Slow Roasted Boneless Pork Loin Stuffed with Chestnuts and Cranberries - by Laura Cassai

Ingredients

50g dried cranberries
2kg boneless pork loin, plus extra skin (see note below)
100g chestnuts
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for rubbing into the skin
1 onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Sea salt flakes
100g (1 cup) dry breadcrumbs
Finely grated zest of 1 orange


Note: extra skin is needed so the pork loin is easier to roll up to keep the stuffing secure. Your local butcher will do this for you if you ask.

Method

Preheat the oven to 220 C (430 F).

Boil the kettle and pour the boiling water into a heatproof bowl with the dried cranberries to soak for about 10 minutes until they are soft. Drain and set aside.

Lay the pork loin out flat and pat dry with paper towel to remove any moisture.

Score each chestnut with a small sharp knife, place on a baking tray and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the skins have opened up.

Remove from the oven, peel back both layers of skin (the harder shell and the brown thin layer of skin), roughly chop the chestnuts and set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160 C (320 F).

To make the stuffing, heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, or until a light golden colour. Add the rehydrated cranberries, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and then add the breadcrumbs. Stir for a minute or so to lightly toast the breadcrumbs, then remove from the heat. Add the chestnuts and the orange zest, and stir to combine.

Press the filling onto the laid-out pork loin and roll up the loin, securing it with cooking string to ensure it doesn’t come undone while cooking.

Once you have tied up the loin, rub the outside with olive oil and season well. Place in a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 2–2½ hours.

Change the oven setting to grill or increase to 220 C (430 F) and crisp up the skin for 5–10 minutes, continuously rolling the loin over so all the skin becomes crisp.

Rest for 10 minutes on a board, then carve up and serve.

Credits: This is an edited extract from My Italian Kitchen by Laura Cassai published by Hardie GrantRRP $39.95 available in stores nationally.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from My Italian Kitchen by Laura Cassai published by Hardie GrantRRP $39.95 available in stores nationally.