Porchetta American Style

This is our take on Porchetta, a wonderfully savory, moist, fatty, tender boneless pork roast of Italian culinary origin. Traditionally the whole pig is dressed, deboned and arranged carefully with layers of stuffing, thin sliced cured meats and aromatic herbs and seasonings like garlic, fennel seeds, rosemary, sage and parsley then rolled, tied, put on a spit and roasted slowly over wood coals. It's a big deal.

Here is do-able version (no whole hog necessary) for the home cook here in America with a few practical changes to the traditional method. Using "skin on" fresh pork belly as a base instead of the whole hog still gives this porchetta the signature taste and super crisp outside skin. I got this belly from Publix. The butcher had to order it and it came in later that same week. A whole pork belly would run between $40 - $50 depending on the market. This is way too much meat unless you have a big family event you want to cook for. Publix was fine with cutting the belly it in half. This is the perfect size to feed a few friends and have left overs which make great sandwiches. If you do have it cut, have them cut it across, not lengthwise.

Ingredients

1 5-6-pound piece fresh pork belly, skin on

3 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley

10 or so garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt
1 orange, seeded, thinly sliced

5 lb skin on fresh pork belly

Toast fennel seeds and red pepper flakes in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Tip spices into a bowl and let cool. Add the peppercorns.

Coarsely grind spices in a spice mill or electric coffee bean grinder and transfer to a small bowl.

Chop the sage, rosemary, parsley and garlic.

Set belly skin side down on a cutting board. Using a knife, score the belly flesh in a checkerboard pattern 1/3" deep so roast will cook evenly.

Flip belly skin side up. Using a sharp pointed paring knife, poke dozens of 1/8"-deep holes through skin all over belly. Don't be gentle! Keep poking.

Turn belly and generously salt it and rub with the spice mixture, then the herbs and garlic, finally topping with the orange slices.

Roll belly up and tie with kitchen twine at several intervals.

Transfer roast to a cooking rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.

Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1-2 days to allow skin to air-dry; pat occasionally with paper towels.

Cooking:

On the day you are going to cook the roast, let the porchetta sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 500°F. 

Season porchetta with salt. 

Roast on rack in a roasting pan seam side down for 30 minutes. 

Reduce heat to 300°F and continue roasting and turning porchetta occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 145°F, 1 1/2-2 hours more. If skin is not yet deep brown and crisp, increase heat to 500°F and roast for 10 minutes more. But keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn!

Let rest for 30 minutes. Using a serrated knife, slice into rounds.

Suggested sides - sauteed mustard greens or Swiss chard and roasted mixed russet and sweet potatoes