A proper Italian-style porchetta roast is a real labour of love, but it is well worth it.
Simply put, a porchetta roast is made by rubbing a butterflied pork roast with a flavourful mixture of herbs, spices, garlic and lemon zest, and then wrapping the whole thing up in a fresh pork belly. The whole thing is then slow-roasted for the better part of the day, until it’s juicy and falling-apart-tender, and then broiled until the exterior is crackling and golden-brown.
The more traditional choice for porchetta is a pork loin, but since pork has gotten much leaner than it used to be back in the day, I prefer to use a pork butt roast instead. It’s a more generously marbled cut of meat, which helps to keep the roast moist and flavourful through the long roasting period.
Porchetta has long been a favourite of mine for dinner parties, and not just because it feeds a crowd. I can do most of the work the night before and then pop it into the oven first thing in the morning, which frees up my time to work on the rest of the menu. And it looks spectacular set on a pretty cutting board and carved tableside, so that everyone can ooh and aah over my skills.
While it might seem a little daunting at first, given that it basically takes the better part of two days to make, it’s not nearly as hard to make as you might think.
For one, it requires no special tools, just some kitchen twine and a well-sharpened knife. And it requires very little technique to assemble, especially if you ask your butcher to butterfly the roast for you. (Though, it’s not particularly tricky if you want to tackle it yourself.)
So, what are you waiting for? Porchetta deliciousness awaits. Honestly, if you ask me, the only hard part is waiting for dinnertime while your house fills with the most amazing aromas.
Yield: Serves 6-8
Preparation Time: 12 hours
Cooking Time: 8 hours
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 lb boneless Ontario pork butt roast, butterflied
- 1 fresh pork belly, long enough to wrap around the roast
- 3 Tbsp fennel seed
- 1 Tbsp coriander seed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp fresh ground pepper
Cooking Instructions:
- Using a sharp knife, score the skin side of the pork belly in a diamond-shaped pattern. Season the belly and the roast generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In a dry pan set over medium-high heat, toast the fennel and coriander seed for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Using a spice mill or a mortar and pestle, grind until fine.
- In a small bowl, stir together the ground spices with the garlic, thyme oregano, rosemary, lemon zest and olive oil. Rub the mixture onto the meat side of the belly, and on the top side of the pork roast. Carefully roll up the roast to enclose the marinade, then wrap with pork belly. Tie up with butcher’s twine at 1” intervals.
- Place the porchetta on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and refrigerate overnight uncovered to allow the rind to dry out (this ensures a nice, hard crackling).
- The following morning, preheat oven to 250F. Place the porchetta on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan, and bake in preheated oven for 10-11 hours or until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 195F.
- Remove the porchetta from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to the maximum (~500F). Return the porchetta to the oven, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the crackling starts to bubble up all over, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. (If the top of the roast starts to brown too quickly before the sides have finished crisping up, tent it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.)
- Let the roast rest for 10-15 minutes, then cut into thin slices and serve.