Roasted Salt-and Spice-Packed Pork Loin

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground ()
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt ()
• 1 ounces fennel seeds freshly ground
• 1 ounce juniper berries freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 5 pound pork rib roast bone-in fat trimmed
• 1 cup water 
• 1 ounces allspice whole freshly ground

Equipment

• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• roasting pan

Directions

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheatto 250°F.
2. Sprinkle pork roast all over with1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1 teaspoon pepper,and fennel seeds, patting to adhere.
3. Heatolive oil in heavy large roasting pan overmedium-high heat.
4. Place pork, fat sidedown, in pan. Cook until brown on all sidesand on ends, holding pork upright withtongs when necessary, about 12 minutes.
5. Transfer pork to baking sheet and coolcompletely, about 20 minutes.
6. Combine 8 cups coarse salt, 2/3 cupblack pepper, allspice, and juniper berriesin same roasting pan. Stir to blend.
7. Add1 cup water and stir to moisten. Push 2/3 to3/4 of salt mixture to 1 side of pan, spreadingremaining salt in long wide strip (about sizeof roast) as base for pork.
8. Place pork, boneside down, on salt base. Pack remaining saltover entire roast, enclosing completely.
9. Roast pork in salt crust until instantreadthermometer inserted straight downinto pork from top center registers 165°F,about 2 1/2 hours.
10. Transfer roasting pan to work surface.
11. Let pork rest 10 to 20 minutes.
12. Removeall salt from around pork.
13. Transfer pork tocutting board, brushing off any remainingsalt. Position roast so that bones arevertical.
14. Cut between bones and meat toremove bone slab in 1 piece.
15. Place bone slab on platter. Arrangeroast atop bones in original position. Carveroast and serve.
16. * Sold in the spice aisle of most supermarkets.
17. With the pork, pour aCôtes du Rhône. We like the Domaine
18. Rouge-Bleu 2007 "Mistral" (France, $18).Its blackberry and earthy flavors and anisenotes complement the meat deliciously.
19. Bon Appétit