Porchetta Limoncello Food

PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the pancetta in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it forms a paste. Transfer to a bowl and mix in by hand the garlic, citrus zests, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, capers and 2 tablespoons salt until thoroughly blended.
• Put the ham flesh-side up on a cutting board and score the meat with the tip of a sharp knife every inch or so in a cross-hatch pattern. Rub the pancetta paste into the meat, making sure to get it into the score marks. Flip the ham over and score the skin with the knife as you did the flesh. Roll the ham up skin-side out and secure with kitchen twine. Season the skin lightly with salt.
• Put the pork in a roasting pan and transfer to the oven to roast for 2 hours.
• Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and roast until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F and the skin is nice and crisp, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes. Thinly slice the porchetta before serving.

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.

PORCHETTA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together sage, rosemary, oregano, garlic, fennel pollen, salt, pepper, and lemon zest; set aside.
• Place pork belly skin side up on a clean work surface. Using a very sharp knife, score skin in a diamond-shape fashion. Turn pork belly over so that it is skin-side down. Season flesh side of belly with salt and pepper and half of the herb mixture.
• Place pork loin on a cutting board. Holding the blade of the knife parallel to board, cut along the length of the pork loin, but not all the way through. Unfold so that it opens like a book. Place butterflied loin on top of pork belly. Season with salt and pepper and spread with remaining herb mixture.
• Roll pork away from you into a cylindrical shape; tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals to make snug.
• Season skin with salt and pepper. Transfer to refrigerator, uncovered, so that it air-dries for 3 days.
• Fit a rimmed baking sheet with a rack and transfer pork to rack. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a rack set in the lower third of the oven.
• Transfer pork, skin side up, to oven and cook until skin begins to crackle, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast reaches 135 degrees, about 2 1/2 hours, tenting with foil if necessary. Let stand 30 minutes before slicing.
• Make the salsa verde: In a medium bowl, mix together shallot, parsley, chives, vinegar, oregano, and salt; whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Stir in mustard and lemon juice, set aside.
• Make the sandwich: Cover split sides of rolls with salsa verde. Place 3 porchetta slices and some of the crackling on one half of each of the rolls; top with arugula; and sandwich together with remaining half.

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Zest lemons, making sure to get the outermost part of the skin and avoid the white pith.
• Place lemon zest in a glass bowl and cover with alcohol. Cover and let infuse at room temperature until yellowish in color, about 7 days.
• Bring water and sugar to the boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove syrup from heat and let cool, about 10 minutes.
• Pour alcohol into the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer; discard lemon zest. Stir well.
• Pour limoncello into thick, freezer-safe glass bottles. Store in the freezer for at least 2 weeks before serving.

LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Zest the lemons, and place zest into a large glass bottle or jar. Pour in vodka. Cover loosely and let infuse for one week at room temperature.
• After one week, combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Do not stir. Boil for 15 minutes. Allow syrup to cool to room temperature.
• Stir vodka mixture into syrup. Strain into glass bottles, and seal each bottle with a cork. Let mixture age for 2 weeks at room temperature.
• Place bottled liqueur into the freezer. When icy cold, serve in chilled vodka glasses or shot glasses.

PORCHETTA LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Cut pork into 1/2-inch thick slices, then pound each piece flat into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
• Season both sides of pork pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shake lightly, and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in large (12 or 14-inch) non-stick skillet over medium high heat, until smoking.
• Working in batches (make sure to leave space between pieces or it won't brown properly--saute pork in hot oil until lightly golden brown on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Set pork pieces aside when done.
• In the same skillet, reduce heat to low and melt butter.
• Once the butter is melted, add limoncello (careful--it will steam very high for a couple of seconds). Simmer for about two minutes, then add all of the pork pieces, overlapping slightly if necessary.
• Raise the heat to medium-low, and immediately sprinkle the garlic over the top, then cover pan with lid and simmer five minutes more.
• Turn pork over, squeeze about six lemon slices in between pork and layer the top with pepperoncini slices. Cover and simmer an additional three minutes. Pork should have a deep golden color when done.
• Arrange pork on a serving platter, drizzle any remaining sauce over the meat, then garnish plate with remaining lemon slices and whole pepperoncinis.

PORCHETTA

Steps:

• After blanching the pork belly in salted water, pat dry and use a Fork to puncture the skin multiple times to draw out moisture. On a hotel pan, spread out the garlic and thyme and place the belly skin side up. Cover the skin with salt and allow to sit overnight.
• Next day - wipe away the salt thoroughly. Season the inside with the garlic powder, maple powder, chili flakes, salt, and lemon juice. Use a butcher twine to roll the belly tie into a cylinder.
• Bake in a convection oven at 425 degrees, for 30 minutes, then pat the skin dry. Turn over to 350 and cook for another 90 minutes of until internal temperature hits 135 degrees.

QUICK LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Peel the lemons carefully, making sure you have none of the white pith on the peel - you want just the yellow.
• Put all the peel and 150 grams sugar in a food processor and process until the peel has been finely minced into the sugar. Empty mixture into a wide-mouthed jar, add vodka, and screw top closed.
• Put in a dark, cool place. Shake once or twice daily for four to five days.
• Make simple syrup by bringing sugar and water to boil in a small saucepan. Let cool.
• Strain lemon peel/vodka mixture into another jar. Press on solids to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Discard solids. (if you can find something tasty to do with them, please mail me with the recipe directly ;-) ). Add cooled simple syrup and stir to combine. Pour into a the bottle you will be using.

CREPES LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• To make the crepes: beat eggs. Add flour, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix. Add 1/4 of the milk and all the oil. Whisk. Add remaining milk. Heat crepe pan over medium heat and spray lightly with cooking oil. Ladle two tablespoons of the batter into the pan and tilt the pan to cover the bottom with a thin, even coating. Cook the crepe until small bubbles form on the surface and it is barely firm, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip and repeat until crepe is done. Use crepes immediately or stack them separated by wax paper.
• Wrap well and freeze for up to one month. Thaw while still wrapped at room temperature.
• To make the sauce: in a 10 inch skillet, or chafing dish, over low heat, heat orange juice, butter, and sugar until butter melts.
• Fold each crepe in half, then fold each one again into quarters. Arrange crepes in sauce in skillet or chafing dish and heat through.
• In a very small saucepan over low heat, gently heat liqueur until warm; remove saucepan from heat. Ignite Caravella Limoncello with match; pour flaming liqueur over crepes.