This Porchetta recipe (usually made with a pork belly … but I made this herbed Porchetta recipe with a pork loin) was made because I wanted a good Italian sandwich … it will be delicious in a sandwich with roasted peppers, mozzarella di bufala, arugula and reduced balsamic vinegar!
Porchetta is a savory, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition.
Porchetta has been selected by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (“traditional agricultural-food product”, one of a list of traditional Italian foods held to have cultural relevance).Although popular in the whole country, porchetta originated in central Italy, with Ariccia (in the Province of Rome) being the town most closely associated with it.–(Source: Wikipedia)
Ingredients
- •1 pork belly or pork loin, rolled or butterflied
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) fennel seed
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) chili flakes
- •4 cloves garlic
- •2 bay leaves
- •60 ml (1/4 cup) finely chopped fresh parsley
- •Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
- •Freshly ground black pepper
- •Salt
- •60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
Preheat a rotisserie on a barbecue or a 163°C (325°F) oven. Unroll or butterfly your meat and set aside.
In a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine the fennel seed, rosemary, chili flakes, garlic, and bay leaves. Add a few turns of a pepper mill and salt as desired. Crush to make a coarse paste. Mix in the parsley and lemon zest. Add the oil, mix gain, and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Spread the herb mixture evenly across the meat, roll it into a large cylinder, and tie it up. Grill the herbed Porchetta on a rotisserie or roast in an oven until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Remove from heat, allow to rest a few minutes, and slice to serve.