Pampanella Molisana (Spicy Roast Pork from Molise)

Step 1

First, prep your meat or have your butcher do it for you. Keeping the meat pieces intact, make 1 1/2 cm (3/4 inch) slices down to the bone. It's like you're creating a book of pork. If you use ribs, you can cut them into individual ribs. Set aside and find a casserole dish that will fit your meat snugly together and place the meat in there. (For this quantity of meat a square Pyrex dish should be sufficient, around 8-9-inches or 20-21 cm.)

Step 2

Prepare your chili rub by mixing the two kinds of ground red pepper together well. Taste to see if you need to adjust your spice level. Set aside.

Step 3

Next, sprinkle the meat entirely with sea salt. Don't overdo it but be thorough, season the top, bottom, and in between every layer of your little pork book.

Step 4

Now, lightly sprinkle the pork with the granulated garlic, in the same manner, covering all of the meat. Don't use too much.

Step 5

Lastly, cover every surface of the pork with your red pepper mixture. To be less messy, work on parchment paper and wear rubber gloves. Cover the outside, and in between every slice with your rub, pressing down lightly to help it adhere. Every last bit of pork inside and out needs to be covered in your red pepper mixture. After you have covered everything with the red pepper, shake off any excess and cover the pork in the rub again to ensure you don't miss a spot and have a nice thick layer of red pepper everywhere. Gently shake off the excess again. At this point, you can bake the pork right away or you can marinate it in the refrigerator from 2-3 hours or overnight.

Step 6

Once you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F. While your oven preheats, take the pork out of the refrigerator if you have marinated the meat.

Step 7

Take a piece of parchment paper that will cover all of the meat in the casserole dish. Wet it completely and squeeze out any excess water. Cover the meat entirely with the parchment, tucking in the parchment all around the meat like you are tucking in a fitted bedsheet. Next, cover your baking dish entirely with aluminum foil. Place it in the oven. Set a timer for 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Step 8

Once your timer goes off, sprinkle the top of the meat lightly with white wine vinegar. (Place your thumb lightly over the bottle spout to help you sprinkle the vinegar vs. pouring it on.) Cover the pork again and cook for another 10 minutes or until your pork is tender. The pork should remain bright red.

Step 9

Serve hot, warm, or cold, as desired.