Proof a normal person can successfully “cook the cover” of Bon Appetit and live to serve it beautifully!

Last week I saw the whole process happen before my own eyes for our dinner party at Randall’s. Honestly, it’s more effort than I would be willing to put in for a typical dinner, but the hours of prep were certainly worth it for everyone’s reaction.

No question, this is THE best home-made dish I’ve had all year!!!

I worked as the sous chef to help chop as Randall did the heavy lifting. You can actually do the prep a day ahead because the process requires some serious focus. It’s not “difficult,” just a lot of work. This recipe is for the people who really enjoy cooking masterpieces.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Loin with Roasted Apples

From Bon Appetit Magazine, October 2011

Ingredients (MR Note: you need EVERY ingredient)

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-lb. 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
• **MR Note: Randall added red potatoes quartered

**Dried porcini are available at better supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

Preparation

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 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool completely. Add ground pork and stir to combine well.

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. Click here for photo instructions.
• Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound to an even thickness.
• Uncover pork. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. 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°. Place apples in a roasting pan. Melt 1 Tbsp. 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° (it will be cooked medium but still slightly pink), about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 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 Tbsp. butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce; slice pork. Serve sauce and apples alongside sliced pork.

I ate every bite of my slice. The mushroom and apple filling provided complexity to the sausage while the kale lightened it up. We paired it with a lovely, fruit-forward, red blend wine from Spain. I steamed artichokes to serve on the side. Absolutely delicious!

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