RECIPE: Italian porchetta

Ingredients

6kg pork loin (rib)

12g salt

14g pepper

16g smoked paprika

12g nutmeg

10g ground oregano

5g Italian herbs

15g fennel seeds

2-3 sprigs fresh fennel

6 garlic cloves

Method

1. Toast the fennel seeds in a hot, frying pan until fragrant.

2. Peel the garlic cloves and place in a pestle and mortar. Add the smoked paprika, toasted fennel, salt, pepper, nutmeg, oregano and Italian herbs and grind to a rough paste.

3. Remove the pork sirloin from the pork loin and trim to cylinder-like shape, to be rolled inside the loin.

4. Rub the paste on to the loin, and lay sprigs of fresh fennel leaves over the top.

5. Roll the loin, tie with kitchen twine.

6. Preheat the oven to 150C. Place the tray in the oven until the temperature in the centre of the porchetta reaches 30C. Increase the temperature to 200C for around 20 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes, loosely tented with foil.