Pancetta-Wrapped Pork With Pears and Root Vegetables

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Photo: GEORGE BARBERIS
Prep Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 15 mins
Servings:
4

Don't wait for the weekend to enjoy a homey, satisfying braise. This cooking method works beautifully with tender pork loin, which we've paired with pears, parsnips and carrots for a hearty meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ pounds pork loin, trimmed of excess fat

  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

  • ¼ pound pancetta, sliced into scant ⅛-inch-thick rounds

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into 3-inch pieces

  • 4 medium parsnips, peeled and cut on the bias into 3-inch pieces

  • 1 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges

  • 4 small pears, halved and cored, or 2 large pears, quartered and cored

  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

  • Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously season pork with salt and pepper. Wrap in pancetta, overlapping slightly; tie with kitchen twine. Heat a pot over medium-high. Add oil, then pork. Cook, turning a few times, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

  2. Add vegetables to pot; cook, stirring a few times, until golden in places, 5 to 7 minutes. Add pears, broth, and caraway seeds; season with salt and pepper. Return pork and any juices to pan; bring to a simmer. Partially cover and roast in oven until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of pork registers 135 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pork to a carving board; let stand 15 minutes. Slice and serve, with vegetables, pears, braising liquid, and bread.

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