Philadelphia Roast Pork (a must try!)

Philadelphia roast pork, a very popular Philadelphia food, is infused with lots of fresh garlic and herbs, and is very easy to make at home! A perfect meal for entertaining a hungry crowd or simply feeding the family!

Have I got a treat for you today! This is one of the most popular foods in Philadelphia -Philadelphia roast pork sandwiches. If you are not from Philadelphia, put this sandwich on your list of must-tries when visiting!

Not visiting Philly? Make it at home! The aroma coming from the oven is heavenly as you cook this roast!!

How to eat Philly Roast Pork

One of the best ways to enjoy this sandwich when making it at home is with a good-quality, aged, sharp provolone cheese and topped with broccoli rabe (also referred to as rapini) along with long hot peppers or roasted peppers. And, of course, you must have good bread. After all, the sandwich cannot be good if the bread is just mediocre.

If you don't have access to good crusty bread, I've found seeded french baguettes can be a very good standby (or you can try to make your own hoagie rolls).

Overview of Process

• Chop herbs and garlic.
• Season the top of the meat well with salt, pepper, oil, fresh garlic, and herbs, fold up the meat, and secure with butcher's twine.
• Use remaining seasoning to season the outside (if your meat is cut such that it can be folded simply season all sides).
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and set the meat in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• When ready to roast meat, place chopped vegetables and wine in the bottom of a roasting pan.
• Brown meat on all sides; set on top of carrots, onion, celery; and roast until just cooked.
• Let meat cool slightly then slice very thin (I use a deli slicer)
• Pour au jus on top and then serve on crusty bread with toppings of choice (provolone, peppers, broccoli rabe).

Quick tips to make delicious Philadelphia Roast Pork

• Use the right cut of meat - buy boneless pork loin roast (which is different than pork tenderloin, and commonly confused)
• Do NOT, I repeat do not overcook! Overcooking pork is a common problem and it pretty much ruins the meal. One of the highlights of this sandwich is stuffing it with juicy and tender meat.
• Pork loin is considered cooked at 145 F
• Read more about finished pork temperature and the effects of carryover temperature (ie, meat will continue cooking 5 to 10 degrees after removed from oven).
• Add tasty toppings! Commonly used toppings for Philadelphia roast pork include provolone cheese, broccoli rabe, and peppers (hot or roasted bell or both!)
• If you aren't a fan of broccoli rabe, or can't find it in your local market, you can always skip it or use other greens like some garlic-flavored spinach.
• The bread! It must be good, and fresh! I love Liscio's bread and also Sarcone's. There is a lot of good bread in the Philadelphia area!

Other Recipes to Try:

• Italian Broccoli Rabe
• Italian meatballs
• Roasted Broccoli
• Italian-style shredded beef

📖 Recipe

Philadephia Roast Pork Sandwich

Roast pork loin is transformed into this most popular Philadelphia roast pork sandwich infused with garlic and herbs, served on seeded bread with cheese, peppers and broccoli rabe. Oh yes!

5 from 11 votes

Author: Marie

Print Pin Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 6 hours hrs

Cook Time 1 hour hr

14 minutes mins

Total Time 7 hours hrs 14 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Calories 763 kcal

Ingredients

 

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To season the meat (see HERBS note)

• ▢ 4 pounds Boneless roast pork loin
• ▢ 4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt OR HALF the amount of table salt (ie, 2 teaspoons total) OR 33% less if using Morton kosher salt (ie, about 2 ⅔ teaspoons total); suggested use is 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt per pound of pork roast) SEE NOTE for conversions
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Black pepper up to 3 teaspoons
• ▢ ½ cup Fresh rosemary large handful chopped (can use 2 to 3 TB dried in a pinch)
• ▢ ½ cup Fresh parsley large handful chopped (can use 2 to 3 TB dried in a pinch)
• ▢ ½ cup Fresh sage large handful chopped (can use 2 to 3 TB dried in a pinch)
• ▢ 8 cloves Garlic
• ▢ ¼ cup Olive oil

To roast the meat

• ▢ 1 cup (128 g) carrots sliced or use baby carrots
• ▢ 1 large (1 large ) onion cut into chunks
• ▢ 2 ribs (2 ribs) celery chopped
• ▢ 1 cup white wine

For the greens:

• ▢ 1 bunch Broccoli rabe
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
• ▢ 1 clove Garlic minced
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoon Olive oil

For the au jus:

• ▢ Pan drippings strained
• ▢ 1 cup (240 g) Chicken stock more if braising or using slow cooker to cook

To assemble/serve the sandwiches:

• ▢ Sharp provolone , 2 slices per sandwich
• ▢ Loose rolls or baguette portions , 1 per person
• ▢ roasted peppers or long hots (or both!)

