Porchetta-Style Roast Pork

Juicy and tender, subtly flavoured with fennel and garlic, this slow-roasted pork shoulder tasted as fantastic as it smelled while cooking.

The day before, the roast is rubbed with a dry spice blend that includes ground, toasted fennel seeds, and garlic. After marinating overnight, the meat is cooked briefly in a very hot oven to help develop a crust, then on low heat for several hours. The recipe recommends using a rimmed baking sheet but I used a roasting pan and I'm glad I did as the juices would have overflowed the sheet pan.

Once done, the meat is rested and the pan juices defatted and combined with wine and stock to form a thin but flavourful sauce.

This preparation method of marinating, then slow-roasting transforms an inexpensive cut of meat into a fabulous, company-worthy feast.