italian pork roast

Try this Porchetta recipe or the famous Italian Pork Roast. Rubbed with herbs and slowly cooked it&#039;s juicy inside with delicious crispy skin!

Porchetta (Italian Pork Roast)

pork belly (, about 5 kg)

pork

dry white wine

extra virgin olive oil

garlic

rosemary sprigs

sage

bay leaves

peppercorns

fennel seeds (,

salt

rosemary

fennel seeds

Put all herbs in a food processor and pulse until finely grind.

Place pork belly skin side down on a work surface. Perform long cuts about ½ inch (1 cm) deep. This will the meat better absorb all the aromatics so as facilitate rolling it into a log. Rub with salt also working it into the cuts.

Pour wine and extra virgin olive oil. Rub it into the meat.

Slice garlic cloves and place in-between the cuts in the meat.

Evenly coat the meat with herbs, saving a little for the pork fillet.

In the same manner rub pork fillet with wine, oil and herbs and arrange on the pork belly.

Roll the pork belly tightly into a cylinder.

Using kitchen twine, tie the roll at 1-inch intervals.

Let porchetta rest for 2-3 hours at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.

Prepare the meat

When ready to roast, preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).

Using a sharp knife poke holes all around the pork rind. Rub it generously with salt.

Fill baking sheet with water, rosemary (fresh of dry), a few bay leaves and fennel seeds. Place the baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven. Wrap both ends of porchetta with aluminum foil to prevent from burning. .

Place porchetta on the wire rack right on top of the baking sheet filled with water

Before roasting

Bake in a preheat to 355 F (180 C) oven for 30 minutes.

Cooking Phase 1

Then lower the temperature to 245 F (120C) and bake for 3 hours.

Cooking Phase 2

Increase the temperature to 355 F (180 C) again and bake for another 30 minutes OR until the temperature at the core of porchetta has reached 160-162 C  (71-72 C). I highly recommend using a thermometer inside porchetta and positioning it in the center (core) for the most accurate and most important JUICY porchetta.

Cooking Phase 3

Once the inside temperature of porchetta has reached 160-162 C  (71-72 C), shift the wire rack with porchetta closer to the grill without touching it. Turn up the temperature to 430 F (220 C) and roast for 3-5 minutes checking on porchetta frequently until skin is crispy but pay attention not to burn it.

Porchetta is ready when it has reached temperature of 165 F (74 C) on the inside. If it goes higher than 170 F (76 C) you risk overcooking it which results in dry meat.

Cooking Phase 4

Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hours before serving.

Let rest and serve

This cut of meat is never seen in American markets - and not every town has a butcher shop. They sell something they call Porchetta but it is a very lean cut of meat. I remember something like this from my childhood in New York but unfortunately ( for meat shopping) I don’t live there anymore.

This authentic porchetta recipe perfectly balances crispy skin, tender meat, and aromatic herbs. Buon appetito!

Porchetta Recipe

(7-8

fennel

fresh rosemary, chopped

salt Salt

black pepper

olive oil

water

white wine (optional

Prepare the pork

If using a bone-in roast, butterfly the pork shoulder by slicing it open and flattening it so you can roll it up later (or ask your butcher to do this). If using a boneless roast, it is already ready for rolling.

Prepare the seasoning paste

In a small bowl, combine the chopped fennel fronds, rosemary, garlic paste, kosher salt, fennel seeds, and black pepper. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and stir to form a thick paste.

Season and Tie the pork

Rub the seasoning paste generously on the inside of the pork shoulder (save a little bit for rubbing on the ends after it is tied). Massage the herbs and garlic into the meat to ensure full flavor. Roll the pork roast tightly, with the skin side on the outside. Use kitchen twine to tie the roast at regular intervals (once every few inches) to keep it securely rolled. Having an extra set of hands here is helpful!

(Optional) Refrigerate the pork

Let the tied roast rest in the uncovered refrigerator overnight. This will help dry out the skin for better crackling during roasting. It will still be good if you don&#8217;t have time for this step.

Preheat the oven

Preheat your oven to 450˚F. If you refrigerated the meat- remove the porchetta from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 1-2 hours.

Add more seasoning

Turn the roast seam side up and rub additional olive and salt all over the outside of the meat, even onto the exposed ends of the pork roast. Place the roast seam side down on a rack set over a roasting pan or baking tray. Pour 1 cup of water and optional white wine if using, inside the roasting pan, ensuring the liquid does not touch the roast. 

Roast the pork

Once the oven is hot, place the porchetta in and roast for 1 hour. After the first hour, lower the temperature to 300°F  and continue roasting for about 2 more hours. Check the internal temperature in the center of the roast; when it reaches 165°F, remove the porchetta from the oven. It will keep cooking to 170°F after it rests. If desired, make a pan gravy with the drippings (not traditional, but delcious). 

Finish and rest: Losley cover the porchetta with aluminum foil to keep it warm while it rests. Allow the roast to rest for about 20-30 minutes to let the juices redistribute for carry-over cooking.

Slice and serve

Using a sharp knife, remove one or two pieces of the twine and slice the porchetta into thick rounds. Serve porchetta alongside roasted vegetables, crusty bread, or a fresh salad for a traditional Italian feast!

This is an incredible recipe that results in perfect porchetta every single time!

