Chef John's Baby Porchetta
Description
Chef John's Italian-style baby porchetta recipe starts with a pork tenderloin, covered with an aromatic fennel rub, wrapped in bacon, then roasted.
Ingredients
•
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
•
3 cloves garlic, sliced
•
1 tablespoon finely sliced sage leaves
•
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
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2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
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1 lemon, zested
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1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
•
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 (1 1/2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin
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8 strips bacon
Directions
1
Crush fennel seeds in a mortar with a pestle for 1 minute. Add garlic, sage, black pepper, rosemary, lemon zest, salt, and red pepper flakes; pound into a thick paste, 2 to 3 minutes. Add olive oil; pound until rub is evenly incorporated.
2
Place pork tenderloin flat onto your work surface. Cut a slit, horizontally, ¾ of the way through middle of tenderloin, leaving 1 inch uncut on each end, being careful not to cut all the way through to the other side. Spread 1 tablespoon fennel seeds rub inside slit; close up tenderloin. Spread remaining fennel seeds rub evenly over tenderloin. Wrap bacon strips around tenderloin, trying to keep seams on the bottom.
3
Wrap tenderloin in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour.
4
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
5
Unwrap tenderloin; place in center of the prepared baking sheet.
6
Roast in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 134 degrees F (57 degrees C), about 25 minutes. Rest tenderloin until the internal temperature rises to 140 to 145 degrees F (60 to 63 degrees C), about 10 minutes.