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5 from 3 votes

Porchetta



This is a show stopper. Order cuts from the butcher. Make the dressing. Tie it up and roast it. Not hard, just requires advance planning.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 20
Author: Valerie Lugonja

Ingredients

  • 3 kg boned know-your-farmer pork loin (not tenderloin), skin on, butterflied by your butcher
  • sea salt
  • (I got the pork loin and had the pork belly, so mine were not attached, but best they are)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • salt
  • 60 g of Vin Santo Wine

Ingredients for the Stuffing:

  • 2 onions , peeled and finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic , minced
  • olive oil
  • 250 g ground pork
  • 100 g panko crumbs or Saltine crackers , ground
  • 100 g pine nuts , toasted
  • 100 g sultana raisins
  • ½ bunch fresh sage , leaves only, roughly chopped
  • ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley , leaves only roughly chopped
  • 1 strand of rosemary , needles minced
  • 100 g Vin Santo Wine
  • Baker's Twine

Instructions

Instructions for the Pork:

  • Set belly skin side down; with a sharp knife, score belly flesh in a checkerboard pattern 1/3" deep to enable even cooking
  • Flip belly skin side up; poke dozens of 1/8"-deep holes through skin all over belly (when you think it is enough, do more)
  • Optional: using the jagged edge of a meat mallet, pound skin all over for 3 minutes to tenderize, which will help make skin crispy when roasted.
  • Turn belly to be skin side down; generously salt both it
  • Season loin; sprinkle inside of each with 30g or Vin Santo Wine
  • Arrange loin down middle of belly; top with stuffing
  • Roll belly around loin; tie crosswise with kitchen twine at 1/2" intervals, very tightly
  • Trim twine; transfer roast to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet
  • Preheat oven to 500°; season porchetta with salt
  • Roast on rack in baking sheet, turning once at 15 minutes, for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden (the oven will be a huge mess, so best to do this step outside on the grill)
  • Reduce heat to 300° and continue roasting, rotating the pan and turning porchetta every 20 minutes for one more hour, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 145°
  • If skin is not yet deep brown and crisp, increase heat to 500° and roast for 10-15 minutes more
  • Rest for 30 minutes; sing a serrated knife, slice into 1/2" rounds

Instructions for the Stuffing:

  • In a large skillet on medium heat, saute onion in olive oil for 10 minutes; add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds (Both should be softened but not coloured)
  • Turn heat down to low; add ground pork
  • Quickly break pork into small pieces to combine; add pine nuts, raisins, sage, parsley, and rosemary
  • Season with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper; pour in a splash of Vin Santo wine, stir well and remove from heat (do not cook ground pork, just separate it for the stuffing)
  • Add panko; combine well
  • Season with salt and pepper