Italian Porchetta
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs 10 mins
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Resting time
1 hr
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Total Time
5 hrs 30 mins
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Servings
10
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Calories
1425 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer
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Cuisine
Italian
Italian Porchetta
Description
This recipe begins by drying and scoring a skin-on pork belly, which helps render fat and produces crackling texture when roasted. A dry spice mix is made by roasting fennel seeds and peppercorns, then grinding them finely. This mix is combined with kosher salt and chopped sage, rosemary, and garlic to form an herbaceous and savory rub.
The pork belly is rolled with the herbs massaged into the meat and the skin scored to allow fat to render and skin to crisp. Tied at two-inch intervals to maintain shape during cooking, the porchetta is pricked all over the skin to aid crisping under oven heat. Slow roasting at 300ºF renders the fat and gently cooks the pork, ending with crispy skin and juicy meat infused with herbal flavors and fennel's licorice-like aroma.
The final result is a flavorful roast with tender, aromatic pork contrasted by a golden, crisp outer skin often sliced and served warm as a main dish or in sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 6 lb pork belly (3kg) (skin on)
- 3 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp kosher salt or 1 tsp regular salt, or sea salt
- 2 tbsp sage (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp rosemary (finely chopped)
- 8 garlic peeled and finely chopped, cloves
Instructions
- Using paper towels, wipe the pork belly to get it as dry as possible. Wrap the entire belly in towels and leave for an hour to soak up more moisture.
- Preheat oven to 300ºF/150ºC
- In a dry frying pan, roast the fennel seeds and peppercorns until they start to jump around the pan a little. Pour into a pestle & mortar or spice grinder and grind into a rough powder, like breadcrumbs. You can also finely chop using a large knife.
- Combine the fennel mix with the salt, sage, rosemary and garlic.
- Place the pork, skin up and using a sharp knife score the skin. Then turn over and make a shallow criss-cross pattern on the surface of the meat.
- Sprinkle over all the fennel mix and massage into the meat.
- Along the long edge, roll the meat into a long sausage. Place the seam edge on the bottom, and using string slide under the rolled pork and tie at 2-inch intervals to secure the porchetta roll. Gently stab or prick the skin with a sharp knife all over, this will help crispen it later.
- Place the porchetta roll onto a rack in a roasting tin so that it's not touching the surface. Pour in around 2-3 cups of water. You can also use white wine if you like. Sprinkle over a little salt.
- Roast in the oven for 4 hours. After about 2 hours, top up the water in the pan.
- You can also baste the pork a few times after around 2-3 hours.
- After 4 hours, crank up the heat to 450ºF/230ºC and keep a keen eye on the pork. Check every 30 seconds or so to ensure the skin is not burning.Tap the skin with a knife to see how crisp it's getting and remove when you're happy with the crispness. You should see blistering and bubbling between 5-10 minutes. I can't stress enough, to keep an eye on the pork as it'll burn quickly!
- Cover loosely with foil and rest for 20-30 minutes.
- When ready, slice the pork and serve.
- Serve on it's own as a sandwich, or as part of a larger Italian feast.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1425 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 1425kcal | 71% |
| Carbohydrates | 3g | 1% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 145g | 223% |
| Saturated Fat | 53g | 265% |
| Cholesterol | 196mg | 65% |
| Sodium | 89mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 565mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 45IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 56mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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