Arista di Maiale con Rosmarino -- Roast Loin of Pork with Rosemary

4 to 5 lb. loin of pork, bone in
3 tbsp. crushed rosemary
6 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tbsp. butter
1 md. onion, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Have the butcher either remove the chine bone of the pork roast, or break it to make carving easier. Remove any excess fat from the loin, being sure to leave some in place. With a very sharp knife, make about a dozen small slits in the pork roast, making sure the slits are a various depths. Some very deep, some shallow, some about midway.

Mix the crushed rosemary and garlic together, with a little salt and pepper. The moisture of the fresh garlic should hold the spices together. If not, add a touch of olive oil. Place a small amount of the mixture and insert it into the slits cut into the pork loin. Use the tip of your finger to make sure it goes all the way to the bottom of the slit.

Heat the butter in a shallow roasting pan in a 350°F oven. Sprinkle onion atop the the melted butter. Place the pork loin directly on top of the onion. Do not use a rack. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the pork loin. Roast uncovered for about 2-2˝ hours, or until a thermometer registers 170°F.

Allow the roast to set for 15-20 minutes before carving. When carving, slice each chop close to the bone for a good serving.

Comments from djplam :

This is a typical Sunday entree. After the antipasta, pasta, sausage, braciole, etc, etc, then came the roasts!! All of my family lived on Staten Island in New York, except one of my fathers uncle’s who settled in Brooklyn. There were many a Sunday that we would leave Staten Island, (by ferry, no bridge yet), stop at a pastry shop and arrive at about 1. We would sit down to eat about 2 and . . . Whew! The kids got up and played . . . The adults sat around eating all afternoon . . . Into the early evening when my Aunt would bring out “stuff” for sandwiches! And the wine! But that’s another story.

From my cookbook: The "Old Country" Italian Cookbook, by Donald J.P. La Marca

User Reviews:

This was delicious. The flavor of the rosemary completely permeated the pork and was quite the treat. And simple too -- it only took 15 minutes to prepare.

submitted by ryansnyder on December 04, 2004

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