Last Supper #1: Suzanne Goin

Project Last Supper kicked off on Saturday night and it was certainly memorable. We chose Suzanne Goin's menu. Her last meal request was fresh tomatoes with basil, Prosciutto, Coppa ham, Suckling pig and Italian Broccoli with shallots, chili and garlic. Instead of suckling pig, I made pork stuffed with breadcrumbs and parmesan wrapped in pancetta. The book features her Italian broccoli recipe. I made an antipasto plate with the prosciutto, Coppa, tomato and basil and I added some homemade mozzarella from the Florence Ravioli Company.

This was perhaps the most flavorful pork recipe I have ever had. The stuffing was easy to make and the sauce was just as simple. I left out the fennel seeds simply because I didn't have any on hand and I also forgot to cut the tomatoes in half which I think improved the sauce as only a few burst and released their juice into the sauce so it didn't have a very tomato taste. Instead it carried the flavor from the pork and pancetta as well as onion and white wine. Jeff counted it among the top 5 dinners I've ever made. I definitely recommend trying this. It'd be an elegant dinner for company and the rolls can be prepared ahead and refrigerated.

Here's the recipe how I made it, or find the original on Epicurious.

Pancetta wrapped Pork with Breadcrumb Filling and Tomato

Makes 4 servings.
10 ounces boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick cutlets
16 thin pancetta slices
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 1-pint basket cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine

Pound cutlets between sheets of waxed paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Overlap 2 pancetta slices on work surface to form oval of same size as pork. Place 1 pork cutlet atop pancetta. Repeat with remaining pancetta and pork. Mix Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic in small bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide mixture among cutlets. Fold in short ends and roll up pork and pancetta, enclosing filling completely. Use toothpicks to secure rolls.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add rolls and cook until pancetta is crisp, turning frequently, about 2 minutes. Transfer rolls to plate. Remove toothpicks. Add onion to drippings in skillet; sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes; sauté 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return rolls to skillet. Cover skillet and cook over low heat until pork is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.