If you’re looking for the perfect cold weather dinner to share with family and friends, look no further. This porchetta pork roast recipe offers all the comfort you expect from food at this time of the year. It’s also a go-to dish throughout the holiday season.
Before we get started on the smaller details, the one thing you need to know is that in order for this roast to soak in all the flavors, you need to prepare it the day before you’re going to cook it.
Porchetta Pork Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 7-8 pound bone in, skin on, pork shoulder roast
- ¼ cup chopped fennel fronds (this is the grassy like stuff at the end of your fennel bulb)
- ½ cup fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ tablespoon
- coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Score the fat, taking care not to cut into the meat. Doing this guarantees that you’ll end up with beautifully roasted cracklings.
- In your food processor (or blender), combine garlic, fennel fronds, rosemary, sage, lemon zest, salt, fennel seed, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Pour in olive oil and pulse or mash until you get a paste.
- Rub the paste all over the pork.
- Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave it overnight in the fridge.
- Remove the pork from the refrigerator about two hours before you want to cook it and then transfer to a roasting pan.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees and roast for 35 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and cook for 3-4 hours.
- If using a thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the meat. When it reads 180 degrees you know you’re done!
- Once cooking is complete let your roast rest for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
- As soon as you start slicing, people will gather around you where you will dole out small pieces of the amazing cracklings. For the record, I never claimed this was a healthy recipe. The only thing I can guarantee is it is delicious!
I served this wonderful Porchetta Pork Roast Recipe with my absolute favorite South African wine from Stellenbosch, Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon. I highly recommend the pairing! Enjoy!
Karen Sagaspe is a Rhode Island native who enjoys food, wine, entertaining and travel. Cooking for friends and family is one of her favorite things to do. She has traveled extensively, lived in Florida, Paris, France and Cape Town, South Africa. When she isn’t in the kitchen, Karen is probably reading a book surrounded by her two Shih Tzu.
