Recipe Background
This pancetta-wrapped pork roast stars fresh herbs and a marinade that melds overnight.
I still remember the first weekend after moving to our dream home tucked away in the countryside. Unpacking was a chaos, and the aromatic lure of rosemary and garlic was my escape from the cardboard boxes. I decided to make dinner extra special for that evening—a pancetta-wrapped pork roast that had been dancing in my head since the move. The rosemary and thyme, freshly picked from the small garden we'd been nurturing, seemed like the ideal companions to an otherwise simple roast. I guess the magic started when I blended those aromatic herbs with olive oil and garlic, filling the kitchen with a sense of home.
As I laid the pancetta in a neat rectangle, its salty elegance was complemented by the herbaceous blend slathered over the pork. Every new home deserves a dish that becomes a tradition, something that brings comfort even to unfamiliar spaces. For me, it was this recipe. Allowing the pork to marinate in the fridge gave us time to settle a bit further into our cozy corners, and meanwhile, the flavors melded beautifully. A splash of chicken broth and white wine in the roasting pan added a depth to the pan juices that we couldn't resist pouring over everything.
One chef-y tip that made all the difference was tenting the roast with foil post-oven for a perfect rest, ensuring those slices stayed juicy right to the cutting board. That night, the three of us—my partner, our curious Labrador, and I—gathered around a candlelit dining table still surrounded by boxes but filled with laughter and the unforgettable aroma of pancetta and herbs.
Ingredients
- 8 large cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (3.5-4-pound) pork loin roast boneless and tied
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 4 ounces pancetta thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
Directions
- In a small food processor, blend the garlic, the rosemary, the thyme, and the oil, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the garlic is minced.
- Generously sprinkle the pork roast with the salt and the pepper.
- Arrange the pancetta slices on a work surface, overlapping slightly and forming a rectangle.
- Spread 1/2 of the garlic mixture over 1 side of the pork,
- Place the pork (with the garlic mixture-side down) in the center of the pancetta rectangle.
- Spread the remaining garlic mixture over the other side of the pork.
- Wrap the pancetta slices around the pork.
- Place the wrapped pork in a roasting pan.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pour 1/2 cup of the broth and 1/2 cup of the wine into the roasting pan.
- Once the pork is in the oven, repeat this step every 20 minutes using the remaining broth and the remaining wine.
- Roast the pork until an instant thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F for medium-rare, about 1 hour.
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board.
- Tent the pork with aluminum foil and let it stand for 10 minutes.
- Pour the pan drippings into a glass measuring cup and spoon off any fat that rises to the top.
- Discard the aluminum foil and use a large, sharp carving knife to cut the pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
- Serve with the pan juices.
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