Spicy Salt-Roasted Pork Loin Recipe – Lonza alle Spezie
Since salt roasting draws moisture (and fat) from unprotected meats, you will need to lardon the loin with pancetta. The result is a delightfully moist pork roast, served with a spicy horseradish sauce. To serve 4-6 you’ll need:
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) bonless pork loin
- A 1/3-inch thick (1 cm) slice flat pancetta (see link to photo), cut into half-inch sticks
- 3-4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
- A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- A teaspoon ground mustard
- A green apple, peeled, cored and grated
- The juice of a lemon
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons grated horseradish
- Pepper
- 6 1/2 pounds (about 3 k) coarse sea salt or kosher salt
PREPARATION
Preheat your oven to 460 F (230 C).
Make as many cuts into the top of the meat as you have sticks of pancetta. Mix the sage, nutmeg, and mustard in a bowl, seasoning the mixture with a grind of pepper. Roll the pancetta sticks in the seasoning and stick the meat with them.
Line the bottom of a baking dish deep enough to comfortably hold the meat with a 3/4-inch (2 cm) layer of salt. Put the meat on it, and cover it to an even depth of 3/4 inch (2 cm), using as much of the remaining salt as necessary. Roast the loin for an hour and 15 minutes.
While it is roasting, squeeze the lemon, collecting the juice in a bowl. Peel and grate the apple, stirring the apple into the lemon juice immediately to keep it from discoloring. Stir in the grated horseradish too, and next lightly whip the cream. Fold it into the sauce too, cover the sauce with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it.
When the meat is done break the salt crust to free it, brush away excess salt, slice it, and serve it with the horseradish sauce. Yield: 4-6 servings roast pork loin with horseradish sauce.