Pot roast pork with mushroom stuffing
Pork loin is slow roasted to perfection with a stuffing of cep mushrooms, ricotta and herby breadcrumbs – delicious.
Ingredients
For the pork
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
- 75g/2½oz dried cep mushrooms
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú pine nuts
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú breadcrumbs
- handful chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 250g/9oz ricotta
- 2kg/4lb 8oz pork loin, on the bone, rind scored
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch fresh basil, stalks and leaves chopped
- 2 x 400g tins whole cherry tomatoes, drained
- 350ml/12fl oz white wine
- 3 tbsp capers
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 25g/1oz dried ceps
Method
To make the pork, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Place a saucepan over a medium heat then sweat the onions, thyme and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes until soft.
Add the portobello and cep mushrooms to the pan and sweat until they are soft and cooked through.
Add the pine nuts and tip everything into a bowl then stir in the breadcrumbs, parsley and ricotta. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour this into an ovenproof dish and set side.
To make the pork, trim through the loin along the bone three-quarters of the way through and stuff it with the mushroom mixture, then use string to tie it back together and season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the pork on top of the tomato sauce and roast for 1½ hour. To check the pork is cooked, insert a skewer into the centre of the meat and check the juices run clear with no traces of pink.
To make the sauce, in a new pan, heat the oil over high heat and add the sliced onion, garlic, bay leaf and half the basil. Fry until softened.
Add the tomatoes, wine and capers and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5–8 minutes.
Pour this over the pork loin and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Slice the pork and serve with the sauce and remaining basil.
