immediately or marinate the loin for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator for deeper flavor.
Lay the pork in a roasting pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the loin), until an instant read thermometer inserted into the middle reads 150 to 155 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
While the pork rests, combine the beans, lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of rosemary in a saucepan and cook until warm all the way through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve slices of the pork over the beans.