Recipe: Porketta Roast

Season 2, Episode 3, Segment 2. Chef Lynn Chisholm of the Paddock Club in Elkhart Lake prepares a classic Italian Roast.

Italian Porketta Roast
Serves 6 - 8

5 lb. pork butt or pork shoulder
2 Tbls. ground fennel seed
2 Tbls. fresh chopped rosemary
3 Tbls. fresh chopped garlic
Salt & pepper
3 ft. butchers twine
2 large yellow onions, sliced
1 cup chicken stock

Trim excess fat from pork. Cut the pork so it is about a 1 inch slab. Season with salt, black pepper, ground fennel, chopped rosemary, and chopped garlic. Push all the seasonings into the pork & roll up as tight as possible and tie with the butchers twine.

Slice 2 large onions and lay them into the bottom of a baking dish, creating a bed for the pork.
Place the pork over the onions and roast at 350 degrees for about 3 hours. Place a piece of aluminum foil over the pork if it starts to get too brown.

The pork is done when you can insert a fork or knife and it comes out easily. It should be extremely tender. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the pork after you remove the pork, and scrape up the delicious bits to make a sauce. Skim off any excess fat and serve over the pork.

Butternut Squash & Pancetta Stuffing

3-4 cups chicken stock
1 lb. pancetta, diced
2 Tbls. sliced garlic
1 large yellow onion
2 carrots
3 celery stalks
2 cups butternut squash
4 cups day old bread, hand torn (dried in oven if fresh)
1 Tbls. rosemary
1 Tbls. sage

Dice the celery, onion, carrots, & butternut squash. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté pancetta, garlic & herbs for 2 minutes. Add the onion, celery, & carrot and sauté for about 5 minutes stirring frequently until the vegetables are translucent. Add the butternut squash and toss. Season with salt & pepper.
Toss bread in vegetables and add enough chicken stock to moisten but not soak. This will depend on your bread. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 30 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring a few times to release additional moisture.