Spicy Salt-Roasted Pork Loin, Illustrated

One would think that a piece of meat or fish roasted in a pan full of salt would emerge inedible. And one would be wrong, because the salt surrounding the food draws moisture and fat from it, but doesn't really penetrate much. So when you break the crust that forms during the roasting, you find moist, delicately flavored, perfectly seasoned fish or meat. Couple this with the ease of the technique, which requires food, coarse grained salt, and a roasting pan, and who could ask for more?

Since salt roasting draws moisture (and fat) from unprotected meats, you will need to lardon the loin with pancetta. The result is a delightfully moist pork roast, and a spicy horseradish sauce. To serve 4-6 you'll need:

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) bonless pork loin
• A 1/3-inch thick (1 cm) slice flat pancetta (see link to photo), cut into half-inch sticks
• 3-4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
• A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• A teaspoon ground mustard
• A green apple, peeled, cored and grated
• The juice of a lemon
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons grated horseradish
• Pepper
• 6 1/2 pounds (about 3 k) coarse sea salt or kosher salt