Pork flank or dagadó in Hungarian belongs to those meats unfairly ignored that have only limited role in the kitchen. My aim is to change this approach. Flank is a boneless part of the bottom abdominal area of the pig that can be found after the ribs, near the rear ham. It’s a bit fatty, but for this reason pork flank roast is one of the most savory meat dishes.
Stuffing is the best way to prepare pork flank. I recommend you to ask the butcher to cut a pocket into the meat, so you can save yourself a lot of trouble, namely cutting your hand or piercing through the meat accidentally. What I really like about making stuffed pork flank is that the stuffing’s composition only depends on my imagination. Playing with the ingredients feels like release.
This time I chose ham and hard boiled eggs, turbocharged with parsley and summer savory. Summer savory imparts a delicious taste to almost any dish. In medieval times it was added to pies and cakes; today it’s primarily used in soups, stews, and marinades, and with meats and vegetables.
I often use oven bag for roasts as it doesn’t require additional grease, and meat, due to steam, becomes very juicy and tender, without drying out. For the perfect result I baked the flank for nearly two hours at 180°C.
photos: zserbo.com
Ingredients:
- 1 kg (~2 1/4 lb) pork flank
- 4 garlic cloves
- 100 ml (~1/2 cup) dry white wine
- salt and pepper to taste
For the stuffing:
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- 1 egg
- 80 g (~3 oz) smoked ham, diced
- 1 medium red onion
- 30 g (~2 tbsp) butter
- 1 tbsp parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp summer savory
- salt and pepper to taste
Chop the red onion. Heat the butter in a pan, add onions and sauté until translucent. Add diced ham and cook until tender. Grate the hard boiled eggs, then combine with egg yolk, sautéed onion ham, and parsley. Season the stuffing with salt, pepper and summer savory. Beat the egg white until stiff, and gently fold into the mixture. Taste the stuffing and adjust seasoning if necessary.
With a sharp, thin knife cut a pocket into the meat, wide enough to accommodate the stuffing. Salt and pepper the outside of the flank and the pocket. Fill the pocket with the stuffing, taking care to spread it in an even layer throughout. Use toothpicks or skewers to close the pocket and hold the stuffing in place.
Place the meat in an oven bag, pour in white wine and add garlic cloves (don’t peel them). Close the bag and place it in a roasting dish. Bake at 180°C for 1,5 – 2 hours. Transfer the roast to a serving platter and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
