Recipe(tried): Ukrainian Festive Pork Roast

UKRAINIAN FESTIVE PORK ROAST: (Pyshna pechenia)

Ukrainians have a penchant for stuffed meats, especially pork. This recipe is an elegant entree for any feast usually served for Easter. Leftovers are prized.

2 1/2 pounds boned loin of pork

2 large eggs
4 twigs fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped dill
1 teaspoon basil flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound lean pork
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 clove garlic
4 strips bacon
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons peperivka or sherry

NOTE: peperivka, cayenne flavored whiskey, is made by soaking 10 whole red cayenne peppers in a pint of blended whiskey or bourbon for at least 48 hours.

Beat eggs. Add chopped parsley, dill, basil, salt, and pepper, mixing well. Grind pork fine, add bread crumbs, and mix. Wipe pork loin dry and trim all but 1/4 inch fat. Rub garlic in the inside "pocket" where meat was boned. (If using another cut of meat, make a pocket.) Fill with stuffing, keeping thickness as uniform as possible, but do not pack down. Cover with bacon strips. Roll and tie with string, tucking in bacon strips.

Bake on rack in a shallow pan at 350 F. for about 2 hours (25-30 minutes per pound). When roast is golden brown, baste with honey mixed with peperivka. Return to oven and baste after 5 minutes, and again after 10 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 20 minutes, away from draft.

Serve on a platter garnished with parboiled new potatoes, carrots, and small onions. May be sliced and served as a cold entree.

Festive Ukrainian Cooking..Marta Pisetska Farley