Butterflying a pork loin

[vbak]

Has anyone every done this? There's a BA recipe I would like to tackle at some time, but the butterflying is making me a little nervous. I looked at the how to pictures, but I'm just not seeing it.

Thanks.
Vicky

[ajowen]

Do either of these videos help you imagine what you should be doing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz391Urnk30

http://www.ehow.com/video_2339546_bu...pork-loin.html

The first one is more for a roast and the second one is more for a single (too thick) pork cutlet.

[heavy hedonist]

You know that you can ask the butcher at the grocery store to do it for you, at no extra cost, generally....

[vbak]

thank you. Yes, that video did help. I have a loin in the freezer, and I'm not sure if they would do this after purchasing it.

[Cafe Latte]

What's the recipe you want to make? I have a pork loin and would like some new ideas. Thanks.

[vbak]

Great. Just a sec.

[vbak]

Here ya go. This is a start it the day before recipe because it's soooo long!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Loin with Roasted Apples Bon Appétit | October 2011

by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Stuff, roll, and wrap the butterflied pork loin one day ahead. Then, two hours before the party, roast the pork on a bed of apples, which serves as a natural rack and adds sweetness to the cider jus. Don't sweat the technique: Ask your butcher to trim and butterfly a pork loin for you, or go to bonappetit.com/go/porkloin for step-by-step photographs to learn how to butterfly and roll this beauty yourself.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
ingredients
Filling:
1 ounce (1 cup) dried whole porcini mushrooms
2 ounces (3/4 cup) dried apples
1 pound kale, bottom stems trimmed
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons brandy or Calvados
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground pork

Pork:
1 (trimmed) 2 1/2–3 pound pork loin
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
5 sprigs rosemary
4 medium apples (such as Granny Smith or Fuji), quartered, or 8 small apples, halved
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup dry hard cider
1/2 cup low-salt chicken stock

Ingredient info: Dried porcini are available at better supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.
preparation
For filling:

Place dried mushrooms and dried apples in separate small bowls. Add 1 cup boiling water to each bowl. Let mushrooms and apples soak until very soft, about 30 minutes. Strain mushrooms. Cover and chill soaking liquid (about 3/4 cup). Drain apples, discarding soaking liquid. Finely chop mushrooms and apples, combine in a small bowl, and set mushroom and apple mixture aside.

Meanwhile, blanch kale in boiling salted water just until wilted, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer kale to a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate until cool. Remove any large, tough ribs.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and apples; cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 1 minute. Add brandy and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool completely. Add ground pork and stir to combine well.

For pork:

To butterfly, put pork loin on a work surface with short end facing you. Holding a long, thin sharp knife parallel to work surface and beginning along one long side, cut 1/2" above underside of roast. Continue slicing inward, pulling back the meat with your free hand and unrolling the roast like a carpet, until the entire loin is flat. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound to an even thickness.

Uncover pork. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place kale leaves on top of loin in an even layer, overlapping as needed and leaving a 1" border. Spread filling on top of kale. Roll pork into a tight cylinder. Wrap one layer of prosciutto around roast. Tie roast securely with kitchen twine in 1" intervals. Tuck rosemary sprigs under twine, spacing apart. DO AHEAD: Pork roast can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place apples in a roasting pan. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in a large skillet. Brown pork on all sides, about 5 minutes total, then set on top of apples in pan. Add cider and 1/2 cup water to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Pour mixture into roasting pan. Roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loin registers 140°F (it will be cooked medium but still slightly pink), about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let roast rest for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Put roast on a platter. Reserve apples from roasting pan; spoon off fat from juices in pan. Place pan on top of stove over medium-high heat. Add chicken stock. Pour in reserved mushroom liquid, leaving any sediment behind, and cook, scraping bottom of pan to release any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce; slice pork. Serve sauce and apples alongside sliced pork.

Wine suggestion:
Try pairing this pork with a big red like Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2009 Le Volte, Tuscany ($25).

Epicurious.com © Condé Nast Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...#ixzz1dVxuKbsM

[Cafe Latte]

Thanks vbak. I have that issue, but I've been bad about looking at my magazines lately so I obviously didn't see it.

[vbak]

You are very welcome! I'm bad too with my mags, but I'm saving them for our trip to Germany in December!

[foodie18]

What's the recipe you want to make? I have a pork loin and would like some new ideas. Thanks.

Last weekend I made a great Boston Butt from BA. It called for pork shank but I couldn't find them so I had to sub. I think it would work equally well with a loin just a little less fatty (which isn't a bad thing.) I can dig it up and post the link if you are interested. It called for braising and then roasting and had porcini, prosciutto, mire poix, etc. Yum! (Made homemade spaetzle to go with it!)

[travelbug]

Last weekend I made a great Boston Butt from BA. It called for pork shank but I couldn't find them so I had to sub. I think it would work equally well with a loin just a little less fatty (which isn't a bad thing.) I can dig it up and post the link if you are interested. It called for braising and then roasting and had porcini, prosciutto, mire poix, etc. Yum! (Made homemade spaetzle to go with it!)

Could you please post? I have a shank in my freezer that I really should use soon.

Thanks!

[vbak]

Yes, please post.

[foodie18]

Here you go.

Vbak - I almost made the prosciutto wrapped loin but opted for this instead. Felt like less work.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/20...cini_mushrooms

[vbak]

Thanks for posting the recipe. This looks good and sounds much easier.

[foodie18]

Did you make the other one? Was it worth the effort?

[vbak]

No, not yet. I'll make when I'm not feeling pressure, and I'll invite my testers over!