If given a choice of entrees in a restaurant and there’s some kind of pork dish on the menu, that’s what I’m ordering. From chops to tenderloin, to stews of slowly cooked shoulder, I’m a fan of the pig (and don’t forget a pulled pork sandwich). Whenever I see a recipe featuring this meat, I feel compelled to give it a try.

This dish combines a rack of pork with another favorite-sweet italian sausage. It’s definitely a dish for entertaining since a rack usually serves 8-10. You’ll wow your guests and there’s really very work involved in putting this roast together. Once you pop it in the oven, you’re free to mingle with your guests until it’s time to carve.
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Sausage Stuffed Rack Of Pork

1 (6 pound) bone in pork loin roast
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large sage leaves
1 pound Italian sausages, casings discarded
6 scallions chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
20 brine cured black olives
1 (750 ml.) bottle white Orvieto Classico wine

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with rack in the middle.

Partially cut meat away from the bones to create a flap (for stuffing, allowing meat to be returned to the bone). Rub pork inside and out with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then rub outside with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Put sage and then sausage and scallions inside the flap and roll roast back up towards bone and tie with kitchen string between each chop. Put roast bone side down in large roasting pan with celery and olives, then pour in wine and remaining olive oil (I used about 1/2 cup, less than recipe calls for). Roast 20 minutes and then reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast, basting meat about every 30 minutes, until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of meat (do not touch the bone) registers 155 degrees., about 2 hours more (I found that it was done in about 1-1/2 hours). Let stand 15 minutes. Serve with pan juices.

Recipe from Gourmet April 2008.

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