Porchetta

This recipe is based on Anne Burrerll's porchetta from Cook Like a Rock Star. The idea of roasting the vegetables under the roast is hers.  I thought the vegetables would fall apart after cooking so long, but they really don't.  They are delicious after cooking in all that pork jus and fat.  I changed the seasonings, some of the veggies, and the cooking temperature and timefrom Anne's recipe.  I like to serve this with a simple green salad with a lemon dressing.

I usually make a lot of this, but feel free to cut the recipe down to a size that would work better for you.  It is a great dinner party dish since it can be made ahead. For me it is a must do ahead since I like to chill the jus to make it easy to remove the rather large amount of fat. 

Note:
Anne Burrell suggests using a pork shoulder roast with the skin on.  I tried this, as did my sister, and neither of us cared for the skin after roasting.  Bob Hancock from Blue Dog told me I wouldn't care for it with the skin on, and he was correct.  It was sorta leathery and not delicious. The skin also prevented the fat under it from getting all brown and crispy.  Maybe scoring the skin would help?  
The dry marinade I use on the roast came from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  I have used it for years on pork loin roasts and think it works very well in this recipe as well.

This will serve 10-12 people.You will need a large roasting pan.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal - if using Morton's cut to 2 tablespoons))
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons of dried ground thyme
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground bay leaves (Pendery's Spices)
• 1 7-10 pound pork shoulder roast, boned, skinned and butterflied (keep the bone!) or two smaller roasts
• 2 large onions
• 2 fennel bulbs, cored and tough outer layers removed
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded (a grapefruit spoon works great for removing the seeds and strings)
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved
• 10 bay leaves
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme, tied with string
• 1 bottle of dry white wine
• 1 quart pork or chicken stock (Red Hog sells pork and chicken stock)
• salt and pepper
  

Directions:

1.  Combine first 6 ingredients and rub over the inside and outside of the pork roast.

2.  Roll roast into a neat bundle, tie with butcher's twine, cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate for one to two days.

3.  Remove roast from the fridge to sit a room temperature for about a hour.  Set oven to 425 degrees.
4.  Cut the onions, fennel, squash and sweet potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces.  Put all the vegetables in the roasting pan and toss with salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Put the pork bone in the center of the pan and place the roast on top.
6.  Add the bay leaves, thyme and wine to the pan.

7.  Roast for one hour, then lower the temperature to 325 degrees and roast for another 2-3 hours.  Cover the roast if it gets too brown and add the pork stock if the pan gets dry.  When done, the roast shoud be fall apart tender and register 180-190 degrees.

8.  Remove the roast from the pan and set aside to rest.  If making ahead, let the roast cool, then slice and place in an oven proof serving dish that can hold the meat and the jus.  Cover and put in the fridge.
9. Dispose of the bay leaves and thyme, and remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon to an oven proof serving dish.  If making ahead, cool, cover and refidgerate.

10.  If there is alot of jus left in the roasting pan, put it back on the stove top, bring to a boil over high heat, and reduce to 2-3 cups.

11.  Strain jus into a container.  If making ahead, place in fridge.  Remove the fat that rises to the surface and solidifies.  Pour over the pork. (if the jus is jellied, warm up to pour over the meat)

12.  Reheat the meat and vegetables covered with foil in a 325 degree oven for about one hour.