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1
Make the Brine In a medium saucepan, combine the honey, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, garlic and salt with 1 quart of the water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt.
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2
Pour the brine into a large bowl and let cool.
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3
Add the remaining 2 quarts of cold water along with the pork and refrigerate overnight (12 to 18 hours).
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4
Drain and pat dry, picking off any seasonings.
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5
Make the Rub In a mini food processor or a mortar, combine the fennel seeds, red pepper, garlic, lemon zest and salt and process or pound to a paste.
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6
Stir in the olive oil.
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7
Rub half of the spice paste on the lean side of the pork and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
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8
Make the Rub Preheat the oven to 350 and set a rack on a large rimmed baking sheet.
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9
On a large griddle, heat the canola oil until shimmering.
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10
Add the pork fat side down and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 5 minutes.
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11
Transfer the pork to the rack, fat side up, and slather with the remaining garlic paste.
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12
Roast the pork for about 1 hour, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 140 to 145.
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13
Let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
