FoodB

I try to write posts to this site when I am in a good mood. I also tend to write most of my posts from work. Seeing as how lately that me having a good mood tends to only happen when I am not at work I have been struggling to keep up with the pace that I set in the last two weeks. So I am going to try and power through this one without getting off subject to much.

Really sucks that Memorial Day is over. It's funny how you look forward to these holidays so much and when they actually come up, the time goes by way to quickly. Jenn and I didn't do much on the weekend. One thing we were able to do was we got to head over to the strawberry festival out in Garden Grove. The festival was okay and we didn't end up staying to long because of the heat. I wanted to get a strawberry shortcake (it was a strawberry festival after all) but decided against it after seeing the line.

Other than that the only thing we did was to invite our friends Dan and Lee over on Monday. Jenn found a recipe that she wanted to try out and the portion sizes were to large for just 2 people. Seeing as how they enjoy when we cook for them, we figured that they would be perfect test cases. Here is the recipe:

Pancetta Wrapped Pork Roast

8 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) tied boneless pork loin roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1. Blend the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oil in a small food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the garlic is minced.
2. Sprinkle the pork roast generously with salt and pepper. Arrange the pancetta slices on a work surface, overlapping slightly and forming a rectangle. Spread half of the garlic mixture over 1 side of the pork and between the 2 loins that meet in the center of the tied pork roast. Place the pork, garlic mixture side down, in the center of the pancetta rectangle. Spread the remaining garlic mixture over the remaining pork. Wrap the pancetta slices around the pork. Place the pork in a roasting pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Pour 1/2 cup of broth and 1/2 cup of wine into the roasting pan. Add more broth and wine to the pan juices every 20 minutes. Roast the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F for medium-rare, about 1 hour. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour the pan drippings into a glass measuring cup and spoon off any fat that rises to the top.
5. Using a large sharp carving knife, cut the pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with the pan juices.

We misinterpreted the directions and ties two roasts together. This caused a problem with the cook time because we increased the size of the roast significantly. I think if we ever try this one again, we will have to watch Giada do it on her show first.

Aside from having to cook it for longer, the pork was really good. Very tender and the pancetta around the outside was very crisp and full of flavor. We have some leftover pancetta and I'm thinking of ways that we can use it again before it goes bad. A very good meal to end the holiday weekend, even if it felt to short.