Best Roasted Porchetta Recipes

ROASTED PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Using a sharp knife, slice open the butt, following the fat cap, until you are able to roll it flat.
• Make a paste with the olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, fennel seeds and zest. Take half of the salt and sprinkle the exposed inside of the butt. Do the same with half of the black pepper. Pour the herb paste onto the butt. Spread evenly into the meat. Roll the meat up back onto itself creating a large pinwheel of pork and herbs. Secure the roast together using butchers twine. Sprinkle the outside of the roast with the remaining salt and pepper. Place the butt onto a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan.
• Place the butt into the oven and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the inside is 140 degrees F. Let cool and slice.

CRISPY ROASTED PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Score the skin of the pork belly with an extremely sharp knife or a razor blade (or ask your butcher to do it). Poke the flesh side all over with the tip of a paring knife.
• Put the fennel seeds and peppercorns in a small dry skillet; toast over medium heat until very fragrant and a few shades darker, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool, then grind in a spice grinder. Mix the ground spices with the red pepper flakes, sage, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, orange zest, garlic and 2 tablespoons salt. Rub the mixture into the flesh side of the pork belly.
• Roll the belly up as tightly as possible and secure it with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Rub the outside with the baking powder and 1 tablespoon salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 to 2 days.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Set the rolled pork belly in a large roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees F and roast until the skin is golden brown and crisp all over, about 20 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

BUTTERFLIED TEA- AND ORANGE-BRINED ROASTED TURKEY WITH PORCHETTA-SPICED BUTTER

Steps:

• Remove the zest from the oranges in wide strips using a vegetable peeler, applying only gentle pressure so that most of the white pith is left behind. Reserve the zest, juice the oranges and strain the juice into a small saucepan. Add the zest, salt, bourbon, sugar, peppercorns, tea bags, cloves, bay leaves and 1 quart (4 cups) of water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. Pour the brine into a plastic container or pot large enough to hold the turkey, add 5 quarts (20 cups) ice water and stir to combine. Submerge the turkey, adding more ice water if needed. Weight it down with a plate to keep it submerged and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Drain, rinse and pat the turkey dry. Place on a large paper-towel-lined cutting board and let sit out at room temperature until it reaches room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Mix the butter, rosemary, fennel, lemon zest, pepper and garlic in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Pat the turkey skin dry again and rub the butter mixture evenly over the surface, also pushing some underneath the skin of the breasts. Lay the turkey in a large roasting pan as flat as possible. If the pan is a bit small, tuck the wings behind the back with the drumsticks resting on the ledge of the pan and place a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven to catch drippings.
• Roast, basting the turkey with the pan drippings every 30 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before serving.

PORCHETTA WITH ROASTED FINGERLINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• To make the porchetta: Combine the rosemary, sage, garlic and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Mix with enough olive oil until a loose paste has formed. Gently cut the sides of the pork so it opens up like a book and lies flat on your cutting board. Rub the oil mixture all over the inside of the pork shoulder (be sure to get it into every nook and cranny). Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roll the pork and tie tightly with butcher's twine.
• In a large roasting pan, combine all the vegetables and wine. Season with salt, to taste, and add the thyme and bay leaves. Nestle the pork on the vegetables. Rub the top of the pork with oil and put in the oven. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin starts to brown and becomes crispy.
• Brush the skin with the pan juices and add some of the chicken stock on and around the pork. Roast for another 3 to 3 1/2 hours, basting the skin occasionally and adding more chicken stock to keep pan moist. If the skin becomes too dark, tent with aluminum foil and remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
• Remove the pork from the pan to a cutting board and discard the string. Let rest for about 15 minutes. Cut the crispy skin from the meat and cut into pieces. Slice the meat. To serve, arrange some of the vegetables from the pan, drenched in juices, onto each serving plate and put slices of meat on top. Garnish with piece of crispy skin and serve.
• Call yourself a "superstar" and eat leftovers the next day.

PORCHETTA WITH ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and position rack in the lowest position.
• Toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to cutting board along with garlic, fennel fronds, salt, and pepper and finely chop together. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in oil.
• Lay pork belly on cutting board, skin side down. Holding a large sharp knife parallel to the cutting board, split the belly in half, being careful not to cut all the way through the opposite end. Open the split belly like a book and spread fennel-garlic mixture all over. Place pork loin at the end of the skinless side of the belly, and tightly roll the belly around the loin, forming a roast. The skin should almost wrap the roast completely. Using butchers' string, tightly tie the roast at 1-inch intervals.
• Transfer the porchetta to a large roasting pan and roast for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and add the potatoes and rosemary. Season with salt and toss the potatoes in the pan juices to coat. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of roast registers 165°F and potatoes are tender, about 2 hours more.
• Let the porcetta rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

PORCHETTA-SPICED ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil and potatoes, and season with salt; toss to evenly coat. Spread in an even layer and roast until light golden, 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, garlic, fennel, thyme, rosemary, sage, black pepper and red-pepper flakes, and season to taste with salt; mix well.
• Spoon the herb mixture over the potatoes and toss until evenly coated, using a spatula to lift up the potatoes if necessary. Continue roasting until the potatoes are fragrant, golden brown and tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
• Transfer potatoes to a serving platter and garnish with parsley. Serve warm.

