True Tuscan porchetta is a pork-lover's delight, fit to compare with a Carolinian "pig-pickin." It's made by deboning and roasting an entire hog. The rich, fatty flavorful meat is sliced by street corner vendors and served in sandwiches. A deboned pork shoulder can be used to simulate the dish on a smaller scale at home. For a leaner version, buy a pork loin with at least a 1/4 inch cap of fat on one side, and ask your butcher for a piece of belly fat to fit the other side.
Step 1
Peel the cloves of garlic and chop them coarsely. Strip the leaves from the stem of rosemary. Place them in a small food processor with the sage leaves and crushed fennel seeds and pulse several times, until the herbs are finely chopped.
Step 2
Lay your pork loin on the cutting board. Score its cap of fat with several deep cuts, and rub a small amount of the herb mixture into them. Rub the rest evenly over the remainder of the loin, both the meat and the fat cap.
Step 3
Season the loin lightly but evenly with salt and pepper. Slice the piece of belly fat into flat, horizontal pieces. Use kitchen twine to tie the slices onto the side of the loin that has no fat cap. At this stage the roast can be refrigerated overnight, if you wish, to develop stronger flavors.
Step 4
Place the roast in a roasting pan with a rack, turned so the loin's fat cap faces up and the belly fat faces down. Preheat your oven to 300 F.
Step 5
Roast the pork until its internal temperature reaches 170 F when tested with a meat thermometer. Increase the temperature to 450 F for 15 to 20 minutes, to brown and crisp the fat.
Step 6
Cover the roast loosely with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot as a flavorful roast, or sliced for sandwiches.
Tips and Warnings
- The outer layer of fat is necessary to keep the pork loin from drying and toughening in the oven, because it's leaner than the shoulder cut most cooks use. Once the porchetta is cooked, the fat-conscious can trim away the outer layer of fat and enjoy the moist, flavorful pork inside. Some recipes call for a short cooking time at high temperature, which provides crisp, luscious fat. Others cook at a lower temperature for a longer time, which keeps the pork more moist. Both techniques work well, so follow your own preference.
Things You'll Need
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 stem fresh rosemary
- 12 fresh sage leaves
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- 1 to 2 tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed finely
- Small food processor
- Boneless pork loin, approximately 4 to 5 lbs.
- Pork belly fat, 1 to 2 lbs.
- Salt and pepper
- Kitchen twine
- Roasting pan with rack
- Meat thermometer
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