Italian Style Grilled Pork Loin

Last night we invited over our group of friends that will traveling with us to Positano next year.  It was a really fun evening of Italian wine and food and great company, all excited about our trip to one of my favorite places in the world!  Yes, I know the trip is 8 months away, but if you want to stay in the best place, Villa Le Sirene, and hire the best driver, Vincenzo Fusco, you have to plan ahead!

Everyone in the group loves to cook so each brought a dish with Kerry and I providing some appetizers and the meat course.  I decided on grilled pork loin, and a recipe that was fairly easy yet really flavorful, featuring my two favorite herbs for Italian cooking. Thanks to Kerry, sage and rosemary are in abundant supply in our garden!

The key to this dish is the brining and proper grilling. Brining improves the flavor, texture, and moisture content of lean cuts of meat by soaking the meat in a moderately salty solution for a few hours to a few days. Flavor brining also provides a temperature cushion during cooking, so if you happen to overcook the meat a little, it will still be moist.

At a minimum, a flavor brine consists of water and salt. Other ingredients may include sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, fruit juices, beer, liquor, bay leaves, pickling spices, cloves, garlic, onion, chilies, citrus fruits, peppercorns, and other herbs and spices. This one adds my two favorite herbs to the mix with garlic, salt and sugar.  I have to admit it was pretty delicious and was a perfect pairing with the newly arrived 2011 Terre Nere Etna Rosso!

For the brined pork

    3  ounces kosher salt (3/4 cup if using Diamond Crystal; 6 tablespoons if using Morton)
    1/4  cup packed light brown sugar
    3  medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
    3  large sprigs fresh rosemary
    3  large sprigs fresh sage
    3-pounds all-natural boneless pork loin, trimmed of excess fat

For the herb paste

    6  medium cloves garlic, peeled
    1/3  cup fresh rosemary leaves
    1/3  cup fresh sage leaves
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
1. For the Brine:  In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, combine the salt, sugar, garlic, and herb sprigs with 2 cups of water. Stir over high heat just until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 6 more cups of water and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large container, add the pork, cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.

2. Put the garlic, rosemary, sage, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large mortar and pound to a coarse paste with the pestle. Add the oil and use the pestle to work it into the garlic paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, combine all the ingredients in a mini food processor and pulse into a coarse paste.

3.Remove the pork from the brine and pat it dry (discard the brine). Spread the herb paste liberally over the entire outer surface of the pork.

4. Heat the grill to 350 degrees F. Put the roast in the cool zone on the grill, turning the roast about every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center of the roast registers 145 degrees F, 35 to 45 minutes.

5. Remove the roast from the grill and transfer it to a cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes and slice thinly. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. If you want, finish it off with a little sage fried crispy in olive oil!

Positano Bites Deep...

“Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.”  John Steinbeck

 After 13 hours of flying and two tiring train rides, the five of us, later tagged as "le cinque donne", lug our suitcases down the very long train track in Napoli. At the end of the platform a pack of Italian male limo drivers awaits, holding up signs, maneuvering around each other, ready to whisk the "stanieri" to destinations on the beautiful Amalfi Coast.  As I yell out into the crowd asking for Vincenzo, a jovial face makes his way to us.  An infectious smile with an easy, friendly manner, we exchange kisses on the check, feeling immediately comfortable with our new found friend and ready for the adventure that awaits.

Vincenzo Fusco, our friend and driver in Positano

Deliriously dazed, we pile into his van and make two request: bathroom and espresso.   With chaos of Napoli drifting behind us, Mount Vesuvius to our left and the bay of Naples to our right we leave the autostrada and begin ascending the infamous Amalfi Coast highway.  Zig zagging our way up past towering rocky bluffs and plunging gorges, the beautiful combination of the mountains meeting the crystal clear waters, I've never seen more spectacular views.  The pastel colored buildings clinging to the cliff ledges, sparkling in the afternoon sun, beckoning, seducing enchanting, what took me so long to get here and how am I ever going to make myself leave this place?

Our first look at Positano

We stop at the pinnacle of one of the cliffs on the highway and both requests are answered at a little tabacchi perched on the edge of the rock.  A little further down the road Vincenzo makes another stop giving us our first drop dead view of Positano.  Nestled in the rock crevice below, its deep blue water dotted white with boats, the dark pebbly beach lined with colorful umbrellas, we have arrived in paradise.  We descend, twisting, turning narrow streets bring us to the road above the villa.  I say "above" because to reach it you walk down a steep flight of 75 steps to reach the terraced ledge along which sits Le Sirene, our home for the next week.  We embrace Chiara, owner of the villa, as two burly porters lift the luggage of 5 women on their backs and bring it down the ancient stairs all in one trip.

View of Positano from Villa Le Sirene

I'd looked at the pictures of the view from the villa's terrace a thousand times, but as Chiara threw open the 12 foot tall double doors, nothing prepared me for the scene that awaited.  All of my senses are awakened from the exhausting trip as we walk out on the terrace and absorb the scene below us.  Sounds of waves crashing, children laughing, dishes clanking in the restaurants below, conversations drifting up the hillside, this little town is so alive with the most wonderful energy.  Salty ocean smells, clean sea air, and aromas from the seaside cafes, accompanied by visually stunning views, it draws me in as no place ever has, and we've only been here 5 minutes...

