Best Crispy Roasted Porchetta Recipes

PORCHETTA (AUTHENTIC ITALIAN PORK ROAST)

Steps:

• Open the piece of pork onto the butcher paper or clean countertop, skin side down.
• Sprinkle generously with the salt, then work the salt into the pork.
• Next, add the rosemary. We used fresh rosemary as I have a bush in my garden. Rub it and crush it between your fingers to release the oils.Add the freshly ground black pepper all over the porchetta. Now add the fennel pollen. Sprinkle evenly over the pork, but save a little of the pollen for after the porchetta has been rolled.
• Roll it tightly, but as you roll it, sprinkly some salt onto the unseasoned pork. Continue rolling until you reach the end.
• Keeping the seam side down, start tying the pork. Another pair of hands will make this part immensely easier. There's no need for fancy ties or sailors' knots, just wrap, double knot and cut.
• Repeat every few inches. The goal is only to keep the porchetta closed, so don't tie it too tightly, either. As you can see, ours is far from perfect, but unless you're serving the Queen of England, it won't matter.
• Turn the roast seam side up and add more seasonings, including the rest of the fennel pollen to the non-skin parts of the pork which are exposed (including the ends).
• Place seam side down on a rack on a roasting pan or baking tray. Cover the ends with aluminum foil and secure with toothpicks.
• Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over the skin with your hands. Sprinkle with more salt and rosemary.
• Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
• Place in the hot oven when it comes to temperature and roast for 1 hour, then lower the temperature to 350°F (170°C) and continue to cook for about another 2 hours. Check the center of the roast when it reaches 170°F (76°C) remove from the oven. Take the foil off the ends and place on top of the porchetta, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
• Using a sharp knife, remove one or two of the pieces of twine. Cut into slices and serve on crusty Italian rolls, or bread, Italian style!

PORCHETTA PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Score skin and fat all over pork, taking care not to cut down to the meat.
• In a food processor or mortar and pestle, combine fennel fronds, rosemary, sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt, fennel seed, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Pour in oil. Pulse or mash until it forms a paste. Rub all over pork. If using a boneless roast, tie with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.
• Remove pork from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before you want to cook it. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet and roast 35 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and cook an additional 2 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 180 degrees, which will give you sliceable, tender meat. (Bone-in roasts will take longer than boneless ones.)
• Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Make sure everyone gets some of the cracklings.

CRISPY ROASTED PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl; mix and set aside.
• Butterfly and open the pork belly like a book so you can roll the pork tenderloin in two rotations.
• Smother the pork belly in some of the spice mixture and set the pork belly aside.
• Smother the pork tenderloin in the spice mixture.
• Place the pork tenderloin at one end of the pork belly and roll until the pork belly ends meet or overlap.
• Tie off the porchetta with baker's twine or pull baker's netting over the porchetta and tie off the ends. Wrap the porchetta in aluminum foil and place on a grill insert inside a deep roasting pan. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan and cover with foil.
• Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the foil.
• Remove the porchetta from the roasting pan and remove the foil. Place the porchetta on the insert and place back into the oven, uncovered (this will make the pork belly skin crispy). Continue to roast until the pork belly skin has reached the desired crispness, about 1 hour.
• Remove the porchetta to a cutting board. Slice and serve with the Aioli.
• Place the garlic in a food processor and mince finely. Add the turmeric and mix. Add the mayonnaise and mix; do not overmix, as the mayonnaise can separate.