Best Stuffed Porchetta Recipes

STUFFED PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Score the pork belly skin with a sharp knife in a cross pattern. Score down to just before where the skin meets the fat, rather than the fat itself. Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer and add the bicarbonate of soda. Lower the pork into the water, poach gently for 5 mins, then remove it from the water and leave to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds and chilli flakes in a dry frying pan over a high heat for 1-2 mins, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Grind the spices in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar, then mix with 1 tbsp fine sea salt.
• Once the pork has cooled, turn it skin-side down and pierce the underside of the meat all over with a knife. Rub the meat with the spiced salt rub, cover and put it in the fridge for at least 8 hrs or overnight. Can be prepared 24 hours ahead.
• The next day, make your stuffing. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the onion and fennel. Season and cook gently over a low heat for 10 mins. Add the coriander seeds and garlic, and cook for another 2 mins, then add the mince. Cook for 8-10 mins until the mince is browned. Set aside and leave to cool.
• Transfer the mince and onion mix to a bowl and add the sourdough, pine nuts, orange zest, apricots, herbs, lemon juice and nutmeg. Season well, then mix together thoroughly with your hands. Add the egg and mix again.
• Lie the pork belly on a board, skin-side down. Form the stuffing into a sausage shape running all the way down the middle of the belly. Wrap the sides of the belly around the stuffing and tie with butcher's string. Place seam-side down in a roasting tin, uncovered, and chill for at least 2 hrs, preferably overnight. You want the skin to dry out completely so that it crisps up when you roast it.
• To cook the pork, remove it from the fridge and leave it for at least 1 hr to come to room temperature before you cook it. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and cook the pork for about 2 hrs, turning the tin every 30 mins or so. After 2 hrs, turn the heat up to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7 and cook for another 20 mins. When the pork is done, a thermometer pushed into its centre should read 77C. If the skin looks in danger of burning, cover it with foil - but only do this once it has crackled.
• Once the pork has cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 30 mins. When you're ready to carve, put the pork on a big chopping board. Using a sharp knife, slice the meat into rounds.

GENNARO’S STUFFED PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to full whack. Lay the boned shoulder of pork on a board, skin-side down, and season well with a few really good sprinkles of salt and pepper. Massage this seasoning all over the meat. Put a large pan on a medium heat and fry your diced onion in a lug of olive oil for about 10 minutes and when it's softened but not coloured, turn the heat down to low and add the chopped chicken livers and pork mince. Use a wooden spoon to break the mince up a bit and mix everything together. Add the pine nuts, raisins, chopped sage and parsley, then season with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pour in a splash of red or mulled wine, give everything a good stir then take your pan off the heat. You don't want to cook the meat now, you just want to get a good mix of flavours going so you have a delicious stuffing. Put the stuffing in a bowl and put it to one side to cool down. Once your stuffing has completely cooled, spoon all of it down the middle of the opened shoulder. Roll the meat up quite tightly then tie it up as tightly as you can with 4 or 5 pieces of string. Drizzle all over with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and rub the seasoning all over the skin to help it turn into delicious crackling. Lay your carrots across the middle of the roasting tray and put the meat on top. Pour your glass of red or mulled wine and a glass of water in the bottom of the tray then put your meat in the oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for about 3 ½ to 4 hours until lovely and golden. Once it's out of the oven carefully remove the skin and put it to one side. Slice the pork then serve it with some tasty bits of broken up crackling, lovely potatoes and a few greens or a nice salad. Absolutely gorgeous.

MARIO BATALI'S STUFFED CHICKEN PORCHETTA-STYLE

Steps:

• step by step directions. We've Made Cooking As Easy As 1-2-3!
• ingredients
• instructions
• For the Chicken: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
• ingredients
• 4 pound Sweet Italian Sausage (casings removed)
• tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• instructions
• In a large skillet, saute sausage and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat, breaking up in pieces, until cooked through about 5-7 minutes.
• ingredients
• Shallots (finely chopped)
• Garlic cloves (minced)
• teaspoons Fennel Seeds
• instructions
• Add onion, shallots, garlic and fennel seeds. Continue to saute until onions and shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• ingredients
• teaspoons Fresh Thyme (pulled)
• teaspoon Fresh Rosemary (chopped)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Boneless Chicken Quarters (leg and thigh attached and pounded slightly to even thickness)
• tablespoons Chicken Broth
• cup Bread (1/4 inch cubes)
• instructions
• In a large bowl, toss together cooled onion mixture with bread, chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper until incorporated. Refrigerate until cooled completely.
• ingredients
• Salt and pepper
• instructions
• Lay chicken flat on cutting board. Season with Salt and pepper. Begin stuffing chicken with 1/4 cup stuffing mixture per piece. Roll chicken to enclose stuffing and tie with butcher's twine securely. You may need 3-4 pieces of twine per chicken quarter. Repeat process until all chicken is stuffed and tied.
• ingredients
• Salt and pepper
• Olive Oil
• instructions
• Season outside of chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil to coat lightly.
• instructions
• Place chicken on prepared baking sheet seam side up and place in preheated oven. Cook for 20 mins or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• ingredients
• Remove from oven and allow to rest for minutes before serving with Celery and Fennel Salad.
• ingredients
• cups Celery Leaves (torn)
• Fennel Bulb (quartered and sliced thin)
• Chili (minced)
• tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
• tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• instructions
• For the Celery and Fennel Salad: Toss ingredients in a medium bowl until evenly dressed.