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Home » All Pork Belly Porchetta Roast with Crispy Skin

All Pork Belly Porchetta Roast with Crispy Skin

September 15, 2015 by Cara Kretz 9 Comments

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All Belly Porchetta RoastThis is the King of Pork Roasts, or another way to put it a BACON ROAST! The pork belly – the same cut of meat used to make bacon, is stuffed and slow-roasted until the fat renders out and all that is left is the luscious, juicy meat and a crispy skin. It is stuffed with classic Italian seasonings – rosemary, thyme, fennel seed, salt, pepper and tons of garlic.  What takes this roast over the top is using the best pork belly possible, and that is Berkshire pork from D’Artagnan. I made this for some foodie friends as part of a “Tuscany in Autumn” theme lunch.  Check out the blog post to see what else was on the menu.

Pork Belly preparations for PorchettaWatch the video to learn the steps to make an All Belly Porchetta Roast.

I am unable to describe in writing how good this tastes. I urge you to try this recipe for a special occasion. If you do,  send me a picture and describe in the comments how it tastes.  I will be forever grateful.Cara Kretz cutting string of Porchetta Roast

This recipe is adapted from the one published by Chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Managing Culinary Director, Serious Eats. He has mastered this technique and provided lots of practical advice. I love every one of his recipes.

This is the third recipe in my pork belly series. Watch my video on how to butcher a pork belly if you want to see how easy it is to order one online from D’Artagnan and trim it yourself.  The other pork belly recipes are Homemade Maple Espresso Bacon, and BBQ Spareribs with Peach Rum Sauce. Stay-tuned for the last recipe that is coming soon – Crispy Asian Pork Belly on Bao Bun with Hoisin Sauce. (Sometimes an Italian girl has to explore).

All Belly Porchetta Roast
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5 from 1 vote

All Pork Belly Porchetta Roast with Crispy Skin Stuffed with Garlic and Herbs

The King of Italian Pork Roasts - the All Belly Porchetta Roast! A pork belly, the same cut of meat used to make bacon, is stuffed with Tuscan herbs and seasonings, and slow roasted until all the bacon fat renders out, leaving luscious meat and a crispy skin. This is a breakout recipe for the most memorable of meals. Try it for a special occasion and be a star. This recipe is adapted from Chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt published on Serious Eats. Special equipment: large roasting pan with V-rack, butcher's twine, spice grinder or mortar & pestle
Course Meat
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12
Author Homemade Italian Cooking by Cara

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless rind-on pork belly, about 10 - 13 lbs.
  • 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
  • 3 tablespoons whole fennel seed
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons finely minced rosemary
  • 3 tablespoons finely minced thyme leaves
  • 12 cloves garlic grated or minced
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions

  • Trim and square off the pork belly to fit in your pan.
  • Place pork belly skin-side down on a large cutting board. Using a sharp chef's knife, score flesh at an angle using strokes about 1-inch apart. Rotate knife 90 degrees and repeat to create a diamond pattern in the flesh.
  • Toast peppercorns and fennel seed in a small skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until roughly crushed. Mix in 2 tablespoons salt, red pepper, minced herbs and garlic to form a dry rub.
  • Season pork liberally with the salt/herb/garlic mixture . Use your hands to rub the mixture deeply into the cracks and crevices in the meat.
  • Roll pork belly into a tight log and push to top of cutting board, seam-side down. Cut 12 to 18 lengths of kitchen twine long enough to tie around the pork and lay them down in regular intervals along your cutting board, about 1-inch apart each. Lay rolled pork seam-side down on top of strings. Working from the outermost strings towards the center, tie up roast tightly. Combine 1 tablespoons kosher salt with 1 teaspoon baking powder. Rub mixture over entire surface of pork roast.
  • If roast is too large and unwieldy, carefully slice in half with a sharp chef's knife. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least overnight and up to three days. If desired, porchetta can also be frozen at this point for future use.
  • Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Place pork in a v-rack set in a large roasting pan, or if cooking both halves at the same time, on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Place roasting pan in oven and roast until internal temperature of pork reaches 160°F, about two - three hours, basting with pan drippings every half hour. Continue roasting another two hours, until a knife or skewer inserted into the pork shows very little resistance asides from the outer layer of skin. Better to roast long and slow to ensure the fat melts under the skin. The temperature will reach up to 200 degrees and still be delicious.
  • Remove pan from oven, and set roast aside. Carefully pour off the hot oil into an old coffee can or similar vessel. Let oil cool, and toss, or strain and save all the bacon fat for other recipes.
  • Increase oven temperature to 500°F. Return roast to v-rack, and continue roasting until completely crisp and blistered, about 20 to 30 minutes longer. Watch closely so it does not burn. Rotate the roast to be sure the underside crisps as well if necessary.
  • Total cooking time will be close to 5 hours or more, depending on the size of the roast. Alternatively, you can remove the roast from the oven and tent with foil for up to two hours before finishing it in a preheated 500°F oven.
  • Tent with foil and allow to rest for 20 -30 minutes. Slice with a serrated knife into 1-inch thick disks and serve.

