How to Cook Prosciutto-Fennel Stuffed Pork

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients needed to make Prosciutto-Fennel Stuffed Pork:

For the stuffing:

• 3 whole-what sandwich bread slices, torn into coarse 1’’ pieces
• ½ medium Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped into 1’’ chunks
• 1 medium fennel bulb, stalk chopped off, cored and sliced into 1’’ chunks
• ½ yellow onion, chopped into 1’’ chunks
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the pork:

• 4 lb pork loin, boneless
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 3 oz thin prosciutto slices
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Cooking instructions for Prosciutto-Fennel Stuffed Pork:

• To make the stuffing, toss the bread pieces into a food processor with a blade attachment and blitz them 15 times into fine crumbs.
• Tip them into a large bowl and keep it aside until required.
• Throw in the onion, fennel and apple chunks into the food processor and pulse them for about 20 times or until they are finely chopped; set aside.
• Add a knob of butter in a large skillet and melt it over moderate heat.
• Tip the above mixture into the skillet, followed by rosemary leaves as well as a dash of seasonings and sauté them for about 15 minutes, stirring at times, until the veggies soften.
• Transfer it to the bowl with readcrumbs and toss them together until well combined.
• Adjust the seasonings and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
• Spread a sheet of aluminum foil across a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
• To prepare the pork, toss the rosemary and fennel seeds together, along with a dash of salt, sugar and ground black pepper until they mix thoroughly and set aside in a shallow bowl.
• Place the pork on a chopping board and slice it longitudinally along its middle, so that only ½’’ of the meat remains unharmed.
• Open it up so that it resembles a butterfly and press it with your palm to flatten it out.
• Slice the left side of the pork along the length of its border, keeping the knife’s blade parallel to the board.
• Pull it open and flatten it out by pressing firmly.
• Continue to do so with the other side until either side flattens to become ½’’ thick.
• Scatter the prepared stuffing all over the pork, leaving an inch free along the border.
• Place the prosciutto slices, side by side horizontally, so that they overlap along the edges.
• Roll it meat into a tight rectangular log and tie it up with an 18’’ long kitchen twine to secure.
• Lightly grease the pork by rubbing oil all over it and roll it across the bowl of spice mixture until well coated.
• Place the seasoned stuffed pork onto the lined baking sheet, with its seam side facing down and set aside for half an hour to rest.
• Meanwhile, warm up your oven to 450 degrees F, with a rack positioned midway within the oven.
• Place the pork on the hot oven rack and roast for half an hour or until its surface browns slightly.
• Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and roast further for another 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork rises to 145 degrees F.
• Allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
• Slice and serve warm.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons