Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 3 ½-4 pound pork loin
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
For the paste
- ¼ cup pignoli nuts
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves only
- ¼ cup flat leaf Italian parsley chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons orange zest
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
For the paste
- Mix together all of the paste ingredients in a food processor or mortar and pestle until a paste is formed. If the paste is too dry add a touch more olive oil.
For the pork
- Preheat oven to 350f and set the rack to the middle level.
- With a very sharp knife cut lengthwise about ⅓ from the bottom of the loin without cutting all of the way through. You can then continue to cut to unroll the loin and then pound it flat to equal thickness with a meat mallet. If the loin is on the thinner side it can be simply cut open like a book and pounded flat to equal thickness.
- Dry off both sides of the pork loin and lay it facing fat side down. Place 4-5 lengths of butcher’s twine under the loin. Season the inside of the pork loin with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and distribute half of the paste.
- Roll up and tie the pork loin. Season the loin with the remaining salt and spread on all of the remaining paste until completely coated.
- Place the loin into a baking dish or oven-safe pan and roast until the internal temperature reaches 140f (about 60-70 minutes). An oven-safe digital thermometer placed into the center of the roast while cooking makes the process very easy.
- Tent the roast with foil and let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Use an oven-safe digital thermometer placed into the center of the roast while cooking to ensure a juicy perfectly cooked pork loin.
Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.6g | Protein: 54.8g | Fat: 36.8g | Saturated Fat: 11.5g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Potassium: 865mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
