Homemade Porchetta
There was a point where pork belly was seen as having only one use and one use only: Bacon. However, in recent years a lot more chefs are coming to understand just how delicious of a cut pork belly truly is, from things like chashu pork in ramen or barbecued pork belly, and of course, deep in the heart of Tuscany, there is porchetta.
Porchetta just might be one of, no, it is the greatest meat concoction that Italy has ever made, that slab of pork belly rolled up with all sorts of aromatics and flavors that is slow roasted into tender, juicy delight with that crispy, crackling skin on top. Sliced up and slapped into an Italian roll, it is a little slice of paradiso.
And believe it or not, porchetta is quite easy to make at home. It does take time as the roast needs to cook for about 3 hours, but trust me it is well worth the wait.
If you’re having a party or special occasion, then this porchetta should be the centerpiece of that menu, but make sure you save plenty to enjoy in sandwiches for days to come.
Makes 8 servings
Cook time: 3 hours
(Look, there are lots of delicious herbs and spices you can use to season or flavor your porchetta, but this is what I chose to use)
2 large sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
1 large bunch of fresh sage leaves, chopped
4 fat garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
4 tbsp salt
2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
2 tbsp fennel pollen (or 3 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground)
1 tsp ground allspice
Olive oil
8-10 pound piece of skin-on pork belly
Italian rolls, for serving
Special equipment: 10-12 long strips of kitchen twine and a metal skewer
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F/160 C
In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, sage, garlic, salt, pepper, fennel pollen and allspice. Add enough olive oil to turn the mix into a thick paste, about a tablespoon or two. Set aside while you work on the pork.
Lay the pork belly skin-side up on your cutting board. Using the tip of a metal skewer or paring knife, poke the skin all over, this will help the skin get crispy.
Flip the pork over, then use a knife to make 1-inch horizontal cuts along the meat side, being sure not to cut all the way through. Grab the paste you just made and rub that all over the meat side, being sure to lift up and expose the crevasses you made to get all of that flavor deep inside the meat.
Starting with the longer end, roll the pork belly up as tight as you can, then flip it so the seam-side is down.
Take pieces of kitchen twine and use that to tie up the roast at 1/2 to 1-inch intervals. There’s no need to break out a ruler, you just need to make sure the roast is tied up into an even shape.
Once tied up, rub the skin with a bit of oil. Finally, take two squares of aluminum foil and place them onto the ends of the porchetta, use toothpicks to keep the foil in place.
Roast the porchetta for 1 hour, then increase the heat to 375F/190C and cook for another 2 hours.
Allow the pork to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving and slapping into an Italian roll.
