Porchetta

5 from 2 votes

Porchetta is an Italian classic usually made with a suckling pig. Our porchetta recipe is using a seasoned pork loin rolled inside of a slab of pork belly. A long slow roast time delivers a moist pork loin center with a crisp, crackling outer pork belly skin.

Prep Time45

Cook Time4

Additional Time2

Total Time2 4 45

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: dinner, main meal, Porchetta, pork, roast

Servings: Servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Porchetta:

1 3-pound boneless, center-cut pork loin
1 6-7 pound, rectangular piece fresh pork belly, skin on
1 tablespoon coarse salt such as Kosher
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Spice-Herb Rub:

3 tablespoons fennel seeds
½ teaspoon or up to 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
3 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
One large orange

Additional Equipment:

Needle-type meat tenderizer optional
Kitchen twine
Meat trussing needle
Wooden skewers 6 to 8-inches long (optional)

Instructions

To Butterfly the Pork Loin:

Having the butcher butterfly the pork loin will save time for you, here is how to butterfly the pork loin yourself.
Place the pork loin on a cutting board and slice lengthwise down the center but not completely in half. Press the loin open like a book.

Check for Proper Size:

Lay the pork belly skin side down on a work space with the short end facing you, place the pork loin on the belly and roll it around the loin. There should be enough belly to enclose the pork loin. If there is excess belly, trim evenly. Unroll the belly and set aside.

For the Pork Belly:

Lay the pork belly on the work surface, skin side up. With a needle-type meat tenderizer or the tip of a small knife, poke dozens of 1/8-inch deep holes over the entire skin. The skin is tough and will require some pressure to pierce.
Turn the pork belly over and with a sharp knife, make a 1/3-inch deep crosshatch pattern over the flesh. This will help the roast cook evenly. Sprinkle the flesh side of the pork belly with the salt and pepper, rubbing it into the crosshatch cuts.

Prepare the Spices and Herb Rub:

In a small skillet set over medium heat, toast the fennel seed and red pepper until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then grind the spices in a spice mill or a mortar and pestle.
Transfer the spices to a small bowl and add the sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic, salt and olive oil. Stir to combine the mixture, set aside.

Prepare the Pork Loin and Assemble the Porchetta:

Place the pork loin on the work space and open it up like a book. Spread the spice/herb mix over the entire surface. Be sure to work it into all the crevices so the flavor will permeate the flesh. Using a microplane, zest the orange peel over the seasoned pork loin.
Roll the loin lengthwise, into a tight cylinder and place it on the center of the seasoned pork belly. Beginning at the short end closest to you, wrap the pork belly around the loin into a tight roll to meet at the opposite edge.

Tie the Porchetta:

With the kitchen twine and a meat needle, sew the bork belly edges along the length of the cylinder to close the pork roll and retain its shape. If necessary use the tip of a paring knife to puncture a starting hole for each stitch. (See Notes) You may need an extra set of hands for this part to keep the pork from unrolling while you sew it up. Long wooden skewers placed through the pork roll will also be helpful to keep the roll intact while sewing the edges. Tie additional twine around the cylinder at 1-inch intervals and trim off any ends of the twine.
Season the rind with course salt then transfer the pork belly to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight or up to 2 days to dry out the pork belly skin.

To Roast the Porchetta:

Preheat the oven to 275°F and arrange the oven rack to the lower third position.
Transfer the porchetta, (still on the rack over the baking sheet) to the oven and roast the porchetta for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, rotating the pan occasionally to keep the browning even, until an instant-read thermometer reads 140°F. *See Notes
Remove the porchetta from the oven and increase the temperature to 500°F, then transfer the porchetta back to the oven and roast until the pork skin is a deep brown, bubbly and crisp.
Remove the porchetta to a cutting board and let rest for 30 minutes. Do not tent with foil.

To Serve the Porchetta:

Remove the stitching and the kitchen twine. Slice the porchetta with a serrated knife into 1/2-inch slices.

Notes

Ask the butcher at the meat counter to butterfly the pork loin for you.
You will most likely need to order a large rectangular piece of pork belly. Tell the butcher you plan to roast a porchetta so he will cut the pork belly the correct size to enclose the pork loin.
Increasing the portion of red pepper is optional. When toasting the spices, the red pepper gives off a fragrance that will take your breath away!
Puncturing the pork belly skin will release the fat as it roasts and will help crisp up the skin.
The pork skin is tough, making a puncture with the tip of a paring knife will be helpful when inserting the needle for the sewing process.
Sewing along the seam is optional as the roll can be tied tightly with twine around the porchetta.
Stitching and tying the kitchen twine around the rolled porchetta without help can be a challenge. Inserting several long skewers through the roll in several places will keep the porchetta from unrolling while you tie the roll with twine.
A serrated knife is ideal to cut through the crispy skin.
If you are planning to serve potatoes roasted in the pan drippings you will need a 2-inch roasting pan with the wire rack set over the rim. The potatoes should be added to the pan for the last hour of roasting time and rolled in the drippings after 30 minutes. To do this, remove the porchetta from the oven and set it on a platter. Add the potatoes, and toss in the drippings/fat, season them well and replace the wire rack and porchetta. Continue with the roasting process.

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