We settle in and decide on an early dinner followed by a good nights sleep to prepare for our first full day on the coast.  Out of the villa, puffing our way back up the 75 steps we came down earlier, we go left on the street to "Da Vincenzo"  a beautiful little spot on the main drag.  Of course it's early, way to early for any respectable Italian or anyone accustomed to the late dinner hour in Italy, but they we're totally accommodating to our bleary eyed and barely functioning group of tired women.

As soon as I see the menu, I know how I wanted to start my meal.  Insalata del Mare (salad from the sea), piled with fresh mussels, tiny delicate clams, langostino, octopus and squid in a deliciously simple marinade of local lemon juice and olive oil, is a staple on the Amalfi Coast and something that should not be missed.

And now the decision on the wine.  Familiar and beloved varieties like Falanghina, Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino are on the white wine list, but I want something different, something that would taste like this wonderful  place.  So I choose from an unknown producer (who we actually got to visit on our next trip...), Tenuta San Francesco, and select their inexpensive Costa d'Amalfi Tramonti Bianco, a light, crisp blend of native varieties, biancolella, pepella and falanghina grown in a deep valley further down the coast.  Beautiful floral and herbal aromas with wonderful minerality and acid, it is the absolute perfect match for la cucina del mare in Positano.  It became one of our favorite wines on the trip, our go to bottle to accompany any of the fresh seafood dishes, and something I can't wait to have each time we go back.

Le cinque donne in Positano

Sipping on that wine, tasting the sea in that wonderful dish in that little restaurant with 4 of my favorite people around me, is a moment I will never forget.  A peacefulness comes over me, a feeling that there was no where else in the world that I want to be in this moment in time and it is a feeling that stays with me the entire visit.  There is something about this town, the warmth of its people, its natural beauty, culture, wine and cuisine that keep me coming back year after year.  It's affect on me is profound and hard to capture in words, all I know is that it keeps calling me back and I can't help but listen...

Links to our favorite people and places mentioned in this post.  Please tell them Beth & Kerry from New Orleans sent you...
Taxidriver Positano,  Vincenzo Fusco
Chiara & Giuseppe, Villa Le Sirene
Da Vincenzo Ristorante
Tenuta San Francesco

Olio, Limoni e Ospitalità del Sud (Olive Oil, Lemons and Southern Hospitality)

View of Bay of Naples from Frantoio Ferraro

The day was warm and dry, one of the first of such since we arrived on the coast. May, we discovered, is very different from July, the weather can be cool and a bit unpredictable.  Taking full advantage of the beautiful day, Vincenzo's brother-in-law Nicola drove us to Pompeii where a few of the girls went in to see the magnificent ruins while those of us who have already been went shopping.  After a few hours we all had our fill and took a drive down the coast to visit a frantoio, an olive mill owned by friends of Vincenzo, perched atop the high cliffs of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Stomachs rumbling from the swervy coastal switchbacks and the small breakfast consumed hours ago, we were anxious for our lunch on the "dal patriarca", the local term for a coastal garden by the olive mill where they entertain guests lucky enough to know about this place.

A lovely garden table was set for us with the beautiful Bay of Naples in full view. The warmth and generosity of the people in this area is like no other and owners Nicola and Pia bring their own regional meaning to the term southern hospitality. You instantly feel as if you are part of the family, and so you eat like family with course after course of delicious home style cooking made from recipes passed down for generations lovingly served and prepared by Pia herself.  Nicola shares a bottle of wine that he made himself from the Aglianico grapes of Taurasi and of course their olive oils add incredible flavor to all of the foods served.

Owners Pia and Nicola

Another afternoon spent relaxing with friends, indulging ourselves with delicious food and drink.  Piano, piano...slowly, slowly we take our time and finish the meal with Pia's handmade limoncello, truly the best we've ever had.  Stomachs now full and heads spinning a bit from wine and limoncello, we take a quick tour of the mill and buy as much olive oil as we can fit in our suitcases.  I wish I could have bought more!

While all of their oils were delicious our favorite is the one infused "al limone di Sorrento".  It is simply amazing drizzled on salad or a sandwich and I discovered the other day that it is wonderful with corn.  So I'm listing a quick recipe below, an easy, fresh dish made with local corn, fresh mint, vidalia onion and of course the Frantoio Ferraro Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva al Limone di Sorrento.  And if you are visiting the Amalfi coast and would like a true, family style experience of regional food and hospitality, call Vincenzo Fusco to arrange a visit and drive you to Frantoio Ferraro, and please tell him Beth & Kerry sent you!

Salute Pia & Nicola!  Thank you for a lovely afternoon!

Fresh Corn with Frantoio Ferraro Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva al Limone di Sorrento

Ingredients
4 ears of fresh corn, cooked and cut off the cob
10 mint leaves finely chopped
1/4 of a large vidalia onion chopped
2 T Frantoio Ferraro Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva al Limone di Sorrento
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit for 30-60 minutes for the flavors to mingle.  Serves 4

La Pazza Giornata In Amalfi Coast

Ride from Ravello to Amalfi with our driver Vincenzo Fusco, so much fun! For excursions and transfers on the Amalfi Coast, contact him at info@taxidriverpositano.com. Tell him le cinque donne di New Orleans sent you!