Recipe: Red Wine Brined Pork Roast (make ahead)

RED WINE BRINED PORK ROAST

"Robert Carrier was one of England's best-loved chefs in the seventies, eighties, and nineties. When I lived there, he published a recipe in the London Times for No-Roast Roast Beef (the basis for the oven-roasting method offered as an alternative to spit-roasting the Ultimate Mr. Beef here). The technique is based on residual-heat cooking, which is so worthy of exploring that it deserves its own cookbook. Large pieces of meat, as with the pork below, are seared at incendiary heat for just long enough to crisp the exterior, then the oven is turned off and the residual heat slowly, and very gently, creeps toward the center of the roast. As a finishing touch, and because most people don't want to eat roasted meat at room temperature unless it's in a sandwich, the oven goes nuclear again for 10 to 20 minutes. Almost none of the juices are lost, and the texture of meat "roasted" in this way is a revelation of succulence."

1 (5 to 6 pound) boneless pork leg roast (cut from the butt, or rump end, of the leg)
FOR THE BRINE:
1 bottle fruity red wine, such as Shiraz, or a blend, divided use
1/4 cup kosher salt, plus more as needed
Water (as needed)
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
FOR ROASTING THE PORK:
Olive oil, for rubbing
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
FOR THE PAN JUICES:
1 cup white wine or vermouth

MISE EN PLACE:
Start brining the roast about 48 hours before you plan to serve, Remove the pork from the brine 5 hours before serving time, thus allowing time for it to reach room temperature before you begin the roasting process.

If the butcher has rolled and tied the pork, untie it. Place it on a cutting board, fat side down, and make several 1- to 2-inch cuts into the thickest part of the meat, to partially butterfly it and thus (a) provide a more even playing field, (b) allow the brine to be absorbed more efficiently, and (c) let the roast cook more evenly. Don't worry about what it looks like now (the Himalayas), when you slice it to serve, you'll get both done and medium cuts from the same roast (see Note).

TO BRINE THE PORK:
In a pan, warm about 1 cup of the red wine and add 1/4 cup of salt. Stir constantly for a few minutes, until the salt is dissolved. Transfer to a tall nonreactive container or crock (glass or plastic) that will snugly hold the pork while allowing the liquid to completely cover it. Stir in the remaining wine.

Place the pork in the red-wine brine, and then make up enough water-based brine to completely cover the meat, at a rate of 1 tablespoon of salt stirred into each cup of water until it dissolves. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 48 hours (be sure the pork is completely submerged in the liquid).

TO ROAST THE PORK:
Remove the pork from the brine and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Place fat side up on a rack in a large roasting pan, cover with a few paper towels, and let stand for 2 to 3 hours, to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven (preferably a convection oven) to 450 degrees F.

Rub the roast all over with the olive oil and season generously with black pepper and thyme, rubbing them in with your fingers.*

When the oven is very hot, roast the pork for 25 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and roast for 40 minutes more. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, to allow the heat to gently penetrate the meat. Absolutely no peeking!

Just before you're ready to serve, return the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and sear for about 15 minutes, until hot, crusty, and sizzling. Transfer the pork to a platter and drape with a piece of foil. Let stand for up to 45 minutes.

Pour off all the fat from the roasting pan and add the white wine. Place the pan over medium-high heat and sizzle for 4 to 5 minutes to deglaze, stirring occasionally.

TO SERVE:
Carve the pork and serve, spooning a little of the pan juices over the flavorful meat.

NOTE:
The days of trichinosis are long past, and although most people have absolutely no interest in eating pork rare, serving it medium and slightly pink is not just the norm but standard operating procedure in almost all restaurants and home kitchens.

*LAGNIAPPE:
For an evocative touch of the Italian countryside, mince garlic and rosemary to a paste with a little olive oil, and add ground black pepper. If feeling energetic, add the minced zest of a lemon. Poke a little in between natural partitions and crevasses in the meat just before roasting.

Makes 5-6 servings
Adapted from source: The Relaxed Kitchen by Brigit Binns