Porchetta,Carrots and Brussels Sprouts

Porchetta,Carrots and Brussels Sprouts reminds me of Sunday Supper at nonna’s house. It’s comfort food served on many Italian tables.  This dish is easy to make and everything is in one pan; Autumn is here and the house fills with many wonderful aromas again. It is a nice extra to serve with Turkey at Thanksgiving.  Growing up in an Italian home, we often had more than one meat at the table.  The left-overs make great sandwiches.

Carrots and brussels sprouts are a Fall favourite, but an anytime favourite at our house.  I put them in the bottom of the pan to caramelize.  To dress the Porchetta, I make a green sauce with parsley, olive oil and garlic. This tender, herbed packed piece of pork melts in your mouth and is definitely classed as a comfort food.  The best Porchetta I ever ate was in Florence at a little place called Lampredotto Icché Tu Mangi.  This is traditional Tuscan food cooked to perfection; the pork has a balsamic reduction that is delicious.  When in Florence, visit this little place.

The following article is a good read on the history: http://www.starchefs.com/cook/product/porchetta-roast-pork

I line my carrots up by slicing them in half and I use frozen Brussels sprouts.

The pork loin is lean and I spice it with Italian seasoning and black pepper corns. It’s ready for searing.

Once seared I place it on top of  the vegetables and add a cup of white wine. I make little pockets and place slices of garlic in them.

The porchetta sits on top of the rack of carrots.

Parsley,garlic and olive oil make a nice little sauce to pour over the roast.

Ready to serve.

Print

Porchetta on a rack of Carrots

This is a simple but heart-warming fall meal.  

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Porchetta on a rack of Carrots

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Roast

• 5 lb Pork Shoulder or pork loin
• 1 lb carrots
• 1 lb brussels sprouts
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
• 1 cup white wine

The Sauce

• 1 bunch parsley finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduction optional

Instructions

The Roast

1. Heat oven to 325 F.

   Make a rack out of the carrots using the centre of the pan.

   Toss in the brussels sprouts.

   Salt and pepper.

   Rub with the Italian seasoning, peppercorns and coarse salt.  

   In a  large frying pan place 2 tbsp of olive oil.

   Brown the Porchetta in the pan.

   Remove and make some slits in the porchetta and insert the sliced garlic.  

   Place on top of the carrots and pour all the juice from the pan over the roast and vegetable.

   Pour the white wine into the pan.

   Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven for one hour.

   Remove the foil and return to the oven for another hour.

   
   

The Sauce

1. Chop the parsley and then add the garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

To plate

1. Let the roast rest when it comes out of the oven.

   Slice nice thick slices.

   Plate and pour the sauce over the whole roast.

   Place the vegetables around the roast.  

Recipe Notes

Choose either meat, today I used pork loin.

The balsamic vinegar is optional, today I used Olive Oil.