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1
Sear pork Heat oven to 450F.
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2
Let pork rest at room temperature 1 hour.
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3
Pat pork dry with paper towels, then season lightly with salt (dont oversalt, as the pork will be wrapped in pancetta) and pepper.
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4
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high, then add enough oil to barely coat the bottom of the pan and heat until hot but not smoking.
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5
Sear pork until brown on all sides, turning with tongs as each side browns, 6 to 8 minutes total.
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6
Remove from pan and let cool about 15 minutes (if you try to wrap pork while its very hot, the pancetta will slip off).
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7
Pour (or spoon) off excess fat from pan.
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8
Wrap in pancetta Rub pork all over with chopped rosemary.
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9
Lay six pieces of kitchen twine on a clean work surface, putting four in one direction (these will wrap around the pork crosswise so should span the length of the roast) and two across them.
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10
On top of the twine, arrange about 12 slices of pancetta, overlapping them slightly, in a rectangle (it should be about 1 inch larger on all sides than the pork).
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11
Place pork on pancetta and lay remaining pancetta slices on top, again overlapping them slightly, to completely cover pork.
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12
Lay the rosemary sprig on top.
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13
To wrap, use the twine to secure them, tying first from end to end and then around.
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14
(This will make the roast more compact for more even roasting and hold pancetta in place.)
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15
Roast Return pork to the skillet and then place in the oven.
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16
Roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 138F, about 40 to 50 minutes.
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17
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
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18
Carve and serve Remove twine.
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19
Slice pork to desired thickness, and serve.
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20
The cooking times provided here are for a 2-pound boneless pork loin that is about 8 inches long and 4 1/2 inches in diameter.
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21
Adjust the roasting time accordingly for thinner or thicker loins.
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22
Pancetta, or Italian cured bacon, lends a distinctive flavor to the roast pork, although any type of bacon can be substituted.
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23
Have your butcher layer the pancetta slices between sheets of paper to keep them from sticking together; thin slices work better (up to a pointtoo thin and they will disintegrate under the intense heat of the oven).
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24
You could roast cipollini onions, or some fruit in the same pan for serving alongside; prunes, apricots (and other stone fruit), apples, and pears all pair wonderfully with pork.
