Serves 8
190 min
Roasted Salt- and Spice-Packed Pork Loin
Recipe GLPRbcd6ba20275c97
A stunning centerpiece featuring a bone-in pork rib roast encased in a fragrant salt crust infused with coarsely ground black pepper, fennel, allspice, and juniper berries. The roast is seared until golden, then buried in the spiced salt mixture and slow-roasted until tender, creating a dramatic presentation when the crust is cracked open at the table.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
1 bone-in pork rib roast (about 5 pounds), chine bone removed, with approximately 1/4 inch fat remaining
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus 8 cups for salt crust
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 2/3 cup for salt crust
1/3 cup freshly ground fennel seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup freshly ground allspice
1/3 cup freshly ground juniper berries
1 cup water
Directions
Position oven rack at center and preheat to 250°F. Pat the pork roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and the ground fennel seeds, pressing gently so the seasonings adhere to the meat.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy roasting pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, place the pork roast fat side down in the pan. Sear until deeply browned on all sides and the ends, about 12 minutes total, using tongs to stand the roast upright as needed to brown the sides evenly. Transfer the browned pork to a baking sheet to cool to room temperature, approximately 20 minutes.
While the pork cools, combine the 8 cups coarse kosher salt, 2/3 cup ground black pepper, ground allspice, and ground juniper berries in the same roasting pan. Stir well to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Add 1 cup water and stir until the mixture is evenly moistened and resembles wet sand.
Push about three-quarters of the salt mixture to one side of the pan. Spread the remaining salt in a long, wide base on the other side that is roughly the size and shape of the roast. Place the cooled pork roast, bone side down, directly onto this salt base. Pack the reserved salt mixture completely over and around the roast, ensuring it is entirely enclosed in the salt crust.
Transfer the roasting pan to the preheated 250°F oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted straight down into the center of the pork from the top registers 145°F for whole pork cuts, about 2.5 hours. (Note: For a rib roast, 145°F is the safe minimum internal temperature for whole pork cuts.)
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and place on a work surface. Allow the pork to rest in the salt crust for 10 to 20 minutes. Carefully crack and remove all of the salt crust from around the roast. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, brushing away any residual salt crystals with a clean brush or cloth.
Position the roast so the bones stand vertically. Using a sharp knife, cut between the ribs and the meat to remove the bone slab in one piece. Place the bone slab on a serving platter, then set the carved roast back atop the bones in its original position. Carve the roast into individual portions and serve.
