Posted on
by 
0 Comments
This delicious porchetta takes a little time to prepare, but is well worth the effort. Do you love pork belly? Then don’t miss this porchetta roast this summer!
Porchetta from the grill
As the name suggests, porchetta comes from Italian cuisine. Traditional porchetta is served as street food and is made with pork loin that is wrapped with pork belly. I use just the pork belly which makes it easier for the home kitchen to recreate this delicious dish. For me, it is the ultimate way to cook pork belly on the barbecue. It may seem complicated, but if you follow the steps, it is not. It is useful to use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature when cooking on the barbecue.
If you don’t have a kamado barbecue (Big Green Egg, Black Bastard or similar), you can cook it in the oven. Probably also on a normal barbecue, but I have not personally tried this and the temperature is less easy to control. The oven is probably a better alternative.
What do you need to make porchetta?
First of all, a nice piece of pork belly, of course. Preferably with the rind on for a nice layer of crackling, but you can use it without. Get all your ingredients ready, place the pork belly on a large cutting board and start by cutting into the rind with a really sharp knife. This is really important, as a blunt knife won’t cut through the rind properly. So very sharp knife!
Alternatively you can ask your local butcher to help you with this. Since you won’t be able to find a skin-on pork belly in the supermarket (at least definitely not in the Netherlands!) anyway, you might as well ask your butcher for a little help with the cutting. You might even be able to find them already filled as well at a good butcher. Especially around the holidays. The amounts given in the recipe is quite a lot so you can also go for a smaller cut, to have a smaller roast if you have less people to feed. Make sure to adjust the timing as well if you do.
Prepare the porchetta stuffing
Next, prepare the porchetta stuffing. Put the salt, black pepper, orange, pistachio, fresh rosemary, garlic cloves and olive oil in the food processor and grind until finely chopped. It doesn’t have to be super fine, a bit of texture is nice. It’s always a good idea to make sure the porchetta is at room temperature before you place it inside the barbecue. Adding some chilli flakes or lemon zest is also delicious.
Spread this generously over the inside of the pork belly. Now it is time to roll up the porchetta. You’ll need some butcher’s twine (and sometimes an extra pair of hands is handy) and roll up the meat as tightly as possible. Fat side is on the outside of the roll. You don’t want the stuffing to fall out during cooking. If you’re preparing this a day ahead cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to roast.
Preparing on the barbecue
When you are ready, make sure your barbecue is at the right temperature. You will cook the porchetta indirectly. This means that you don’t put it directly on the barbecue. You want to cook it gently at a low temperature (110˚C/ 230˚F), so use a roasting tray or roasting pan that fits into the barbecue where you put the meat. At 230˚F it will take about 2.5 hours to cook, but be sure to use the thermometer to be sure it’s at the right temperature. It’s a slow roast so give it the time it needs to get delicious tender meat and crispy outside.
Then remove the meat and increase the grill to a higher temperature. Make sure the barbecue reaches 250˚C (482˚degrees F) and bake until you have a nice crispy skin that’s golden brown around the porchetta. Let the meat rest while you prepare whatever else you’re serving with the Italian pork roast. Serve the porchetta in thin slices.
Red cabbage with miso butter
If you want to serve something tasty with your porchetta, there is of course a huge range of delicacies to choose from. But red cabbage with miso butter comes highly recommended! You can also find this simple recipe in the recipe card below!
Why is my porchetta not crispy?
Can I eat the porchetta the next day?
Can I make a porchetta with another piece of pork?
Looking for more barbecue recipes?
Try one of these delicious recipes as well! Either for on the barbecue or next to it
Porchetta on the barbecue
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg pork belly preferably with rind, but not essential
- 1 orange use the peel
- 125 g pistachio nuts
- 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 6 sprigs rosemary
- Salt and pepper
- 5 tbsp olive oil
Roasted red cabbage with miso
- 1 red cabbage
- 150 gr butter unsalted
- 3 tbsp miso
Equipment
- Butchers rope
- Meat thermometer
How to make the porchetta
- Using a razor sharp knife, make diamond-shaped cuts in the skin of the pork belly. In a food processor, add the orange zest, pistachios, garlic, rosemary, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of black pepper and a tablespoon of salt. Spread the mixture on the inside of the belly. Roll the belly up tightly and tie it with string.
- Cook the belly indirectly on a large green egg, using a plate placed over the coals. Let the big green egg reach a temperature of 110˚C/230˚F. Brush the porchetta with olive oil and place it on the plate. At a temperature of 110˚C/230˚F, it will take about 2.5 hours to cook.
- Turn the meat regularly. When the core temperature reaches 70˚C/158˚F, remove the meat from the barbecue and remove the plate. For a crispy skin, heat the barbecue to 250˚C/482˚F and replace the plate.
- Place the meat on the hot barbecue and grill for a further 10 minutes or so. Keep watching as this can go quickly and you don't want the skin to burn. When the skin is crispy, remove the meat from the barbecue and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Slice into thick slices. Enjoy.
- Delicious with roasted red cabbage with miso butter.
Roasted red cabbage with miso butter
- Quarter the red cabbage, making sure the leaves stay together. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast on the barbecue over indirect heat for half an hour until brown. Put 150g of softened butter in a bowl with 3 tablespoons of miso and mix well. Finally, spread the miso butter generously over the cabbage slices and cook for a further five minutes.
Notes
- Why isn’t it crispy? The skin must be dry before cooking—pat it dry for the best results.
- Eating the next day? Yes! Delicious in thin slices, added to dinner, or served on soft rolls with tomato chutney.
- Can I use a different cut? Yes, pork butt or boneless shoulder works, but pork belly is preferred for its fat content.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
