PORK LOIN WITH PARMA HAM & OREGANO

It’s certainly a simple recipe to do. And that’s why it’s here, despite the fact that it needs about 1¼ hours to cook. The thing about this is that it is quick to stuff and roll and then you’ve got nothing to do, which means it is perfect for keeping you calm and your guests contented when you have people over for dinner.

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Open up the loin of pork, ready for stuffing, by laying it out in front of you vertically so that the thick part is on the left (I’m right-handed). Now, starting at the top, cut through this thick part of the loin, all the way down, so that you can open it out to the left like a book. This will give you a larger surface area to lay the filling on.
• Grate or mince the garlic cloves, and spread the pungent purée all over the meat. Then take the leaves from a few sprigs of oregano and dot them about too; keep the stalks.
• Lay the pieces of ham horizontally over the pork loin; this way it will roll up more easily as the roll will follow the long length of the ham slices.
• Sprinkle the red pepper flakes over the ham and then roll up the loin, starting from the opened end side, keeping as tight a roll as you can. Secure the meat with string at 1¼- to 1½-inch intervals, knotting the lengths of string firmly. If you’re using stationer’s string rather than cook’s twine, dampen it first. I wish I could instruct you as to how to tie proper knots, but I do very bad knots myself. If you have the offer of a friendly hand—or rather finger—to hold the knot down as you tie it, take it gratefully.
• Cut the onion into thick slices without peeling it, and sit them in the bottom of a roasting pan to make the flavor platform for the pork. Add the reserved stalks from the oregano, sit the loin on top and drizzle with the oil.
• Cook for 1¼ hours; when it’s cooked, the juices must run clear when you put a skewer into the center and a meat thermometer should read 160°F.
• Transfer the pan to a heatproof kitchen surface, immediately pour the vermouth and boiling water into the pan, and scrape all around the bottom of the pan so any oniony, meaty stuck-on bits dissolve into this instant gravy. You can let the meat rest in this sauce for 15 minutes or so.
• When you are ready to slice the pork, remove it to a board and warm the gravy (removing the onion bits) if it’s cooled. Cut the meat into approximately ¾-inch slices; in other words, thick enough for the slices to keep their shape and hold the filling. Discard the string as you go. This size cut should give you 10 good slices plus the misshapen end pieces.
• Arrange these sturdy slices on a bed of arugula with the gravy served separately in a little jug, or just sit them on a warm platter and pour over them a little gravy or any extra juices the meat has made. Take some more oregano leaves and strew them over the pork slices before serving.