Pork loin in a creamy tuna sauce

An ideal dish on a hot day, similar to the better-known summer plate vitello tonnato (veal in a creamy tuna sauce). We pair it with a Vecchia Modena Premium Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Cleto Chiarli.

This muscle cut from between the ribs and the rump does not have a lot of fat but is soft and tasty. Here it is used to prepare a plate similar to the more famous Piedmont dish Vitello Tonnato (Veal in a creamy tuna sauce) that can be served as either an appetizer or a second course.

Ingredients for 6 people:

A cleaned 1kg pork loin, mixed fresh salad greens.

For the marinade (brine): 1l of water, 6g bicarbonate of soda, 80g salt and 60g sugar.

For the mayonnaise base: 2 whole eggs, 320g sunflower oil, 100g extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 tablespoon yogurt, salt as desired and paprika if you like.

For the tuna sauce: 100g of drained tuna in oil, 3 anchovy fillets, 20 capers in vinegar and 1 tablespoon apple vinegar.

Directions:

Prepare the marinade (brine) by dissolving and mixing together the salt, sugar and bicarbonate in water.

Tie the pork loin with kitchen twine, place it in a freezer bag and add the marinade then seal and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 60 hours.

Prepare the tuna sauce as you would make mayonnaise: in a mixer add the oils, mustard and paprika (optional) and blend for 30 seconds. Add in the whole eggs, yogurt and a pinch of salt and continue to blend slowly raising and lowering the mixer. When the mayonnaise is ready add in the tuna, anchovy fillets and apple vinegar and continue blending to obtain a creamy sauce. Preserve in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic.

Remove the pork loin from the marinade, dry it with paper towels, rub it with EVOO and sear in a hot pan on all sides. Place the loin in a slightly greased pan and bake for around 50 minutes in an oven preheated to 160°C, when it reaches an interior temperature of 64°C.

If you have a thermostatic oven you can put the tied loin in a plastic bag and cook for 64°C for 4 hours. Once ready, remove the meat from the bag and dry it with paper towels.

Once done, remove the twine and cut the meat into slices of about 1/2cm or, if you prefer, thinner using a slicing machine.

Serve the meat on flat plates covered in the tuna sauce and accompanied by the salad greens and garnish as desired.

Wine to pair:

(edited by Stefania Vinciguerra)

Vecchia Modena Premium Lambrusco di Sorbara Doc Cleto Chiarli

Deep rosé color with pink hues. Clear fragrances of strawberry and brushwood at the nose. Its taste is dry, salty, fresh, armonic and dynamic. Lively bubbles.

Production area: vineyards located in the Sorbara DOC area.

Grape variety: 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara

Wine-making: Light maceration, drawing off and refrigeration. Slow fermentation, pris de mousse in ‘cuve close’.

Alcoholic content: 11% vol.

Serving Temperature: 10-12° C.

Suggested Food Pairing: pasta, tortellini, boiled meat and typical cuisine from Modena.

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY CLETO CHIARLI