ITALIAN STUFFED PORK ROAST RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan; add the leeks and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft; transfer to a bowl. Squeeze the sausagemeat from their skins and add to the leeks. Add the sage, breadcrumbs, almonds, half the fennel seeds and the lemon zest. Season and mix well.

  Remove any string from the pork and unroll, skin-side down, on a clean board. Using a sharp knife, cut into the meat horizontally about two-thirds of the way along (but not all the way through), keeping your knife parallel to the board, to make a pocket. Open the meat out like a book and spread the stuffing into the opened-out joint, leaving a 2cm border. Roll up tightly; tie with string.

  Weigh to calculate the cooking time (see step 4); transfer to a roasting tin. Rub the skin with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Mix the remaining fennel seeds with the sea salt and spread over the scored skin. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

  Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss the fennel with the remaining olive oil and the pancetta; season with black pepper. After 20 minutes, remove the pork from the oven and scatter the fennel mixture into the tin. Reduce the temperature to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3; return to the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes (or 25 minutes per 500g) until cooked through. Transfer the pork to a board, cover and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes.

  Meanwhile, cook the kale in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until tender; drain and add to the tin with the fennel. Toss together, add the fennel fronds and lemon juice and season. Serve with the pork.

   

  Get ahead: you can stuff the pork up to a few hours ahead; chill. Return to room temperature before roasting.

   

  Kitchen secret: use up the leftover sausages by combining the meat with cooked onions and some breadcrumbs. Shape into meatballs and cook with a simple tomato sauce to serve with spaghetti for a speedy midweek meal.

Steps:

• Saute the garlic & shallots in the 3 tablespoons olive oil until translucent. Add the italian sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. When the sausage is cooked all the way through, add the basil & pine nuts. Mix the ingredients well & set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay the roast on work surface with the inside facing up and spread the sauteed sausage mixture over the meat. Cover with the blanched & shocked spinach, then sprinkle the spinach with the Fontina. Season with salt & pepper *To blanch the spinach submerge in boiling water for 1 minute then take out with slotted spoon & immediately submerge in ice water to shock the spinach & keep the bright green color.
• Starting with one of the long sides, roll up the roast like a jelly roll and tie with the pieces of twine at 2-inch intervals, until it is firmly rolled.
• Place the roast, seam side down, in a roasting pan & sprinkle with 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons black pepper, the basil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle the olive oil over the whole roast. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the pork has formed a crust over the top and the internal temperature is between 160 & 170 degrees F. Let the roast sit for 5 minutes, then cut the twine with a sharp knife or scissors & carve the roast.
• Notes: While letting the roast sit, pour off the fat from the roasting pan & deglaze with 1/4 cup white wine (only wine you would drink) or water or broth. Put the roasting pan over low heat & start scraping up all the browned bits into the wine & cooking juices. Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water & whisk into the simmering liquid. Taste for seasoning & serve with the pork roast. If you really like the taste of fresh herbs, such as rosemary & thyme, tuck a sprig of one or more under the twine & let the flavor seep into the meat while it cooks.