Roast Pork Loin Recipe, Porchetta-Style With Lemony White Beans

Pork's role in American chain restaurants is limited to pork chops, ribs, and bacon. The Italian take on the pig is the opposite: They embrace and use the whole animal in a variety of ingenious and economizing ways. And none is more dramatic than porchetta, a whole suckling pig stuffed with fennel and herbs and roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We've ditched the whole pig but applied the same flavor-packed treatment to our favorite cut: the lean, meaty loin. Consider this our contribution to pig appreciation.

Nutrition: 350 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated), 410 mg sodium

Serves 4

You'll Need

3 cloves garlic, minced
Grated zest of 2 oranges
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 1⁄2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 pork loin (2 lb), preferably with a small rim of fat still attached
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cans (16 oz each) cannellini, Great Northern, or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Juice of 1 lemon6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

How to Make It

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. On a cutting board, combine the garlic, orange zest, fennel seeds, and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary.
3. Run your knife repeatedly through the mix until it begins to take on a paste-like consistency. Scoop it up into a bowl and add the olive oil.
4. Season the pork with salt and pepper, then rub it all over with the paste.
5. At this point, you can cook it immediately or marinate the loin for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator for a deeper flavor.
6. Lay the pork in a roasting pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the loin), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle reads 150° to 155°F.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
8. While the pork rests, combine the beans, lemon juice, and the remaining 1⁄2 tablespoon of rosemary in a saucepan and cook until warm all the way through.
9. Season with salt and pepper. Serve slices of the pork over the beans.

Eat This Tip

Leftover Love

Just like we tend to love the turkey sandwiches as much as the Thanksgiving turkey itself, no sandwich is more prized in Italy than one made with leftover porchetta. See what the fuss is all about: In the oven reheat slices of the pork at 350 ̊F, then serve a few good hunks on a warm crusty roll like ciabatta topped with a pile of spicy sautéed spinach.

This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!