Porchetta Pork Shoulder Roast Ny Times Food

PORCHETTA-STYLE ROAST PORK

Steps:

• Stir fennel seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darker in color and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to spice mill and cool. Add kosher salt, peppercorns, and dried crushed red pepper. Grind to medium-fine consistency (not powder).
• Place pork in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Rub garlic all over pork, then coat with spice mixture. Loosely cover pork with waxed paper. Refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with oil. Place roast, fat side up and coating intact, in center of sheet. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast pork 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Roast pork until very tender and thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 190°F, about 3 hours 15 minutes longer. Transfer pork to cutting board; reserve baking sheet. Let pork rest 15 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour all pan juices into 2-cup measuring cup. Spoon off fat that rises to top. Place reserved baking sheet across 2 burners. Pour wine and broth onto baking sheet and bring to boil over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until wine mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Add degreased pan juices and whisk to blend. Pour pan sauce into small bowl (sauce will be thin).
• Thinly slice roast. Serve with sauce.

OUTDOOR PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Use the tip of a sharp, strong knife to roughly score the skin into diamonds, about 3/4 inch on each side.
• Liberally season the inside of the roast with salt and pepper. Rub in garlic and fennel pollen or rosemary. With the skin on the outside, roll into a cylinder and tie tightly at 1- to 2-inch intervals.
• On one side of a grill large enough for indirect cooking, rest a drip pan under the grate to catch the drippings. Pour in an inch or two of hot water to prevent flare-ups. You may need to top up or empty and refill the pan once during the cooking, depending on how fatty the roast is.
• Heat the other side of the grill to high. Place the tied roast on the other side, away from the direct heat, and close the grill.
• Roast at 350 to 375 degrees (the temperature can hover between the two), turning occasionally, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 140 degrees, about 3 to 4 hours. (The temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests.) If the meat is cooked through but the skin is not crisp, move the roast to the part of the grill that sits over direct, high heat. Cook with the grill open, turning often, just until sizzling and crisp (not more than 10 minutes, to prevent overcooking).
• Let rest, tented loosely with foil, at least 20 minutes before slicing. (A bread knife is useful to cut through the skin.) The meat can be served hot or at room temperature. Serve in sandwiches on crusty rolls, or inside split pieces of focaccia.

PORCHETTA AT HOME

Steps:

• 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.
• With a utility knife, a razor blade or a sharp knife, score pork skin in a crosshatch diamond pattern, making 1/8- to 1/4-inch-deep cuts about 1 inch apart. With a paring knife, make about 10 incisions (about 1/2-inch deep) all over pork and stuff them with about 1/3 of the herb mixture.
• 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.
• 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 1/2 to 3 hours more. Remove pork from oven; let meat rest for 15 minutes.
• 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.