Smoked Porchetta

Step 1

Place the pork belly fat side up and cut a crosshatch pattern in the fatcap ¾ inch wide and ¼ inch deep.

Step 2

Apply about 1 TBS of salt evenly over the entire fat cap.

Step 3

Flip the meat over and cut a crosshatch pattern in the meat ¾ inch wide and ¼ inch deep.

Step 4

Apply about 2 TBS of coarse kosher salt evenly over the entire meat side. Also, sprinkle about 2 TBS of Jeff's Texas style rub evenly over the entire meat side.

Step 5

Make a paste from 2 TBS ground rosemary, 2 TBS ground thyme, 1 TBS ground fennel, 1 TBS coarse black pepper, 1 TBS minced garlic, 1 TBS red pepper flakes and ¼ cup olive oil. Mix until well combined.

Step 6

Spread the paste over the entire meat side of the pork belly then cut the pork belly in half.

Step 7

Roll each pork belly half tightly then tie every 2 inches with butcher's twine to hold it secure.

Step 8

Give the outside of the porchettas a good sprinkling of Jeff's original rub then place them in the fridge overnight.

Step 9

The next day, remove the meat from the fridge and leave it on the counter while you go get the smoker ready.

Step 10

Set up your smoker for cooking at 275°F (135°C) using indirect heat. If your smoker uses a water pan, fill it up.

Step 11

Once the smoker is ready, place the rolled pork bellies on the smoker grate and let them smoke cook at 275°F (135°C) for about 2.5 to 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 180°F (82°C).

Step 12

At that point, you can crank up the heat to 450°F+ in a pellet smoker or you can use a charcoal grill or even the broiler on your oven to crisp the fat and bring the porchettas on up to 200°F (93°C) internal temperature.

Step 13

Let the meat rest under tented foil for about 10-15 minutes on the counter, then slice about ½ inch thick and enjoy!