Porchetta
(with Bay’s Pork Belly)

Method

Prep the pork belly

Place the belly, meat side up, on your counter.
Make diagonal scoring cuts, about ½ inch deep and 1-inch apart.
Do the same in the opposite diagonal direction so you end up with diamond-shaped scoring across the meat side of the belly.
Flip over the belly and do the same on the skin side – be careful not to cut through to the meat side. You just want to open up the skin so it can become as crispy as possible.
When all scoring is done, flip the belly so the meat side is up again.

Prep the seasoning

Toast peppercorns and fennel seeds for 5 minutes in a pan. Allow to cool then grind together either in a food processor, grinder or using a mortar & pestle.
Crush the garlic cloves and grind into a paste.
Mix the garlic paste into the olive oil.
Stir the dry seasonings into the garlic olive oil. (Don’t add the fresh chopped herbs.)
Spread ¾ of the seasoning paste onto the meat side of the belly, being sure to rub into the scoring cuts, not just on top of the meat.
Sprinkle the chopped fresh herbs and finely-zested lemon rind across the seasoned, meat side of the belly.

Roll the belly

The belly was likely presented to you in a rectangular shape. You want as much of the skin exposed to heat, rather than rolled inside the roll, so it’s recommended that you roll from the long side, rather than short. If your pan is too short to accommodate a long roll, you can cut the roll in half once it’s been fully prepped and tied. (You can even freeze ½ the roll at this point to defrost and roast at another time!)

Place lengths of butcher’s string under the belly in 1-inch intervals, running from one long side to the other. Roll the belly starting from the long side. Tie the strings firmly to hold the roll intact, starting with the string in the middle of the roll as your first tie then work your way, tying each string. Spread the remaining garlic oil seasoning mixture over the outside of the roll, rubbing into the scoring cuts in the skin. You can also sprinkle a bit more rosemary salt over the outside of the roll to your taste.

Season overnight (or longer)

Wrap the roll(s) tightly in plastic wrap and place in a plastic bag (to prevent smells in your fridge). Place in the refrigerator to allow the seasonings to infuse the meat, at least 6 hours but preferably overnight. You can allow the seasoning to go up to three days in the fridge – more flavor develops the longer the seasoning time.

Roast

Pre-heat the oven to 425.
Take the meat out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature – roughly one hour.
Roast uncovered at 425 degrees for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, drop the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting for another 45 minutes. At the end of this second roasting period, pull out the pan and baste the porchetta with rendered fat from the pan.

Drop the oven temperature again, this time to 300 degrees, and continue roasting for another (final) 45 minutes. The good news about porchetta is that it’s really hard to dry out this meat – it’s being almost constantly bathed in its own fat.

Stop roasting when internal temperature reaches 160 degrees – you may want to check at 30 minutes in the final (third) round of roasting.

If your exterior is not looking crispy or browned enough, drain off most of the rendered fat, crank up the oven to 450-degrees and place the roast back in until it meets your spec. Using the broiler is an option, too.

When roasting is finished, allow the cooked porchetta to rest for 15 – 30 minutes.

Serving

Porchetta is served as a sandwich on a crusty roll or ciabatta. Condiments can be chimichurri, garlic mayonnaise, red pepper aioli – or a combination of those. The roasted meat is flavorful and tender enough that it can even be enjoyed without condiments.