Roast Porchetta Recipe With Crispy Skin

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.

ROAST PORCHETTA RECIPE WITH CRISPY SKIN

Steps:

• First, you must start with a whole pork belly that has the skin still on it, then season the meat side liberally with salt.
• Flip it over and rub some baking soda evenly into the skin.
• Put the meat in the fridge with the skin side facing up, uncovered to allow the salt to work it's magic overnight.
• Heat the oven to 400°F.
• Take the pork belly out from the fridge and lightly pat the skin with a paper towel to dry it.
• Make sure to totally wipe off the remaining baking soda residue from the pork's skin.
• Using a razor blade, carefully score the skin to expose the fat, without piercing it. Score in diagonal lines 2 inches apart. Then score in the opposite direction, also 2 inches apart, to create an even diamond pattern in the skin.
• Flip the belly over so the skin side is down. Evenly scatter the garlic slices over the meat.
• Follow with the chopped rosemary, coarsely ground fennel seed, and lemon zest.
• Roll up the belly and tie it together at 3-inch intervals using butcher's twine, making sure the twine is snug but not too tight.
• If your pork belly doesn't fit in a standard oven, you can cut it in half to make 2 roasts.
• Place the pork belly on a pair of wire racks and roast for about 40 minutes.
• After that, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and roast undisturbed for 3 hours.
• Check it's tenderness by using a long thin knife or long wooden skewer to probe the meat - it should be very pliant but not falling apart.
• Raise the oven temperature to 500°F and roast until the skin is evenly blistered and crispy, about 5-7 minutes (make sure to keep an eye all the time as the skin easily gets burned while blasting)
• Remove the porchettas and let them cool for 30 minutes. Slice as thick as you like
• If you're making sandwiches, 1 1/2 inches is about right and serve.

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.

CRISPY ROASTED PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Score the skin of the pork belly with an extremely sharp knife or a razor blade (or ask your butcher to do it). Poke the flesh side all over with the tip of a paring knife.
• Put the fennel seeds and peppercorns in a small dry skillet; toast over medium heat until very fragrant and a few shades darker, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool, then grind in a spice grinder. Mix the ground spices with the red pepper flakes, sage, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, orange zest, garlic and 2 tablespoons salt. Rub the mixture into the flesh side of the pork belly.
• Roll the belly up as tightly as possible and secure it with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Rub the outside with the baking powder and 1 tablespoon salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 to 2 days.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Set the rolled pork belly in a large roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees F and roast until the skin is golden brown and crisp all over, about 20 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

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.