Porchetta (pronounced, por-ketta) is a culinary tradition in Italy. It is made by heartily seasoning a boneless pork roast, wrapping it in pork belly, and slow roasting it. The resulting porchetta is tender and juicy on the inside, and magnificently crackling crisp on the outside. We wanted to create a meatloaf variation of the iconic porchetta recipe, utilizing many of the same savory ingredients. In this case, we wrap our meatloaf in bacon and the results are epic! Our porchetta-inspired meatloaf is rich and garlicky with just the right balance of smoke, fennel, and spice. To balance out our unctuous meal we paired it with a tangy sun-dried tomato and sage pesto.
Porchetta-Inspired Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomato and Sage Pesto
Ingredients
- 1lb ground pork
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- ¼ cup grated fresh fennel
- ¼ cup grated shallot
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 oz bacon (approximately 7 slices)
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tbsp chopped sage
- 1 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
1) Place 1 lb ground pork, 1 egg, ½ cup panko bread crumbs, 2 minced garlic cloves, ¼ cup grated fennel, ¼ cup grated shallot, ¼ cup grated parmesan, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Using your hands, combine the ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
2) Cut 4 of the bacon slices in half and place them vertically on a plate. Thread the remaining 3 bacon slices over and under the vertical slices creating a basket-weave pattern.
3) Form the meatloaf mixture into an 8×4 (approx) cylinder and place in the center of the bacon weave. Fold the short sides of the bacon weave up and over the meatloaf, followed by the long sides, covering the meatloaf completely (almost like wrapping a burrito).
4) Place the bacon wrapped meatloaf, seam side down, in a Suvie pan, and, using your hand, gently press on the top of the meatloaf, flattening it slightly, to align with the edge of the pan (the meatloaf will “puff up” while roasting, this will help keep the meatloaf from coming into contact with the heating elements of your Suvie). Insert the pan into the top zone of your Suvie, input settings, and cook now.
Suvie Cook Settings
Bottom Zone: Roast at 350°F for 1 hour
Top Zone: Roast at 350°F for 1 hour
5) While the meatloaf is cooking, place ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tbsp chopped sage, 1 tbsp pine nuts, and 2 tbsp olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set pesto sauce aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
6) After the cook, and once the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 165°F, remove the pan from your Suvie and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Once rested, slice the meatloaf, and divide between plates. Top meatloaf slices with sun-dried tomato pesto before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional Information per serving (4 servings per recipe): Calories 670, Total Fat 41g, Total Carbohydrates 15g, Total Sodium 1614mg, Total Protein 58g.
