Roasted Porchetta
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 500
- Total Fat
- 28
- Saturated Fat
- 10
- Carbohydrates
- 14
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 45
- Cholesterol
- 139
- Sodium
- 726
- Total: 2 days 3 hr 30 min
- Prep: 45 min
- Inactive: 2 days 30 min
- Cook: 2 hr 15 min
Ingredients
For the brine and pork:
40 cloves garlic (3 to 4 heads), lightly smashed
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
6 tablespoons dried juniper berries
3 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 bunch thyme
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 7-to-8-pound pork belly
For the rub:
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon dried juniper berries
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Directions
- Make the brine. Fill a large pot with 1 gallon water. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, juniper berries, peppercorns and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisk in the salt and brown sugar and let cool to room temperature.
- Brine the pork. Put the pork belly in a large roasting pan and pour the brine over it. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.
- Make the rub. Toast the fennel seeds, juniper berries and peppercorns in a medium skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pulse a few times in a spice grinder until coarsely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the nutmeg, thyme and garlic.
- Spice the pork. Remove the pork belly from the brine and pat it dry. Spread the rub on the flesh side of the pork belly, using just what adheres; you may have some rub left over. Put the pork belly skin-side up on a large rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, 24 hours to dry it out.
- Roll the pork. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. (If you have a convection setting, use it; preheat to 450 degrees F.) Flip the pork belly so it's skin-side down. Starting at a long side, roll into a cylinder.
- Secure the roll with kitchen string: Tie separate pieces of string around the roll, about 3/4 inch apart.
- Prick the pork all over with a skewer; this helps render the fat so the skin gets crisp.
- Roast the pork. Put the pork belly on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck 4 upside-down spoons around the pork to keep it from rolling around. Roast 30 minutes, using a baster to baste the pork with the drippings and rotating the pan every 10 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for convection) and continue roasting, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the pork registers 155 degrees F on a thermometer, about 1 1/2 more hours.
- Slice the pork. Let the pork rest 30 to 40 minutes, then cut off the string and slice about 3/4 inch thick.