Filed Under: A Cookbook, Meat & Fish, Popular, Recipe Index Tagged With: berkshire, dartagnan, popular, pork

Previous Post: « Foodies Celebrate a Tuscan Autumn Lunch
Next Post: Traditional Polenta with Sage and Parmesan Cheese »

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Comments

  1. Jeanmarie Kapp

    September 15, 2015 at 12:18 pm

    5 stars
    It looks so succulent I want to dive into the pictures. Go D’Artagnan and go Cara!

    Reply
    • homemadeitaliancooking

      September 15, 2015 at 7:09 pm

      Thank you! We missed you at the luncheon!

      Reply
      • Elizabeth

        December 14, 2017 at 11:49 am

        This recipe is amazing and your video is absolutely perfect. I love the bit at the end when you taste the finished product. I purchased a porchetta from an artisanal meat supplier. It came to me fully cooked just needing to be reheated. The belly is unrendered however. Any advice on reheating and crisping up the belly portion without drying out the gorgeous roast inside? Thanks in advance…

        Reply
        • Cara Kretz

          December 15, 2017 at 11:37 am

          Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for your kind words.

          My instinct would be to place the pork belly side down in a large skillet over medium heat. Render out most of the fat and allow it to crisp a bit. Without seeing it its hard to say. Does the pork belly have the skin on? Also what are the instructions to reheat the roast? Sorry I have more questions than answers. 🙂

          Reply

Trackbacks

  1. DAILY DETOX DRINK: Cranberry, Apple Cider Vinegar & Lemon Juice | Homemade Italian Cooking says:
    May 19, 2017 at 3:40 pm

    […] good the next morning after eating large, heavy, fatty meals like Thanksgiving, Pasta Alfredo or an All-Pork Belly Porchetta feast. I’ve told several of my friends and family about it and they have now become […]

    Reply
  2. Eataly Class: Amazing Porchetta Sandwiches • Homemade Italian Cooking says:
    March 30, 2017 at 8:23 am

    […] Italian-style Porchetta Roast.  You can also make a porchetta with 100% All-Pork Belly. Check out this video to learn […]

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  3. Eating Chicago: Osteria de Eataly says:
    November 19, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    […] thing she said I should buy if I could only get one thing at Eataly. We also talked dreamily of porchetta, the incredible Italian take on pork roast, and she told me about an awesome-sounding Asian […]

    Reply
  4. Succulent and Crispy Pork Belly on Chinese Steamed Buns with Pickled Cucumbers and Hoisin Sauce • Homemade Italian Cooking says:
    October 21, 2015 at 11:05 am

    […] All Pork Belly Porchetta Roast with Crispy Skin Stuffed with Garlic & Herbs […]

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  5. Foodies Celebrate a Tuscan Autumn Lunch • Homemade Italian Cooking says:
    September 17, 2015 at 10:28 am

    […] All Pork Belly Porchetta Roast with Crispy Skin Stuffed with Garlic and Tuscan Herbs […]

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