BUTTERFLIED JUNIPER-BRINED ROASTED TURKEY WITH PORCHETTA-SPICED BUTTER

Steps:

• The day before, combine the salt, brown sugar, juniper, peppercorns, bay leaves and lemon zest with 4 cups (1 quart) water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. Pour the brine into a plastic container or pot large enough to hold the turkey, add 20 cups (5 quarts) ice water and stir to combine. Submerge the turkey, adding more ice water if needed. Weigh it down with a plate to keep it submerged and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
• The next day, drain, rinse and pat the turkey dry. Put on a large paper-towel-lined cutting board and let sit out at room temperature until it reaches room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Mix the butter, garlic, rosemary, fennel, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Pat the turkey skin dry again and rub the porchetta spiced butter evenly over the surface, also getting underneath the skin of the breasts. Lay the turkey in a large roasting pan as flat as possible. If the pan is a bit small, tuck the wings behind the back with the drumsticks resting on the ledge of the pan and place a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven to catch drippings.
• Roast until a thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before serving. Garnish the serving platter with lemons, rosemary and bay leaves if using.

ROASTED PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Make the brine. Fill a large pot with 1 gallon water. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, juniper berries, peppercorns and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisk in the salt and brown sugar and let cool to room temperature.
• Brine the pork. Put the pork belly in a large roasting pan and pour the brine over it. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.
• Make the rub. Toast the fennel seeds, juniper berries and peppercorns in a medium skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pulse a few times in a spice grinder until coarsely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the nutmeg, thyme and garlic.
• Spice the pork. Remove the pork belly from the brine and pat it dry. Spread the rub on the flesh side of the pork belly, using just what adheres; you may have some rub left over. Put the pork belly skin-side up on a large rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, 24 hours to dry it out.
• Roll the pork. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. (If you have a convection setting, use it; preheat to 450 degrees F.) Flip the pork belly so it's skin-side down. Starting at a long side, roll into a cylinder.
• Secure the roll with kitchen string: Tie separate pieces of string around the roll, about 3/4 inch apart.
• Prick the pork all over with a skewer; this helps render the fat so the skin gets crisp.
• Roast the pork. Put the pork belly on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck 4 upside-down spoons around the pork to keep it from rolling around. Roast 30 minutes, using a baster to baste the pork with the drippings and rotating the pan every 10 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for convection) and continue roasting, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the pork registers 155 degrees F on a thermometer, about 1 1/2 more hours.
• Slice the pork. Let the pork rest 30 to 40 minutes, then cut off the string and slice about 3/4 inch thick.

PORCHETTA WITH ROASTED FINGERLINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• To make the porchetta: Combine the rosemary, sage, garlic and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Mix with enough olive oil until a loose paste has formed. Gently cut the sides of the pork so it opens up like a book and lies flat on your cutting board. Rub the oil mixture all over the inside of the pork shoulder (be sure to get it into every nook and cranny). Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roll the pork and tie tightly with butcher's twine.
• In a large roasting pan, combine all the vegetables and wine. Season with salt, to taste, and add the thyme and bay leaves. Nestle the pork on the vegetables. Rub the top of the pork with oil and put in the oven. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin starts to brown and becomes crispy.
• Brush the skin with the pan juices and add some of the chicken stock on and around the pork. Roast for another 3 to 3 1/2 hours, basting the skin occasionally and adding more chicken stock to keep pan moist. If the skin becomes too dark, tent with aluminum foil and remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
• Remove the pork from the pan to a cutting board and discard the string. Let rest for about 15 minutes. Cut the crispy skin from the meat and cut into pieces. Slice the meat. To serve, arrange some of the vegetables from the pan, drenched in juices, onto each serving plate and put slices of meat on top. Garnish with piece of crispy skin and serve.
• Call yourself a "superstar" and eat leftovers the next day.

PORCHETTA WITH ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F and position rack in the lowest position.
• Toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to cutting board along with garlic, fennel fronds, salt, and pepper and finely chop together. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in oil.
• Lay pork belly on cutting board, skin side down. Holding a large sharp knife parallel to the cutting board, split the belly in half, being careful not to cut all the way through the opposite end. Open the split belly like a book and spread fennel-garlic mixture all over. Place pork loin at the end of the skinless side of the belly, and tightly roll the belly around the loin, forming a roast. The skin should almost wrap the roast completely. Using butchers' string, tightly tie the roast at 1-inch intervals.
• Transfer the porchetta to a large roasting pan and roast for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and add the potatoes and rosemary. Season with salt and toss the potatoes in the pan juices to coat. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of roast registers 165°F and potatoes are tender, about 2 hours more.
• Let the porcetta rest for 20 minutes before slicing.