Recipe video above. The perfect Porchetta in my world has blistered, shatteringly crispy skin ALL over - the top, sides and even the underside - with insanely juicy meat. See video for proof of both!The longer the pork is refrigerated, the better the guarantee for perfectly bubbly, crispy crackling all over - top AND sides. 24 hours is the minimum I recommend, but 48 hours is better and safer, plus gives the Porchetta seasoning time to work its way through the meat. This is the last recipe developed under Dozer&#39;s watchful eye, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. It was a big one - but he was at my feet, cheering me on every step of the way. ❤️

Porchetta - Dozer's last recipe

fennel seeds ((Note 1))

tsp black peppercorns ((Note 1))

salt salt

tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves

tsp red chilli flakes ((red pepper flakes))

garlic (, finely grated with a microplane or garlic crusher)

olive oil (, divided)

tbsp pork belly fat ((reserved from roasting))

plain flour / all-purpose flour

tsp black pepper

Salt (, if needed (I usually don't need))

Score pork, rub, roll, tie, fridge dry on rack 24 - 48 hours. Oil and salt skin, slow roast 110°C /215°F for 3 1/2 hours, transfer to new rack, drizzle with oil, crackle at 240°C//465°F for 30 - 40 minutes. Make gravy using tray drippings.

ABBREVIATED

Toast spices - Preheat a small pan over medium heat (no oil). Toast fennel seeds and black peppercorns, tossing regularly, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until the fennel seeds are lightly browned.

Porchetta rub - Crush fennel and peppercorns into a coarse powder using a montage and pestle, or spice grinder. Add remaining Rub ingredients and mix with a spoon - it will be like a thick wet paste.

Trim excess meat - Pat the pork skin dry with paper towels. Cut off about ~3cm / 2.2&quot; meat along one long edge (leave the skin) so the pork rolls neatly. Do a mock roll-up to see how much to cut off - it&#39;s ideal if the skin fully encloses the meat, but usually this isn&#39;t possible. (Note 4 for tips). Reserve the trimmed meat - we be rolling it up insi

Score 3cm / 1.2&quot; diamonds  into the flesh, taking care not to cut through the meat (~1 cm/0.4&quot; deep).

Rub - Use your hands to spread the Rub into the flesh side, being sure to get into the cuts you made. Also rub the extra piece of pork you trimmed off.

Tie - Place the trimmed piece of pork in the middle. Roll firmly then tie at 2.5cm/1&quot; intervals, starting at the centre then the ends, then working in towards. I do 8 equidistant ties on the skin (26cm / 10.5&quot; log, one end has meat oozing out so can’t be tied).

Fridge 1 - 2 days - Place on a rack on a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 48 hours (24 hours is ok) to let the rub infuse the flesh and the skin dry so it crackles really well. 12 hours is my bare minimum!

Marinate 1 - 2 days

Preheat oven to 110°C /215°F (both standard and fan-forced) with the shelf in the middle. (Note 5)

Oil and salt skin - Remove the rack from under the pork and wipe the tray clean. Working on the tray, rub the pork skin with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then sprinkle and rub the salt in. Salt will catch on the ties - try to spread it out evenly all over the skin, and roll the pork on the salt that falls on the tray.

Slow roast - Put the pork on the rack again on a clean tray. Slow roast for 3 1/2 hours. The flesh should be pretty tender (use 2 forks to check ends) but not “fall apart” (not our goal). The skin should still be soft - this is what we want at this stage.

Oil and increase heat - Remove the pork from the oven and turn it up to 240°C/465°F. Working quickly, transfer the pork still on the rack to a clean tray. (Keep the used tray for gravy drippings). Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil (don’t rub with fingers) then put it back in the oven - you want it in there as it is heating up.

Crackle skin - Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating at the 15 - 20 minute mark, until the skin is all puffy and crispy all over (top and sides).

Rest and carve - Remove from the oven and leave it for at least 30 minutes (up to 1 1/2 hours) before cutting the strings and slicing with a serrated knife. Serve with gravy!

Slow roast:

Reserve fat - Pour all the fat off the slow-roasting tray from step 4 into a jug (don’t scrape, just pour).

Deglaze tray - Pour 1/2 cup of water onto the tray set on a stove on medium. When the water starts simmering, use a rubber spatula to loosen all the bits stuck on the tray. (If you have an induction stove, use boiling water - that should be enough to delegate, or if needed, pop the tray in the oven).

Make gravy - Measure out 3 tablespoons fat (from step 1) and put into a large saucepan. Heat on medium high, then add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in water from deglazing tray, remains water and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes or until it thickens. Taste, add salt if needed (I don’t). Serve with pork.

Gravy:

Methinks somebody, knowing of your post and being pretty cluey as to what would be in it, has wandered to the other end of the Rainbow Bridge and, with a big doggie-grin. is woofing 'Good'on'ya, Mum'!  I am sure I can hear him!  A wonderful lesson to all of us - love the exactness of the instructions and the finished look of the roll.  Uhuh, and with my love of open sandwiches Nordic style, guess what will be made to top them over and over again with your por . . . . , with  Dozer's pork as the new favourite - thanks to both :) !

Thank you Nagi and Dozer. I'll give it a go. Your recipes are amazing. Thinking of you and Dozer xxx.

This looks amazing, but can I ask what if you have induction stove, no gas, how would you make the gravy?

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Porchetta (Italian Pork Roast)

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Top 3 italian pork roast recipes from across the web

The most viewed italian pork roast recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Porchetta (Italian Pork Roast)

Porchetta Recipe

Porchetta - Dozer's last recipe

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