Porchetta

Preparation

1) Start by toasting your fennel seeds and peppercorns in a dry skillet for a couple minutes or until fragrant, then crush in a mortar and pestle until just about pulverized, set aside.

2) Lay the pork belly on your surface (fat side down) roll lengthwise to mark the section that gets rolled under, then trim all the fat from that section (watch video for clear instructions on this) flip it back over and score the top into a crisscross pattern making sure not to cut through the meaty part, just the fat.

3) Liberally season the fat side with lots of salt and pepper, then flip it over, score the meat side as well, then season with lots of salt, the peppercorn and fennel seed mixture. Grate the garlic over with a zester, followed by the citrus zest and scatter the herbs around, massage it all in so the flavors gets in all the places you scored.

4) Roll the porchetta lengthwise (making sure the part you trimmed ends up tucked in) secure with about 8 pieces or so of kitchen twine. Place the porchetta on a wire rack overtop of a sheet pan, place in the fridge (top rack) for a minimum of 12 hours or up to 48 hours, I keep mine in for about 20 hours.

5) Take the roast out and allow it to come to room temperature for an hour, then preheat your oven to 300 degrees, pop it in the oven and bake for 2.5 hours, then increase the temperature to 500 degrees (don't take the roast out, once it's at 500 then time it for 30 minutes) and roast for 30 more minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

6) Carefully remove from the oven, allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Report a problem