Fig and pancetta-stuffed pork with sherry gravy
Prep time: 1 hrTotal time: 
Fig and pancetta-stuffed pork with sherry gravy
There’s nothing quite like crunchy, salty crackling to offset succulent roast pork. Stuffed with a sweet-savoury filling, this rolled loin looks impressive enough to serve on the big day and is more affordable than some Christmas centrepieces
Prep time: 1 hrTotal time: 
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Ingredients
- 100g diced pancetta
- 125g crustless sourdough bread, cut into chunks
- 10g unsalted butter
- 2 echalion shallots, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- ¼ x 20g pack oregano, leaves chopped
- 100g dried figs, finely chopped
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 1 pork loin joint (about 1.2-1.3kg)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 200ml dry sherry (eg amontillado or fino)
For the vegetables
- 500g carrots, cut into chunky slices
- 500g parsnips, cut into chunky slices
- 4 echalion shallots, halved or quartered lengthways
- ¼ x 20g pack oregano
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the sherry gravy
- 30g plain flour
- 150ml dry sherry (eg amontillado or fino)
- 250ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
- ½ tbsp sherry vinegar
Step by step
Prepare up to the end of step 3 the day before, cover loosely with baking paper and chill in the fridge. Bring back to room temperature 1 hour before roasting.
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Fry the pancetta in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for 8-12 minutes, until crisp and the fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, whizz the bread to crumbs in a food processor; set aside.
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Add the butter and shallots to the pancetta fat. Cook over a low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the shallots are soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add to the bowl of pancetta and cool for a few minutes. Stir in the mustard, vinegar, oregano, figs and egg. Add the breadcrumbs and season with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Mix well until combined. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 240°C, fan 220°C, gas 9. Pat the pork loin dry with kitchen paper and remove the strings. Place skin-side down, then make an incision lengthways (the opposite direction to the way the strings were tied) down the centre of the meat, cutting about three-quarters of the way through, towards the skin. From the centre cut, slice horizontally through the meat, towards each side, so you can open it out like a book. Spoon the stuffing mix over the meat, pressing it on with the back of the spoon and leaving a small border around the edges. Roll up again so that the skin stays on the outside.
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Rub the skin with 1 teaspoon of oil, then tie securely with kitchen string. Sprinkle the skin with 1 teaspoon of salt and weigh the stuffed joint to calculate the cooking time (see step 5). Transfer to a large roasting tin. Roast for an initial 20 minutes, until the skin puffs up and the edges are golden brown.
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Meanwhile, toss the root veg, shallots and oregano sprigs with 2 tablespoons of oil. Season. Lift the pork onto a plate, addthe veg to the tin and sit the pork on top. Pour in 200ml sherry. Reduce the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3½. Calculate the remaining cooking time as 20 minutes per 500g (about 1 hour 5 minutes for a 1.2kg joint, plus the weight of stuffing).
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Remove the tin from the oven and increase the temperature to 240°C, fan 220°C, gas 9. Cover the exposed stuffing ends with foil and roast for a final 15 minutes to allow the crackling to crisp up again. After this time, the meat should read at least 60°C in the centre on a digital thermometer. Lift the pork onto a board and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a serving dish with a slotted spoon.
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For the gravy, pour the roasting juices into a pan and set over a medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Gradually whisk in 150ml sherry, followed by the stock. Stir in the sugar and vinegar. Simmer until it reaches your desired consistency, and season to taste. Serve the pork with the roasted vegetables and sherry gravy.
