One of the many culinary delights in Italy is porchetta (pronounced por-KET-uh), a tender, moist rolled pork roast with a savory herb filling. It’s been dubbed a “bacon roast,” which provides a clue as to how delicious it is! Served on bread as a sandwich or as a Sunday dinner, porchetta is not hard to make but it does require some advance planning and preparation. This recipe makes two roasts. One can easily be frozen for later use. Thanks to foodie friend Hannah for the recipe inspiration and the sweet cider sauce instructions.
Italian-Style Porchetta Roast
This recipe makes two tender, savory herb-stuffed pork roasts similar to those found throughout Italy. It's simple to make but requires advance planning as it needs to rest 24-36 hours before cooking. Freeze one roast for later.
Servings: 8 per roast
Ingredients
- 1 whole boneless, rind-on pork belly (approximately 10 lbs.)
- 2 Tbsp. fennel seeds (whole)
- 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
- 1 tsp. sage (dried)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp. thyme (dried)
- 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsps. baking powder
Cider sauce (optional)
- 2 apples (cored and sliced, skins on)
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 3-4 inch pieces (can substitute fennel bulb)
- 1 bottle apple cider (750 ml)
- 1 red onion (peeled and sliced)
- 1 Tbsp. flour
- 2 Tbsp. water
Instructions
- Toast fennel seeds and peppercorns in a pan on the stovetop or in the oven until lightly browned and fragrant (approximately 2-3 minutes). Cool. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
- Mix together lemon zest, rosemary, sage, garlic and thyme. Add ground fennel seed and peppercorn mixture.
- Place the pork belly skin-side down on a large cutting board. With a sharp knife, score the flesh (taking care not to cut all the way through) in a cross-hatch pattern (like Tic-Tac-Toe), with cuts approximately one inch apart.
- Sprinkle pork belly with one (1) tablespoon of the kosher salt. Rub the lemon zest/herb mixture across the surface, pressing into the scored cuts.
- Roll the pork belly lengthwise, as tightly as possible. Roast will be 12-18 inches long. Tie at 2-3 inch intervals with kitchen twine.
- Rub skin with remaining one (1) tablespoon of kosher salt and baking powder.
- At this point, cut the roast into two. Wrap one half tightly in cling wrap and foil; freeze for use at a future date. Wrap the other half tightly in cling wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 12-36 hours.
Cooking the porchetta
- Remove the porchetta roast from the refrigerator about an hour before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place a v-shaped roast rack or wire rack in a large roasting pan to keep roast from coming into contact with liquids/drippings.
- If making the cider sauce, core and slice the apples, leaving the skins on. Cut onion and celery or fennel bulb into 3-4 inch pieces. Place apples and celery/fennel in bottom of roasting pan.
- Add cider (if using) to pan to a depth of about an inch, making sure it does not come in contact with the roast.
- Baste roast every 30 minutes with pan drippings, replenishing cider if needed. Roast until internal temperature of the roast reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 3-3.5 hours). Meat should feel tender when pierced with a knife.
- Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (or turn on broiler) to crisp skin, approximately 15-20 minutes. If skin on bottom of roast is not browned, roll roast over and brown under broiler.
- Remove roast from oven to a plate or cutting board and let it rest under foil for about 15 minutes before serving.
Making cider sauce
- Strain the liquid from the bottom of the roasting pan into a bowl. Discard solids.
- Skim off fat.
- Heat remaining liquids in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil.
- Dissolve flour in water and stir into cider sauce. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve alongside roast.