Pork Shoulder alla Porchetta

Ingredients

• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bulb fennel, fronds chopped and reserved, bulb thinly sliced
• 2 pounds ground pork shoulder (you can use already-made sausages if need be)
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 red onions, halved

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have your butcher butterfly pork shoulder to an even 1 inch thickness, you should have a flat piece of meat about 8 inches by 14 inches. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a sauté pan, heat olive oil until smoking. Add the onion and fennel bulb and sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add ground pork, fennel seeds, pepper, rosemary and garlic and cook until the mixture assumes a light color, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Add chopped fennel leaves and eggs and mix well.

Spread the mixture over pork loin and roll up like a jelly roll. Tie with butchers twine and place in roast pan on top of halved red onions. Place in oven and roast for 2 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Remove and allow to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. Slice into 1 inch thick pieces and serve.