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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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Roasting skin-on pork belly that's been wrapped around a pork loin gives you the best of both worlds: crackling mahogany crust and juicy meat seasoned with fennel, chile, and orange. Start at least 24 hours ahead. First, ask your butcher for a skin-on pork belly that's just long and wide enough to wrap around a trimmed, center-cut pork loin. Ingredients:
1 56-pound piece fresh pork belly, skin on |
1 (trimmed) 23-pound boneless, center-cut pork loin |
3 tablespoons fennel seeds |
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes |
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage |
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary |
3 garlic cloves, minced |
kosher salt |
1/2 orange, seeded, thinly sliced |
Directions:
1. Put belly skin side down; 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. Unroll; set loin aside.
2. Toast fennel seeds and red pepper flakes in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Tip spices into a bowl; let cool. Finely grind spices in a spice mill and transfer to a small bowl, along with the sage, rosemary, and garlic; set fennel mixture aside.
3. Assemble porchetta according to steps 1-5.
4. Refrigerate roast, uncovered, for 12 days to allow skin to air-dry; pat occasionally with paper towels.
5. Let porchetta sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 500°F. Season porchetta with salt. Roast on rack in baking sheet, turning once, for 40 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 1/22 hours more. If skin 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.
6. To assemble: 1. Set belly skin side down. Using a knife, score the belly flesh in a checkerboard pattern 1/3 deep so roast will cook evenly.
7. 2. Flip belly skin side up. Using a paring knife, poke dozens of 1/8 -deep holes through skin all over belly. Don't be gentle! Keep poking.
8. 3. Using the jagged edge of a meat mallet, pound skin all over for 3 minutes to tenderize, which will help make skin crispy when roasted.
9. 4. Turn belly and generously salt both it and loin; rub both with fennel mixture. Arrange loin down middle of belly. Top with orange slices.
10. 5. Roll belly around loin; tie crosswise with kitchen twine at 1/2 intervals. Trim twine. Transfer roast to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
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