Holiday Garlic Herb Porchetta

Holiday Garlic Herb Porchetta

4.7(57)

Need a perfect holiday show-stopping meat entree for Christmas dinner that will feed all your hungry loved ones? For this incredible Porchetta recipe, seasoned pork belly is rubbed with garlic, thyme, rosemary lemon, and fennel seed, then tied around a juicy, tender pork loin. The crispy, puffy skin on the outside makes this porchetta the perfect gift for Christmas; make sure you get some before it's all gone!

Cook Time
3 hr
Total Time
4 hr
Yield
12 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 lb skin on pork belly (3.6 kg)
  • 1 cup kosher salt (240 g), plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • ½ cup sugar (100 g)
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
  • ½ cup fresh rosemary (35 g)
  • 4 lemons lemon zest
  • ⅓ cup fresh thyme (15 g)
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 ½ lb boneless pork loin (1.1 g), Not tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat
  • nonstick cooking spray, for greasing

How to Make It

1. Step
Set the pork belly on a rimmed baking sheet. Season all over with ½ cup (120 g) of salt and the sugar. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. Step
When ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 250˚F (120˚C).
3. Step
Unwrap the pork belly and rinse off all the salt and sugar with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels, then place skin-side down on a baking sheet or large cutting board.
4. Step
Add the fennel seeds to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and wipe out the processor.
5. Step
To the clean food processor, add the rosemary, lemon zest, thyme, garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper, and pulse until finely chopped and well combined.
6. Step
Spread the garlic-herb paste evenly over the meat side of the pork belly.
7. Step
Place the pork loin parallel along a short side of the pork belly. Roll up the belly to encase the loin and position the roll seam-side down.
8. Step
Set a wire rack over a baking sheet and grease with nonstick spray. Arrange 8 30-inch (75 cm) long pieces of kitchen twine over the wire rack, spacing 1½ inches (4 cm) apart. Place the pork roll, seam-side down, across the center of the twine pieces.
9. Step
Starting with the centermost piece, tie the twine as tightly as you can around the pork roll, using 2 double knots. Work your way from the center toward either end to tie the rest of the twine. Cut off the excess twine.
10. Step
Add the other ½ cup (120 g) of salt to the bowl with the ground fennel seeds and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the pork roll and rub into the skin.
11. Step
Roast the porchetta for about 3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 145˚F (63˚C). Remove from the oven.
12. Step
Increase the oven temperature to 450˚F (230˚C). Transfer the pork roll, still on the wire rack, to a cutting board. Pour any pan juices into a small bowl and skim off any fat.
13. Step
Set the porchetta on the wire rack over the baking sheet, then return to the oven and roast for about 30 minutes more, until the skin is bubbling, crisp, and golden.
14. Step
Transfer the porchetta to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes. Removed the twine and carve into ½-inch (1 ¼ cm) thick slices. Serve hot, with pan juices spooned over.
15. Step
Enjoy!

Tags

Dairy-FreeShoppable Recipes Holiday DinnersKitchen ShearsTasty CookbookMeasuring SpoonsOven MittsCooling RackParchment PaperBaking PanDry Measuring CupsPyrexMixing BowlChef's KnifeCutting BoardBig BatchFood ProcessorSpatulaWinterComfort FoodDinnerBakeSpecial OccasionItalianStuffedChristmasOven

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