Apple and Fennel stuffed Pork Roast
Memories from childhood; Sunday afternoon dinners with my grand parents.

Time to cook 7-8 hours cooking on low heat or 3 hours at moderate heat
Serves 8-10

Ask butcher to cut through the backbone to the ribs; but leave the bone on; which will make carving easier and the meat moister.
6 lbs pork end roast
2 heads of fennel
4-6 garlic cloves chopped finely
2 teaspoons olive oil; extra virgin if you have
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
4 granny smith apples; washed peeled and cut thinly
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ nutmeg
4-6 whole cloves
1 cup of good white wine
1 cup home made or store bought chicken stock
4-6 finely cut shallots
3-4 springs of rosemary chopped finely
2 tablespoons butter
One table spoon brandy
Salt/pepper

Rinse and clean thoroughly the fennel; trim off tops and throw away stocks unless you use them in your home compost. (Chop the stocks up for your home compost.) Chop fennel into thin slices and save the top fine green lacey part of the fennel for garnish when roast comes out of oven.
In a large frying pan; 10-12 inches over medium high heat; add olive oil, fennel about 1/2 of the garlic chopped and 1/2 of the shallots chopped and chili peppers, and ¼ cup of water add a little bit more if needed; but don’t let the vegetables get watery. As you stir the mixture the water will evaporate and the vegetables will lightly brown.  Once all browned take out of pan and place in bowl until ready to use.

Rinse and pat dry roast, salt pepper the entire roast; add 1 tsp. of olive oil in pan at medium high heat and place fat side down in pan to sear for about 3-4 minutes; turn over and sear the other side; place on a platter to cool.

In the meantime; mix the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt until all the apples are coated well.

When the roast is cool lay the roast out and creates a pocket of about 3 inches deep along the entire length of the roast then stuff it with the vegetables and apple mixture; getting it completely stuffed; all ingredients inside first the apple mixture then the fennel mixture. Roll it up tight and tie with cotton string crosswise at every rib to hold mixture stuffing inside.

In the same pan used to sauté the vegetables use that pan to add 1 tsp olive oil into the heated pan; add the other ½ of garlic, onions, shallots, rosemary and 1 tsp. red pepper flakes sauté until translucent. Add the wine and cook down to ½ the amount of liquid takes about 20 minutes on med low heat. Then add the chicken stock stir in real well and add the whole cloves of to sauce and reduce to 1/3 of what you started with. Pour this mixture into the roasting pan and place pork roast in center; cover w/ foil. If you are going to slow cook it; cook at 250 degrees for 7-8 hours taking the foil off for the last 15 minutes and increasing the heat in the over to 350. Take the roast out of the oven set on platter and pour the juices in the pan used earlier for sautés and simmer the remaining sauce that was in the pan and continue to reduce by adding one tablespoon of brandy; after the roast has rested for 10 minutes whisk in 2 tablespoons of butter one tablespoon at a time and keep stirring. When cutting the roast; slice on platter and spoon sauce over the slices prior to serving; garnish with the fennel springs after you pour the sauce.
*Note if cooking in 3 hours cook at 375 can rest up to 40 minutes and continue to cook out of the oven w/ a tent of foil over the roast.

Serves great with any variety of potato dish or rice; I really like it with potatoes or basmati rice. I also serve it will wilted spinach. This dish reminds me of being home with my Grandma Cleo and Grandpa Dad. They would also serve this dish with cold cucumber salad and home made chilled apple sauce with it. This was a great Sunday family dinner.