A Recipe for Roast Beast From Eat Like a Man

The 100 or so recipes in Eat Like a Man come from big-name chefs like Mario Batali, John Besh, and Eric Ripert. Many of the dishes will raise the game of any man cooking them. They call for things like fresh herbs, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and fresh pasta. While many of the recipes are meat-heavy, this is not caveman cooking.

Read Part I for the review.

Pork Shoulder alla Porchetta by Mario Batali
Serves 6 to 8

4 lb boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel, fronds chopped and reserved, bulb thinly sliced
2 lb ground pork shoulder (you can use already-made sausages if need be)
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
2 red onions, halved

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have our butcher butterfly the 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 the olive oil until smoking. Add the onion and fennel bulb and sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the ground pork, fennel seeds, pepper, rosemary, and garlic and cook until the meat turns a light color, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Add the chopped fennel leaves and eggs and mix well.

Spread the mixture over the pork and roll up like a jelly roll. Tie with butcher's twine and place in a roasting pan on top of the red onions. Place in the oven and roast for 2 ½ hours, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Remove and allow to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch thick pieces and serve.

(From Eat Like a Man, Copyright © 2011 Hearst Communications, Inc. Published by Chronicle Books)

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