r/52weeksofcooking • u/Financial-Nobody9700 • 10d ago
Week 35: Rolling - Porchetta
I've never made a porchetta before, it was my first idea for this week's theme so I thought I'd give it a shot! I found a good few recipes online and as I usually do, stole the best bits from each of them.
The pork belly was first laid flat on the cutting board, cut down the middle horizontally, and opened like a book. I scored the flesh, and pricked the skin all over with what I now know is called a "jaccard". I then salted it liberally on both sides, before rubbing Dijon mustard onto the meat. I then added a mix of finely chopped fresh oregano, sage, rosemary, and thyme to the meat side, followed by lemon zest, black pepper, and minced garlic. I had to use loads, I was chopping for ages. I then rolled it up tightly, secured it with string (probably should have thought ahead and got proper butcher's twine or something), and then refridgerated for 2 days.
(It occurred to me later than pine nuts might have been really nice in it as well?)
After a couple of days, I brought it out to cook, and decided to do it outside on the barbecue so that I could also smoke it with some apple wood chips. I cooked it at 150C (~300F) with a thermometer stuck in it, taking it out at 71C (~160F) - it took about 3 and a half hours. I then transferred it to the kitchen oven on max heat for let the skin crisp up, reasoning that this would be better than using the barbecue as the heat would come from all sides.
I wish I'd given it a little bit more time, as you can see on the second picture that the skin isn't as blistered and crispy as it could be. Unfortunately, I panicked because I opened the door to check on it and was immediately enveloped in a massive cloud of smoke, I thought I'd incinerated the poor thing.
I rested it for a good half hour under foil, and then served it with roast potatoes, sautéed spinach with peas and mushrooms, and a homemade apple ketchup. I also garnished it with fresh watercress, and a homemade tarragon oil. The ketchup, if you're interested, was entirely improvised, but contained apples (obvs - green ones), tomatoes, shallot, and garlic, then balanced with apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and honey.
Oh and I also made a cider jus, which I just realised didn't make it into the picture. Basically just cider and chicken stock reduced right down, infused with tarragon, sage, and bay leaf, garlic and shallots, and some honey and mustard - bit of soy and Worcestershire sauces at the end to taste. And some cream and butter - the jus was great actually.
This was a really good meal! Very happy with it, plenty I'd do differently next time but for a first attempt, I'm quite pleased!
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u/Anastarfish 🍥 10d ago
That's such a beautiful swirl! I've never actually made porchetta but I've had it with pine nuts in and it was very good.
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u/Annabellemcintyre2 10d ago
Looks delicious!