Panini Porchetta
Good
sturdy bread stuffed with flavor is a great picnic or informal meal.
Add a glass of the right wine and it's memorable. With cool outside
temperatures, roasted meats fill the house with great aromas. We like
pork shoulder. They take a long time to roast and yield a lot of meat.
A tenderloin could be used, since it's easier to handle. Cook's choice.
The wine choice is Bambino Grande, the super-Tuscan, since it has
enough acidity to cut through the pork fat, and enough body and fruit
to work through the sandwich.
1 – 5 pound pork shoulder, with skin, boned (by the butcher is easiest) and butterflied
OR 3 pound pork tenderloin, cut lengthwise so can be rolled up again
Cloves from 3 heads garlic
2 T olive oil for garlic plus 1/3 cup olive oil for later
1/3 cup rosemary, leaves, no stems
1/3 cup thyme, leaves, no stems
1/4 cup fennel seeds
2 tablespoons black pepper
Saute
cloves of garlic in 2 TB olive oil over medium heat about 3 minutes,
but not long enough to brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
In
a food processor, combine rosemary, thyme, fennel, pepper, the cooled
garlic with its oil and the 1/3 cup olive oil. This should make a
smooth paste. You don't want chewy rosemary here. Open up the pork,
laying it skin side down, slather on the paste; roll it back up. Tie
with twine. Bake, covered, in 325 degree F. oven about 1 ½ hours, or until
reaches 150 degrees. Then uncover and continue to 165 degrees, so skin can crisp.
Alternatively, leave tenderloin covered until reaches 165 degrees. Remove,
let rest about 30 minutes, with a loose foil tent.
While roast is baking, make a sauce for the sandwich:
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 cup flat parsley, leaves only
4 TB capers, not rinsed
1 1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB lemon juice
Toast
hazelnuts in a little olive oil. Cool, then process nuts, parsley,
capers, lemon juice and 1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor. Then,
drizzle in remaining olive oil until mixture is easily spreadable, but
not runny. Slice roast, place in torta or ciabbata bread, add hazelnut
spread, toast in Panini grill. Serve with Bambino Grande for best
results.