Serves 4
Directions
- 1Toast whole peppercorns and whole fennel in a hot pan until aromatic.
- 2Grind the toasted pepper and fennel in a mortar and pestle until evenly ground.
- 3Add garlic cloves to the ground spices and continue to grind.
- 4Add salt, fresh rosemary, sage leaves, parsley, oregano leaves, fresh thyme leaves, and lemon zest to the mixture.
- 5Add Calabrian chili to the mixture.
- 6Pulse the mixture until it is nice and fine, creating an herb crumb.
- 7Use a pricker to poke micro holes in the skin of the pork belly to help fat render.
- 8Cut the pork belly in half if it is a large piece (e.g., an 8 lb belly into two 4 lb pieces).
- 9Score the skin of the pork belly by making slices across, avoiding cutting the other way to prevent string from getting stuck when tying.
- 10To make a thick but short porchetta, butterfly open the long end of the pork belly by slicing a little above the halfway point and slowly peeling it open like a book, keeping it attached at the bottom.
- 11Rub a light layer of the prepared herb and spice stuffing across the entire inside of the butterflied pork belly, ensuring to rub in the salt.
- 12Tightly roll up the seasoned pork belly starting from the flap.
- 13Clean the board to keep the pork skin clean and isolated.
- 14Tie the rolled porchetta with string, starting in the middle with a triple knot, then adding more knots closer together for evenness, and trim excess string.
- 15For a longer, thinner porchetta, open the pork belly like a book without butterflying, being careful not to cut through the sides.
- 16Trim off any excess fat from the inside of the fattier pork belly.
- 17Season the inside of the pork belly with the prepared stuffing.
- 18Roll up the seasoned pork belly.
- 19Tie the longer porchetta with string, starting in the center with a triple knot and continuing to tie, ensuring the skin is tight and free of wrinkles.
- 20Place the prepped porchettas in the fridge for 3-5 days to allow the skin to dry out thoroughly.
- 21Preheat the oven to 450°F (with convection if available).
- 22Place one porchetta (no oil or anything) on a clean sheet tray in the preheated oven and roast for 30-45 minutes, or until the skin darkens and puffs to desired crispiness. Add water to the bottom of the pan if juices start to burn.
- 23Remove the first porchetta from the oven and insert a thermometer into its center to monitor its internal temperature. Let it cool.
- 24For the second porchetta, start by roasting it at a lower temperature, then finish it at high heat.
- 25Lower the oven heat to 325°F and roast the second porchetta, monitoring its temperature until it reaches around 170-200°F, aiming for 185-190°F.
- 26Once the second porchetta reaches approximately 130°F, increase the oven heat back to 450°F to crisp up the skin.
- 27Continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 185-190°F and the skin is bubbly and crispy.
- 28Remove the second porchetta from the oven when done.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 0.5 tablespoon whole fennel
- 10 to 12 garlic cloves
- 38 g salt (1.6% of pork belly weight)
- 2 to 3 stalks fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch sage leaves
- 1 bunch parsley
- few stems oregano leaves
- fresh thyme leaves
- 2 lemons lemon zest
- 0.75 tablespoon Calabrian chili
- 6 to 8 lb pork belly with skin on (rectangular, as square and rectangular as possible)
Equipment
mortar and pestleknifepork skin prickersheet traythermometeroven
Tips
- Prep the pork belly 4 to 5 days before cooking to allow the skin to dry out, which results in better crispiness.
- For crisp skin, ensure the fat underneath is fully rendered.
- Two cooking methods are presented: high heat at the beginning then low, or low heat then high heat at the end.
- Allow the crackling to fully develop during the high heat stage.
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