PORCHETTA-STYLE PORK ROAST

Sunday is the perfect day for a roast pork, especially an autumn Sunday. The pork roasting in your oven will fill the house with an incredible aroma. I served it with twice baked potatoes and Harvest Escalloped Apples, recipe follows.

1 (4 to 4 ½ lb) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)

2 T fennel seeds

1 T sea salt

2 t black peppercorns

1 t red pepper flakes

2 T fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

4 large cloves garlic

2 T extra-light olive oil

1 cup Marsala or white wine

½ cup chicken broth or stock

Pat pork dry with paper towels and place in a cast-iron skillet or heavy roasting pan.

Place fennel seeds in a small skillet and toast over medium-high heat until slightly darker in color and fragrant (about 3 to 4 minutes).

Remove from heat and let cool.

When cool, pour into a spice grinder along with salt, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes.

Grind to a medium coarseness.

Place in a small bowl and add the chopped rosemary.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut each clove of garlic into 4 slivers.

Using a small paring knife, make 16 holes in the roast.

Place a sliver of garlic into each.

Rub entire surface of pork with olive oil and then spread the spice mixture over the surface.

Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes

Turn down oven temperature to 300 degrees and roast for another  2 to 2½ hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 150 degrees.

Transfer pork to a cutting board to rest while making the sauce.

Place skillet or roasting pan on the stove.

Add the wine and chicken stock.

Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until wine mixture is reduced to about 1 cup.

Pour sauce through a mesh strainer into a bowl or gravy boat.

Carve pork into ½ inch thick slices and pour a little of the sauce over.

Serves 4 

Harvest Escalloped Apples
3 Granny Smith or Jonathan apples, peeled, sliced, and slices cut in half
2 T unsalted butter
2 T brown sugar
1 T granulated sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
½ t ground ginger
¼ t ground nutmeg
1 t fresh lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt
1¼ cups apple juice

1 T cornstarch

2 T water

In a large skillet, add the apples, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, lemon juice, salt, and apple juice.

Cook over medium heat until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with water and add to the pan with the apples.

Cook until thickened.