Hey, hey, hey! It’s summer, it’s warm, but I feel like eating something baked! Something that will help me get rid of my mother-in-law's jars of pepper zacusca. Not that I want to throw them away, it would be a shame. So, this morning, I went to the market with the thought of preparing a delicacy. I asked the girl at the butcher's for a piece of boneless pork loin weighing between 1.2 kg and 1.5 kg, opened up for stuffing. While the lady was doing her job, I watched how she shaped the meat, already dreaming of what would come out of this combination.
I also bought some mushrooms, about 250 grams, and a stalk of leek. Once I got home, I got to work. When I saw how the meat was shaped, I realized I had to put my creativity to the test. I improvised on the spot because I didn’t have a good knife. So, I twisted the meat from both ends, forming two rolls. I cut it exactly in the middle, struggled to make it thinner, pounded it a bit with my fist instead of a meat mallet, and sprinkled a little salt.
Then, I started to "style" the mushrooms and leek. I sliced the mushrooms with their stems, but I wasn't too concerned about the appearance because the taste is what matters. I cut the leek into thin rounds and mixed them in a bowl with spices and oil. I used a pre-made mix from a grinder with salt, lemon, and rosemary, plus another one with salt and pepper.
After mixing all the ingredients, I spread the mixture over the pork, adding some sticks of raw carrot that would keep their shape and add a note of freshness. Now comes the good part: I rolled the meat like a roulade and tied it with butcher's twine, making sure everything was tightly secured.
After tying the roll, I brushed it with zacusca, ensuring each part was covered. I added a cup of water to the pan and put everything in the oven. At first, I left the heat only from below, and after turning the roll, I turned on the top heat as well to get a perfect crust. When I saw it was almost ready, I removed the sauce from the pan into a pot. I had a handful of chopped leek and mushrooms left, which I sautéed with a spoon of margarine and a bit of water, letting it simmer for a few minutes. I added the sauce from the oven pan, blending everything with an immersion blender until I got a smooth cream, which I let reduce a bit.
Over the meat in the pan, I added the remaining zacusca and left it on high heat to get a darker color. After slicing the rolls, I served them with the sauce on top, alongside a fresh salad of lettuce, onions, and pickled cucumbers.
To complete the meal, I chose a glass of cold white or rosé wine; I had a Busuioacă from home, perfect for a hot summer. Now, as I write to you, I’m finishing a glass of wine to make my digestion more pleasant. Enjoy your meal!
I also bought some mushrooms, about 250 grams, and a stalk of leek. Once I got home, I got to work. When I saw how the meat was shaped, I realized I had to put my creativity to the test. I improvised on the spot because I didn’t have a good knife. So, I twisted the meat from both ends, forming two rolls. I cut it exactly in the middle, struggled to make it thinner, pounded it a bit with my fist instead of a meat mallet, and sprinkled a little salt.
Then, I started to "style" the mushrooms and leek. I sliced the mushrooms with their stems, but I wasn't too concerned about the appearance because the taste is what matters. I cut the leek into thin rounds and mixed them in a bowl with spices and oil. I used a pre-made mix from a grinder with salt, lemon, and rosemary, plus another one with salt and pepper.
After mixing all the ingredients, I spread the mixture over the pork, adding some sticks of raw carrot that would keep their shape and add a note of freshness. Now comes the good part: I rolled the meat like a roulade and tied it with butcher's twine, making sure everything was tightly secured.
After tying the roll, I brushed it with zacusca, ensuring each part was covered. I added a cup of water to the pan and put everything in the oven. At first, I left the heat only from below, and after turning the roll, I turned on the top heat as well to get a perfect crust. When I saw it was almost ready, I removed the sauce from the pan into a pot. I had a handful of chopped leek and mushrooms left, which I sautéed with a spoon of margarine and a bit of water, letting it simmer for a few minutes. I added the sauce from the oven pan, blending everything with an immersion blender until I got a smooth cream, which I let reduce a bit.
Over the meat in the pan, I added the remaining zacusca and left it on high heat to get a darker color. After slicing the rolls, I served them with the sauce on top, alongside a fresh salad of lettuce, onions, and pickled cucumbers.
To complete the meal, I chose a glass of cold white or rosé wine; I had a Busuioacă from home, perfect for a hot summer. Now, as I write to you, I’m finishing a glass of wine to make my digestion more pleasant. Enjoy your meal!
Ingredients
1,2-1,5 kg pork chop 250 gr mushrooms a sprig of leek a carrot pepper sauce salt, pepper rosemary rosemary oil