My Italian Porchetta Recipe
Using the best quality meat is the most important stage when following a recipe.
Luckily, you are in the right place.
For this recipe, I have used one of our Outdoor Reared Pork Bellies.
This particular joint of pork weighed 1.7kg. We have joints varying in weight from 1.2kg - 1.7kg
The size of the joint was plenty for our family of four for tea time and there was plenty of left overs for sandwiches the next day.
I always think things taste so much better the day after. I warmed the Porchetta back up and loaded it up on some really nice warm bread. Gosh it is so tasty.
So here is the recipe -
Ingredients
- Pork Belly or you could even use a Pork Shoulder
- Pork Mince 500g
- 4 garlic gloves
- Herbs - Rosemary, sage and parsley
- 2 onions
- 8 Carrots
- Parmesan Cheese - other hard cheese can be used.
- Bread Crumbs
- Olive Oil
- Butchers String
Method
Pre heat your oven to 250c.
Make your stuffing first.
Use your hands for this one. Add pork mince, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, a handful of chopped parsley, a handful of Parmesan cheese and a sprig of chopped rosemary and a table spoon of good olive oil, salt & pepper and mix with your hands until everything is mixed well.
Pork Belly, turn skin side down and with a shape knife slice down the middle and then slice sideways as though you are opening the joint like an envelope.
Sprinkle the meat with salt & pepper and rub in well all over. Dot sage leaves over the meat. And dust the meat with more parmesan cheese.
Now for the stuffing!
Using your hands lay the stuffing you made earlier down the middle of the meat, vertically. Pat flat.
Bring both flaps of meat back in to the middle, add more salt & pepper.
Take a handful of parsley in both hands and lay in the middle of the meat.
You bring both sides of the meat together like a sandwich and tie together with string. I don't have a way of explaining the way you tie the meat together, to be honest I tied a knot in the middle of the meat and then followed the joint with the string, wrapping it together and not forgetting to include the ends. U tube was my friend for this part.
Clean and slice 6 - 8 carrots in half and lay on a roasting tray.
Place the meat on top of the carrots, skin side up.
Cover the skin with olive oil, salt & pepper and rub in using your hands. This is what will make you the most amazing crackling.
Add a cup of water into the roasting the tray to keep the meat nice and moist.
Chop both onions and place at side of meat.
Cover just the meat with foil.
Place in the oven at 250c for 35 mins
At 35 mins turn down the oven to 180c for 2 1/2 hours.
Take off the foil and roast for another 20 minutes.
Slice and enjoy.
I made some mash potato and veg with ours, but you could sandwiches with roasties.
My tip - use the juices from the meat as gravy, it is delicious and don't forget the carrots, they taste incredible.
I am now putting together a Porchetta Box so you can make this amazing recipe even easier. I will pop everything together for you in one easy to use box with the recipe too.