Porchetta Pork Belly Wrapped Pork Loin Food

PORCHETTA, CRISPY PORK BELLY

Steps:

• A day before you are going to make the porchetta, place the pork belly on an tray that will fit in your fridge. Sprinkle belly generously with salt. Leave it in the fridge, uncovered overnight up to 24 hours. Dab any liquid with paper towel as you see it. This step is to help dry out the belly so it crisps up easily when cooking.
• Once ready to cook, score the fatty side of pork belly 1/3" deep so you will see score marks after cooking. (Score in two directions making a checkerboard.) Be sure to score evenly so the roast cooks evenly.
• Place scored side face down. On inside, spread mustard over entire top of belly. Then sprinkle evenly all herbs (thyme, parsley, sage, red pepper flakes, rosemary) garlic and orange zest.
• Arrange loin in center. Roll belly around loin so the short ends of the belly meet. If any of the belly or loin overhangs, trim meat.
• Roll belly around loin; tie crosswise with kitchen twine at 1/2" intervals. See video in post for specific example. Trim twine. Transfer roast to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Let porchetta sit at room temp for 1 hour. Then Preheat oven to 500°. Season with salt generously then place roast in the oven for 40 minutes, turning once at 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 300°F and continue roasting, rotating the pan and turning porchetta occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 145°F, 1 1/2-2 hours more. If crust is not yet deep brown and crisp, increase heat to 500°F and roast for 10 minutes more. Let rest for 30 minutes. Using a serrated knife, slice into 1/2" rounds.
• Serve with herby sauce.

PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the pancetta in a food processor and pulse until it forms a paste. Add the garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, rosemary, parsley, brown sugar, chile flakes, capers and pinch of salt and thoroughly mix with the pancetta.
• Put the pork belly skin side down on a cutting board; arrange the pork loin in the center. Roll the belly around the loin so the short ends of the belly meet. If any of the belly or loin overhangs, trim the meat. Unroll, then set the loin aside.
• Pierce the skin side of the belly all over with a knife (or cross hatch score with a knife) so the fat will render during cooking.
• Sprinkle both the belly and loin with salt and pepper on both sides. Score the flesh side of the pork belly with a knife, and then rub the pancetta paste into it. Add the pork loin back in the center then roll up and tie. Put it into a roasting pan with a rack.
• Sprinkle the pork belly skin lightly with salt. Put in the oven and roast for 2 hours. Turn the heat up to 400 degrees F and bake until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F, another 1 1/2 hours.
• Let the porchetta rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then slice and serve. Drizzle with olive oil and add some fresh black pepper on top if desired.

PORCHETTA (PORK BELLY-WRAPPED PORK LOIN)

Steps:

• Score the skin of the pork belly in a diamond pattern; avoid cutting all the way through to the meat.
• Combine garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, fennel seeds, coriander, sage, rosemary leaves, oregano, and cayenne pepper in a blender; pulse into a paste.
• Rub pork belly and pork loin with salt. Flip pork belly so the skin is facing down. Place the loin in the center and wrap the belly around it. Cut off any overlapping ends of the belly and any overhanging portions of the loin; you want a nice, neat package.
• Unwrap the belly from the loin. Rub all sides of the loin with the paste; don't skimp-use all of it. Re-roll the belly around the loin. Pat the skin dry with a paper towel and use kitchen twine to tie it off in 2-inch segments. (This will make it hold its appealing cylinder shape as it cooks.)
• Place roast on a wire rack on top of a rimmed pan or pot. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the skin is air-dried, about 48 hours.
• When ready to cook, remove roast from the refrigerator. Transfer to a roasting pan and let sit for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Place the roast in the lower half of the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and cook until meat is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), about 2 1/2 more hours.
• Remove from the oven and tent with foil; let sit for 30 minutes. Remove twine and cut into 1-inch slices. Serve immediately.