Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a large bowl, add 5 cups salt and enough cold water to create
the consistency of wet snow. Once the salt is wet and moldable,
add the rosemary and thyme.
In a large baking dish, place the pork loin. Sprinkle with black
pepper and a few of the reserved rosemary leaves and thyme
leaves and then pack the salt all around it. Make sure there’s an
even layer of salt everywhere: that’s what will help it cook evenly.
Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until the salt is a solid block just
starting to brown.
While the meat is cooking, heat a grill pan or a cast-iron skillet
on medium-high heat. When it’s very hot, add a splash of olive oil
and the asparagus. Leave the asparagus alone and let it brown on
one side, 3 to 4 minutes; when it does, push all the asparagus to
one side, season with salt and pepper, and turn off the heat.
To plate, layer slices of the ham on each plate. Crack open the
salt crust (you may want to do this tableside—it’s dramatic!) and
remove the pork, leaving behind any extra salt. Slice the pork thin
and layer on top of the ham. Top with the browned asparagus.
* Stir with your hands while you add the water; add less at first,
because it’s easier to add more water later than to add more salt.* If you want, you can insert a probe thermometer into the meat
and cook it until the interior is 135 to 140°F.* Make sure the pan is wide enough so the asparagus doesn’t