{"id":510,"date":"2025-03-22T07:45:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T14:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/?p=510"},"modified":"2025-03-22T07:30:07","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T14:30:07","slug":"porchetta-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/porchetta-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Make a Porchetta this Easter"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re looking for an easy, impressive roast, porchetta is just what you need. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Golden brown crackling, juicy meat, and fresh herbs are all tied up into a neat roll. Savory, delicious, and a mix of crunchy and tender, porchetta is everything you\u2019ve ever wanted in a roasted pork dish.<\/p>\n

The best easter centerpiece?<\/h2>\n

If you’re the kind of person that’s always looking for a nice centerpiece for celebration or holiday dinners, porchetta is a great alternative to glazed ham<\/a>, turkey<\/a>, or expensive tenderloin<\/a>. It’s cheaper, more delicious, and pretty unique. Not to mention, it’s lower in sodium and nitrates. Best of all, you can size it to your needs. Special anniversary for two? You can make a 2lb belly only porchetta. 16 people family reunion? Go all the way with a tenderloin stuffed full size porchetta.<\/p>\n

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What is porchetta?<\/h2>\n

Porchetta is a classic Italian roast pork. The word \u201cporchetta\u201c literally means little pig in Italian. Traditionally, an entire deboned pig, rolled up with fresh herbs, roasts over an open wood fire. The resulting roast is incredibly savory and delicious. It\u2019s beloved all across Italy, served at celebrations, as a main dish at home, and as street food.<\/p>\n

In North America, most porchetta is a cut of pork that consists of slab pork belly still attached to pork loin. It emulates the different cuts you find in a whole pig roast porchetta. You\u2019ll also see porchetta made with pork belly and tenderloin or all pork belly.<\/p>\n

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How to make porchetta<\/h2>\n
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  1. Make two spice rubs.<\/strong> Toast fresh rosemary needles and whole fennel seeds in a dry pan over low heat until fragrant and toasty. Remove from the heat and chop into a rough spice mix. Mix together with flakey sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Divide the spice mix in two, then add fresh lemon zest and freshly chopped flat leaf parsley to one portion.<\/li>\n
  2. Prep the pork belly.<\/strong> Scoring the meaty side of pork belly with a sharp knife helps it roll up into a neat, even log. Place the pork belly skin side down on a large cutting board and lightly score on a diagonal, about 1\/4 of an inch deep, with lines 1 inch apart. Rotate the knife 90 degrees and score lines again, 1 inch apart, to create a diamond pattern.<\/li>\n
  3. Season the meat.<\/strong> Rub the spice mix with the lemon zest and flat leaf parsley into the meaty part of the pork belly, making sure to rub into the scored cuts.<\/li>\n
  4. Tie the porchetta.<\/strong> Lay out several pieces of string on the cutting board, 1-2 inches apart. Lay the pork belly on top of the string and place the tenderloin (if using), into the middle of the pork belly. If needed, trim the tenderloin in length so it fits neatly inside the belly. Roll the pork up tightly and use the strings to tie into a tight, neat roll.<\/li>\n
  5. Season the skin.<\/strong> Use the remaining spice mix and evenly rub onto the skin of the pork belly.<\/li>\n
  6. Roast.<\/strong> Place the rolled porchetta, seam side down, into a deep roasting rack. Slow roast, basting every so often, in a low oven, until the pork is tender, juicy, and yielding.<\/li>\n
  7. Render.<\/strong> Blast the heat on high to render out some of the fat in the skin to create a crispy, crunchy, golden crackling.<\/li>\n
  8. Rest.<\/strong> When the crackling is deeply golden and burnished, remove the porchetta from the oven. Let your golden porchetta rest for a minimum of 15 minutes. Resting will let the juices redistribute and remain in the roast. Enjoy!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Porchetta ingredients<\/h2>\n