Post by @thestrongcook

How to Make Porchetta 🐖🌿🧄🍋 FULL RECIPE BELOW ⬇️ INGREDIENTS: 3 kg pork belly (skin-on) - ideally buy a belly that has already been dried out. 2 bunches rosemary 1 bunch thyme 1 bunch sage 6 lemons 1 large head garlic (7-8 cloves) 1 tbsp fennel seed 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns 2 tbsp olive oil Fine sea/kosher salt Granulated sugar Butcher’s Twine INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Assess the amount of moisture in your pork belly skin. If it’s already quite dry, you can go ahead and start prepping your belly. If not, leave it for 24 hours in the fridge uncovered on a sheet tray, with the skin exposed. 2. When ready to start prepping, poke many tiny holes around the skin of your belly using the tip of a sharp pairing knife. Be careful to only pierce the skin - not the meat underneath. You want to go edge to edge, making as many holes as possible (a couple hundred or so). This will create the bubbly texture on the skin as it puffs up. 3. Toast your fennel seeds and peppercorns in a pan over low heat until fragrant. Once cool, transfer your spices to a spice grinder, and grind until semi-fine. Set to the side. Remove the stems from your rosemary, thyme and sage. Finely chop your herbs with a knife. Add the zest of your lemons, and all of your garlic, finely minced. Combine everything together into one uniform seasoning mix. 4. Butterfly your pork belly, cutting exactly half-way through the belly, while leaving it attached at one end (see video for reference 0:18-0:19). Make a quick 2:1 mix of salt and sugar. Season your pork belly with an even sprinkle of this mix. Next, evenly distribute your ground fennel seed and black pepper. Lastly, spread your herb/lemon/garlic mix. 5. Tightly roll up your porchetta, starting from the non-skin side. Tie your porchetta tightly with butcher’s twine, starting from the middle, then alternate your twine on each side until you reach the end. Dry your porchetta overnight in the fridge uncovered. 6. Take your porchetta out of the fridge 2 hours before cooking it. Set your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the skin of your porchetta lightly with olive oil, then season with salt. Place your porchetta in a V-shape roasting tray, or use something else to keep your porchetta from rolling (l used stainless steel forks wedged underneath). Roast your porchetta for 2-2.5 hours, or until the internal temperature at the thickest point is 65 degrees Celsius (149 F). 7. Set your oven to broil on LOW (make sure you’re NOT broiling on high… your porchetta with burn). Also make sure your oven rack is on the bottom half of your oven - you do not want your porchetta too close to the broiler (that will also make it burn). Keep your oven open a crack to keep an eye on your porchetta (final note - the edge of your stove above the oven will be hot - be careful not to touch or lean on it). Once the side of your porchetta closest to the broiler has puffed up, turn your porchetta approx. 30 degrees to expose another side to the heat. Continue doing this until your porchetta skin has all puffed up all around. Remove your porchetta from the oven, and let it rest for 30-45 minutes before slicing. NOTE: If the broiler method is too hands-on, or you are not able to adjust the heat of your broiler to low, you can finish your porchetta instead at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-30 minutes. This will also crisp up the skin of your porchetta. 8. When finished resting, slice your porchetta using a serrated knife. Serve in a thicker slice as a roast, or in thin slices in a sandwich. Enjoy! #porchetta #porkbelly #crispy #Recipe #homecooking