Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Roast

This recipe resulted in a very juicy, flavourful roasted loin of pork.

I was organized enough to prepare this the night before it was needed so the flavours of the fresh herb-garlic rub had a chance to permeate the meat. The roasting temperature of 450F was much higher than I normally use, but in combination with wrapping the meat in pancetta and adding wine and broth to the roasting pan it worked, producing a succulent roast. The only problem I encountered was that the pancetta slices on the top of the meat were cooked crisp by the halfway point and detached themselves from the meat but this didn’t seem to make much difference to the moistness of the roast. I took it beyond 135F to 150F, as my family prefers pork to be a little more well cooked and even then it was far from dry.

With the advance preparation and easy presentation at the end, (just slice and serve with pan juices), this was a perfect fuss-free entrée, though you wouldn’t suspect it from the flavour, for a large family gathering.