Involtini di Miele - Pork Rolls

Involtini, or sometimes known as roulade, can be made with many types of meats or vegetables.  The key is to make sure your meat or veg is thin enough to roll and that your filling is full of flavor.  

This dish came about as a result of an abundance of kale from my garden.  I had made a batch of kale pesto up and wanted another way to use it.  I usually toss pasta with lemon and kale pesto during the summer months for a great cold pasta salad or  warm for a quick and light dinner dish.  I had also just purchased a whole pork loin and needed to slice it up and portion it for freezing.  I also decided that the addition of Italian pork sausage would not only add flavor but also add moisture to the rolls.  

First the Kale Pesto:
2 cups of Kale, no stems
1/2 cup of Italian parsley
1/4 to 1/2 cup raw pistachios
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
1-2 garlic cloves 
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine everything in a food processor until smooth. If it seems to thick, add a little water but not too much.  You want it to be thick and spreadable.

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I purchased some mild Italian sausage in bulk but you can use hot or spicy.  This is about 1 lb.  If you can't find it in bulk, just get the links and remove the casings.  
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Filling done.  On to the pork loin.

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This is a portion of a pork loin.  Not to be mistaken as a pork tenderloin. Pork loin comes from the animal's back and can be bone-in or boneless when purchased.     Its wider cut allows you to slice "steak-like" pieces. For this application, you need boneless.  

You may also notice that it has a fat cap.  This fat is great when you are roasting the loin whole.  It keeps it moist and almost basts the meat as it cooks.  For this recipe, you need to remove it.

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Side Note on Boning Knives:
I love and use my boning knife a lot.  A boning knife is a thin and flexible knife used for trimming meat, de-boning, and fish skinning and filleting.  I recommend adding one, you don't need an expensive one, to your knife block.  

Place the tip of your boning knife just under the fat of your loin.  Make sure the blade is facing away from the hand holding the loin.  Slowly move the knife under the fat to the end.  Next, pick up the sliced piece of fat with the other hand and begin to slice in the other direction to remove the fat.  It is easier to start in the middle of the roast.  It give some leverage when slicing.  Remove all fat and any silver skin, the thin membrane of connective tissue, from the loin.

Cut the loin into "steaks" approximately 1" thick.  Place the "steak" between 2 pieces of parchment paper and pound thin with the flat side of a meat tenderizer.  

Once the "steaks" are pounded thin, add the filling to each one, roll and secure with toothpicks.  Tip: use the same number of toothpicks in each bundle.  This way when you are removing them, you will know exactly how many need to be removed.  Nothing worse or more hazardous than serving an involtini with a toothpick in it.  You can also tie your bundles with kitchen twine if you choose.  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Now lightly roll your bundles in flour.  Just enough to coat.  This will help hold the bundles together when you pan sear them.  

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Heat a sauté pan over medium heat adding 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Sear your bundles in the pan turning to brown on all sides.  At this point, your bundles will not be fully cooked, just browned.  Move them to the oven and finish cooking to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.  

When done, let rest a few minutes until you can handle them and then remove the toothpicks.  Slice each bundle to reveal the swirled filling.