Porchetta Abruzzese
By Leah ColinsPublished on October 31, 2023
Time
5¾ hours, plus 1 day chilling and 30 minutes resting
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If you don't have a spice grinder, you can use a mortar and pestle. Look for a pork belly that is mostly uniform in thickness. If you don't have two wire racks, carefully transfer the first rack into a clean rimmed baking sheet in step 6 (this avoids a very smoky oven). We recommend using a probe thermometer with an alarm to determine doneness precisely. If you don't have a probe thermometer, you can use an instant-read thermometer, but take care not to leave the oven open for too long. Be sure to position the pork belly with the short side parallel to the counter in step 3. Serve with Mint Salsa Verde.
Instructions
- Slice tenderloin in half lengthwise, stopping ½ inch from edge so halves remain attached. Open up tenderloin and sprinkle all over with 1 teaspoon salt. Fold halves together (returning tenderloin to original shape) and place on large plate; set aside.
- Grate 2 teaspoons zest from orange and transfer to small bowl. Cut away peel and pith from orange. Halve orange lengthwise, then slice halves crosswise ¼ inch thick; set aside. Pulse sage, rosemary, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and pepper flakes in spice grinder until finely chopped, about 8 pulses. Transfer mixture to bowl with orange zest and stir in garlic and 2 tablespoons salt; set aside.
- Place pork belly skin side up on cutting board. Using paring knife or metal skewer, poke holes through skin at 1-inch intervals. Flip belly skin side down, with short side parallel to counter edge, and cover with plastic wrap. Using meat mallet or rolling pin, pound portions of belly that are thicker than 1½ inches to about 1½ inches. Using sharp knife, cut 1-inch crosshatch pattern, about ¼ inch deep, on flesh side.
- Rub flesh side of belly evenly with salt mixture. Arrange orange slices in single row across center of belly. Place tenderloin on top of orange slices. (Tuck thin end of tenderloin under itself as needed to line up with edge of belly.) Tightly roll belly away from you, around tenderloin, and place seam side down on cutting board. Starting at center of belly, tie roast at 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine. Sprinkle skin evenly with remaining 5 teaspoons salt. Transfer roast to large plate or platter and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 1 day or up to 2 days.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Remove porchetta from refrigerator and place on prepared rack. Insert thermometer probe about 6 inches into pork belly, horizontally from end of roast, about 1 inch underneath skin (take care to not insert probe into tenderloin). Roast until internal temperature of belly reaches 190 degrees, about 4½ hours.
- Set second wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet. Remove porchetta from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Using tongs and large spatula, carefully transfer porchetta to second prepared rack. Once oven has reached 450 degrees, return porchetta to oven and roast until skin is blistered and deep caramel brown, 5 to 15 minutes. Remove porchetta from oven and let rest on rack for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Carefully remove twine, taking care not to tear skin. Using large serrated knife, slice porchetta ½ inch thick. Serve.
Time
5¾ hours, plus 1 day chilling and 30 minutes restingYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This showstopper of a holiday roast is packed with the classic flavors associated with porchetta—garlic, fennel seeds, sage, rosemary, and red pepper flakes—plus an added burst of fresh orange. Many porchetta recipes apply these aromatics to pork shoulder roasts, but here we aimed to replicate some of the elements of a traditional South Philly–style pig roast, which involves whole, boneless pigs, roasted on spits, in the style of Abruzzo, Italy, the region from which many Italian immigrants made their way to Philadelphia. Rich and juicy pork belly; tender, succulent loin; and crackly, puffed skin come together to form a gorgeous showpiece. After pounding and seasoning the pork belly, we rolled it around a tenderloin, tied the roll with kitchen twine, and then roasted it low and slow until the meat was meltingly tender. A quick blast in a hot oven at the end of cooking gave the skin its characteristic deep golden color and shatteringly crisp texture.
Before You Begin
If you don't have a spice grinder, you can use a mortar and pestle. Look for a pork belly that is mostly uniform in thickness. If you don't have two wire racks, carefully transfer the first rack into a clean rimmed baking sheet in step 6 (this avoids a very smoky oven). We recommend using a probe thermometer with an alarm to determine doneness precisely. If you don't have a probe thermometer, you can use an instant-read thermometer, but take care not to leave the oven open for too long. Be sure to position the pork belly with the short side parallel to the counter in step 3. Serve with Mint Salsa Verde.
Instructions
- Slice tenderloin in half lengthwise, stopping ½ inch from edge so halves remain attached. Open up tenderloin and sprinkle all over with 1 teaspoon salt. Fold halves together (returning tenderloin to original shape) and place on large plate; set aside.
- Grate 2 teaspoons zest from orange and transfer to small bowl. Cut away peel and pith from orange. Halve orange lengthwise, then slice halves crosswise ¼ inch thick; set aside. Pulse sage, rosemary, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and pepper flakes in spice grinder until finely chopped, about 8 pulses. Transfer mixture to bowl with orange zest and stir in garlic and 2 tablespoons salt; set aside.
- Place pork belly skin side up on cutting board. Using paring knife or metal skewer, poke holes through skin at 1-inch intervals. Flip belly skin side down, with short side parallel to counter edge, and cover with plastic wrap. Using meat mallet or rolling pin, pound portions of belly that are thicker than 1½ inches to about 1½ inches. Using sharp knife, cut 1-inch crosshatch pattern, about ¼ inch deep, on flesh side.
- Rub flesh side of belly evenly with salt mixture. Arrange orange slices in single row across center of belly. Place tenderloin on top of orange slices. (Tuck thin end of tenderloin under itself as needed to line up with edge of belly.) Tightly roll belly away from you, around tenderloin, and place seam side down on cutting board. Starting at center of belly, tie roast at 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine. Sprinkle skin evenly with remaining 5 teaspoons salt. Transfer roast to large plate or platter and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 1 day or up to 2 days.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Remove porchetta from refrigerator and place on prepared rack. Insert thermometer probe about 6 inches into pork belly, horizontally from end of roast, about 1 inch underneath skin (take care to not insert probe into tenderloin). Roast until internal temperature of belly reaches 190 degrees, about 4½ hours.
- Set second wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet. Remove porchetta from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Using tongs and large spatula, carefully transfer porchetta to second prepared rack. Once oven has reached 450 degrees, return porchetta to oven and roast until skin is blistered and deep caramel brown, 5 to 15 minutes. Remove porchetta from oven and let rest on rack for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Carefully remove twine, taking care not to tear skin. Using large serrated knife, slice porchetta ½ inch thick. Serve.
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