« Seattle Souvenir Dinner Party, June 2008 »

Pretty in Pork

Recently Michael Ruhlman blogged about staple meals:

I’m fascinated by what America eats at home—not by what people serve at a dinner party or the latest favorite recipe they’ve found, but rather by what America’s default meals are. What are the meals you return to again and again—meals that are economical, quick, taste good, feel good, meals you make without having to think much?

One of Ruhlman’s staple meals centers on chicken, but at our house, pork is often the go-to protein–most often a small stuffed roast. My butcher shop labels the cut a boneless prime rib of pork, but it’s actually the small end of the loin, nearest the shoulder. Averaging about a-pound-and-a-half in weight, this tender little roast provides dinner for the two of us and then a delicious lunch for me the next day. It’s so good served at room temperature that on warm days I often roast it in the morning and set it aside until dinner time. Plus: for very little effort it’s a remarkably pretty presentation.

For the filling I use chard or dandelion, depending on what’s in the garden. I saute it in olive oil with some slivered garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes. Sometimes I add bread crumbs or sauteed mushrooms or toasted pine nuts.

After butterflying the pork, I pile on the greens and secure the roll with toothpicks. A quick brush with olive oil and a tumble in a mix of coarse salt, cracked peppercorns and smashed fennel seeds and it’s ready for the oven.

Roast the meat at 375-degrees and start checking it at 23-24 minutes. It may take 5 or 6 minutes longer than that, but don’t overcook it. You want the meat to be juicy with just the tiniest tinge of pink at the very center. Be sure to let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Tags: Michael Ruhlman, pork roast, stuffed pork

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 at 1:29 amand is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.