Porchetta at Home
Published February 2, 2010
Rebecca McAlpin for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 5 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
20 fresh sage leaves
3 fresh thyme sprigs, stems removed
3 sprigs rosemary, stems removed
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, slightly toasted
1 ½ teaspoons medium-coarse sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, skin on
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup dry white or red wine
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
5 grams carbs; 215 milligrams cholesterol; 792 calories; 28 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 60 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 671 milligrams sodium; 53 grams protein
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 250 degrees. In a food processor or by hand, finely chop sage, thyme, rosemary and garlic together. Place mixture in a small bowl; add fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Step 2
With a utility knife, a razor blade or a sharp knife, score pork skin in a crosshatch diamond pattern, making ⅛- to ¼-inch-deep cuts about 1 inch apart. With a paring knife, make about 10 incisions (about ½-inch deep) all over pork and stuff them with about ⅓ of the herb mixture.
- Step 3
Tie pork into a compact roast with kitchen twine, brush olive oil over skin and rub all over with remaining herb mixture. Set pork skin-side up on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 2 hours.
- Step 4
Pour wine over pork and baste with accumulated juices. Continue roasting, basting once every half-hour, until skin is well browned and meat is spoon tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours more. Remove pork from oven; let meat rest for 15 minutes.
- Step 5
Meanwhile, for crispy skin, slice off the cap of skin and fat. Place on rack in roasting pan skin-side up and broil for 3 to 6 minutes, or until skin bubbles and crisps. Watch closely so skin does not burn. Slice roast, chop skin at score marks and serve pieces of each together.
Private Notes
Comments
After I slice off the skin for broiling, I also put the roast skin side up in the broiler to crisp up the now remaining outer layer - about 3-5 minutes for the roast. This slow cooked recipe is fork tender and delicious.
This is a fantastic and foolproof recipe. The only change I made was with the fennel seed. One tablespoon is far too much of such a strong licorice-like flavor. I cut it down to a scant teaspoon. The dish got rave reviews at Christmas dinner.
This really worked well, even for an amateur cook. Need a few more hungry mouths around next time though as ~4 lbs is quite a bit!
For the amount of prep and because leftovers are so good it is worth cooking a full size butt or shoulder roast, about 6-7 pounds with bone in or out. The meat reheats easily and makes great sandwiches and keeps for days r may be frozen and reheated. Consider cooking it over a generous amount of sauerkraut (no kidding) or kraut made from fennel (awesome) or fresh fennel…
What are good side dishes to accompany porchetta?
Garlic roasted potatoes or garlic roasted smashed potatoes and pan roasted Brussels sprouts
This is a fantastic and foolproof recipe. The only change I made was with the fennel seed. One tablespoon is far too much of such a strong licorice-like flavor. I cut it down to a scant teaspoon. The dish got rave reviews at Christmas dinner.
@Nemesis a tablespoon is porchetta