stuffed crusted center cut pork roast

Nearly two weeks ago I was contemplating a celebratory dinner for my fatherhood blog’s first ‘blogoversary’. It had a been a really fun year connecting with so many great dads and moms and I was proud of what I had accomplished.

A few days before I had been grocery shopping and picked up a center cut pork roast because it was on special and I can’t pass up a good deal on pork. The roast came butterflied, so I knew right away that I wanted to stuff it somehow and was also considering some sort of herb and garlic crust like I had experimented with previously.

My final product turned out to be a stuffed crusted center cut pork roast that I affectionately call pork three ways

hardware

• roasting pan
• saute pan
• medium mixing bowl
• spoons, measuring cups and spoons and spatula
• butcher’s twine

software

• 3-4 pound center cut pork roast, butterflied
• 3 cloves, garlic
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/4 cup flatleaf parsley
• 1/2 cup parmesan reggiano
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• olive oil, as needed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 bacon slices cut into lardons
• 2 links Italian sausage, uncased
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup milk, if needed

assemblage

• In a saute pan render the bacon, then set aside to cool
• Then brown the uncased sausage in the saute pan and set aside to cool
• While the meats are cooling, combine the garlic, spinach, parsley, parmesan, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse to combine
• Slowly drizzle olive oil into the food processor until the mixture becomes a paste
• In a dry pan toast the fennel seed, then remove and crack it in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder
• Put the cooled meat into a medium mixing bowl and add the toasted fennel, egg and panko, then stir to combine, but be careful to not overmix
• If the mixture needs a little more moisture add the milk a little at a time until you achieve the consistency you desire
• Take the butterflied pork roast and smear about a third of the paste on the inside
• Add the stuffing, roll up the roast and tie tightly with the butcher’s twine
• Take the remaining paste mixture and liberally coat the exterior

• Place the roast on a roasting pan and put it in an oven preheated to 350 degrees, then cook until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 155 to 160 degrees.
• Once you have reached your target temperature remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes

presentation

After giving the roast the appropriate amount of resting time I simply removed the butcher’s twine and sliced it into inch and a half slices.

While the roast was in the oven I took the saute pan in which I had rendered the bacon and sausage and used the drippings to start cooking some Yukon Gold potatoes. I dusted the potatoes with salt, pepper and toasted and cracked fennel seed them let them finish in the oven with the roast.

Finally, I served up a simple salad of baby spinach dressed with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Tagged as: Cook, Fennel, Garlic, Mortar and pestle, Olive oil, Pork