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Instructions

 

For the meat:

• Remove raw meat from wrapping and lay flat on a clean dry surface.
• Sprinkle each side with the seasoning ingredients: salt, black pepper, herbs, garlic, and olive oil (see herb note). I always use salt first so it really can sink into the meat.
• After seasoning, fold roast in half (if using deboned roast; otherwise no fold or roll necessary) and secure with butcher or kitchen twice and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to rest.
• Allow meat to absorb flavorings for a minimum of 6 hours or up to overnight (24 hours maximum) .
• Before cooking, unwrap roast and allow the roast to come to room temperature for about 45 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• While the oven is preheating, begin browning the meat on the stove top. Coat the bottom of a large pan with olive oil and brown the roast on all sides on the stove top. Time to browning will vary depending on power of burner. You'll just need a little color on the roast.
• Prepare to oven roast the meat. Add carrots, celery, onion and wine to a roasting pan, and immediately transfer the roast on top of vegetables.
• Roasting time will vary according to weight of your roast (guideline is 20 min per pound uncovered; I covered mine so the juices accumulated and didn't burn off and mine was finished in about 15 minutes per pound, which totaled 1 hour for a 4 pound roast). Finished temperature should read 145 degrees F.
• After the meat is cooked, allow it to cool for 10 minutes and then slice very thinly.
• While the meat is cooking, prepare the broccoli rabe.

SLOW COOKER (Alternative Method of Cooking)

• If using slow cooker, you'll need extra chicken broth (enough to cover half of the sides of the meat).
• Brown the meat over medium high heat in a deep pan coated with olive oil.
• After meat has been browned, remove and place in a dish while you brown the carrots, onions, and celery for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat.
• Add wine, reduce by half over medium high heat and then transfer to the slow cooker and add enough chicken stock to cover ⅓ up the sides of the meat.
• Suggested slow cooker time is 3 to 4 hours on low; finished temperature if 145 F.

TO BRAISE (Alternative Method of Cooking)

• If braising, you'll need extra chicken broth (enough to cover half of the meat)
• Brown the meat over medium high heat in a deep dutch oven that has been coated with olive.
• After meat has been browned, remove and place in a dish while you brown the carrots, onions, and celery for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat.
• Pour in the wine and let it reduce by half and then add enough chicken broth to reach ⅓ up the sides of the roast.
• Cover, bring to a boil, and then simmer on low for about 1 to 2 hours. Finished temperature is 145F.
• Meat should be shreddable using this method. If outsides shreds but inside doesn't the roast needs to cook a bit longer.

For the broccoli rabe:

• Rinse the broccoli rabe thoroughly and break or cut about ½ inch from the ends, which can be very tough.
• Fill a large pot (big enough to cover broccoli rabe with water), add water and salt (1 teaspoon per quart of water), and bring to a boil.
• When the water is boiling, submerge the broccoli rabe and cook for about 1.5 to 2 minutes, until just tender.
• In a medium-sized frying pan, saute red pepper flakes and 1 clove of minced garlic in olive oil until fragrant.
• Add the cooked broccoli rabe, toss only until flavored, and set aside until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.

For the au jus:

• After the pork has been removed from the pan, add chicken broth to the drippings.
• Strain the au jus, place in a medium sized saute pan, and heat until warmed.
• Taste and adjust salt and pepper, to taste

To assemble the sandwiches

• Add the sliced pork to the warmed au jus (ensure the au jus is not too hot or your meat will continue to cook). Slice rolls or baguette
• To make sandwiches, layer bread with provolone cheese (on bottom), followed by a pile of hot sliced or shredded pork in the au jus, and top with the broccoli rabe and peppers.

Notes

• HERBS: Herbs that are traditionally used include any mixture of parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Adjust seasonings to your own tastes. 
• SALT: if you are using the slow cooker or braising method, consider cutting the salt by 50% as the chicken broth will add salt to the meat as well. If more salt is needed, it  can be added after cooking. 
• SALT: According to America's Test Kitchen, 1 teaspoon table salt = 1½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt and kosher salt is optimal since it is easier to distribute than table salt. 
• Use the right cut of meat - buy boneless pork loin roast (which is different than pork tenderloin, and commonly confused)
• Do NOT, I repeat do not overcook! Overcooking pork is a common problem and it pretty much ruins the meal. One of the highlights of this sandwich is stuffing it with juicy and tender meat.
• Pork loin is considered cooked at 145 F
• Read more about finished pork temperature and the effects of carryover temperature (ie, meat will continue cooking 5 to 10 degrees after removed from oven).
• Add tasty toppings! Commonly used toppings for Philadelphia roast pork include provolone cheese, broccoli rabe, and peppers (hot or roasted bell or both!)
• If you aren't a fan of broccoli rabe, or can't find it in your local market, you can always skip it or use other greens like some garlic-flavored spinach.
• The bread! It must be good, and fresh! I love Liscio's bread and also Sarcone's. There is a lot of good bread in the Philadelphia area!

Nutrition

Calories: 763kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 69gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 2545mgPotassium: 1222mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 4363IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 392mgIron: 14mg

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