This tender, juicy Italian pork roast is seasoned with fennel and garlic and rolled around an aromatic filling of lemon, kale, and rosemary.
ingredient
- 4 1/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (6-ounce) bunch Lacinato kale, stemmed and finely chopped (about 6 cups)
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 12 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 6 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Place pork, fat side up, on a clean surface. Score fat in a crosshatch pattern. Flip pork, fat side down. Holding a very sharp knife parallel to the cutting board, start about 1/3 of the way down from top of the meat, and cut pork lengthwise until tip of the knife is about 1/2-inch from the opposite edge of the pork — do not cut all the way through. Open the cut pork like a book and repeat this cut once more, slowly unrolling the meat as you cut. (It will not be even in all spots, but pork should lay flat and be about 1 1/2 inches thick.) Score meat in a crosshatch pattern, cutting about 1/2-inch deep and 1 1/2 inches wide.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add kale, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until kale is just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle scored pork with garlic, parsley, rosemary, lemon zest, black pepper, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and cooled kale mixture. Pat mixture into meat. Roll up pork in a tight spiral, starting from shorter side. Tie spiral tightly in 3-inch intervals using kitchen twine to prevent it from unrolling. Place on a wire rack placed inside a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, 12 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Transfer pork to a roasting pan, fat side up, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of meat registers 180°F, about 2 hours, 5 minutes. Remove from oven; increase oven temperature to 500°F. Uncover roast, and transfer to a cutting board. Discard any liquid accumulated in bottom of pan; line bottom of pan with foil. Place roast in pan. Bake at 500°F until crispy and deeply browned and thermometer registers 190°F, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove from oven, and let rest 30 minutes before slicing (use a serrated knife).
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