Angela's Italian Recipe for Pork Loin, Radicchio and Pancetta Roulades

Pork Loin, Radicchio and Pancetta Roulades
(Carne di Maiale, Radicchio e Pancetta)


Ingredients:
One 2 lb pork tenderloin (silverback removed) 15 leaves of radicchio 30 slices pancetta, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced thinly 1 tbs balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Slice the tenderloin into 15 pieces. Each piece will be a bit larger if sliced on the bias. Salt and pepper them to taste and set aside. Bring a pot of salted water to a slow boil, and immerse the radicchio leaves in for 1 minute.

Remove from the hot water with tongs and lay our on absorbent paper.

Turn them leaves over and dry the other side. Keep the leaves as flat as possible during this step. Lay a radicchio leaf on a flat surface.

Place a tenderloin slice on the leaf.

Wrap the tenderloin in the leaf. Do this by rolling the meat in the leaf, and tucking in the sides as you go along. Lay two pieces of pancetta on a flat surface. The pieces should cross in the center of each pieces at right angles, forming a cross. Place a radicchio wrapped piece of pork loin at the intersection of the pancetta. Place a couple of slices of garlic on each piece of meat. Bring the ends of the topmost piece (the one touching the radicchio) of pancetta over the meat.

Do the same with the second of pancetta. Depending upon the width of the pancetta, most of the radicchio wrapped piece of meat should be encased in the pancetta. If the pancetta slices are too long to use, i.e. the ends overlap by more than an inch once they have encased the meat, cut off the excess and put aside. Add the olive oil to a large skillet.

Add the excess pancetta (if you have no excess) use a small additional piece.

When the olive oil is hot but not smoking, turn the heat to medium, and carefully place the enwrapped roulades in the hot olive oil.

Cook on one side for 7 minutes.

Turn each over and cook on the other side for an additional 7 minutes. While the tenderloins are cooking, saute the mushrooms in another skillet. This should be done over medium high heat.

As soon as the mushrooms release their water, turn the heat to high. When almost all of the moisture has evaporated, add the balsamic vinegar, stir and cook for an additional minute.

Move to the back of the stove. As soon as the roulades are cooked, heap a portion of the sauteed mushrooms on a plate.

Place 2 roulades on top of the mushrooms. Serve hot. Serves 4-6.