Outdoor Porchetta Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Place pork roast on a work surface. Use a sharp knife to make a lengthwise cut about 1 inch from the edge of the meat, slicing down but not cutting through. Open the meat flat along the cut. Keeping the knife parallel to the cutting board, continue to slice the roast open so you can unroll it into a large, flat piece. (You can also ask your butcher to butterfly the roast for you.) When the meat is unrolled, make small slashes through any connective tissue or extra-thick parts so the roast is as even in thickness as possible.
• Drizzle cut surface with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Rub oil into meat and generously season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt, black pepper, sage, rosemary, orange zest, garlic, and crushed fennel seeds. Press seasonings in firmly with your hand, roll up the pork roast, and tie the roast in several places with kitchen twine.
• Place the pork roast on a rack, set the rack on a plate, and sprinkle meat with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate the roast uncovered overnight to dry-age.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly oil a baking dish and place roast into dish. Rub meat with 2 teaspoons olive oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until outside is seared, 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to roast until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast reads 145 degrees F (65 degrees C), about 1 hour more. Loosely cover roast with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly to serve.
• Mash anchovy fillet in a small bowl and add red pepper flakes, white wine vinegar, and Italian parsley. Stir to combine. Serve drizzled on pork.

PORCHETTA PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Score skin and fat all over pork, taking care not to cut down to the meat.
• In a food processor or mortar and pestle, combine fennel fronds, rosemary, sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt, fennel seed, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Pour in oil. Pulse or mash until it forms a paste. Rub all over pork. If using a boneless roast, tie with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.
• Remove pork from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before you want to cook it. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet and roast 35 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and cook an additional 2 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 180 degrees, which will give you sliceable, tender meat. (Bone-in roasts will take longer than boneless ones.)
• Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Make sure everyone gets some of the cracklings.

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.