Porchetta Recipe

This Porchetta recipe is the real deal. Crispy, juicy, and full of flavor, you can make it right in your home oven with no special equipment needed. The result is perfectly balanced between rich, fatty layers and tender meat, rolled into a tight log that cooks evenly and stays moist inside. Each slice is packed with the aroma of whisky, fennel, rosemary, granulated garlic and black pepper, all sealed under a golden, bubbly crust. It’s the kind of roast that steals the show at family gatherings. Easy to carve and beautiful to serve, this porchetta is packed with moisture, spices, and flavorful juices. The meat is so tender and insanely good that you don’t even need sauce. Any leftovers will disappear fast, and if there are any, get ready for the ultimate sandwich experience.

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 3 45

Servings people

Equipment

Stainless‑steel or aluminum rod/pole
Trussing needle and waxed, vegetable‑based butcher’s string
Baking Paper
Plastic wrap
Rubber gloves (optional)
Deep baking tray / roasting pan
Roasting rack
Oven mitts

Ingredients

4 kg/ 8.8 pounds / 141oz pork belly boneless
1 kg / 1.1 pounds/ 35.2oz lean pork fillet
Bottle of whisky
Fennel leaves
40 g / 1.41oz fine salt
20 g /0.70oz mixed dried herbs
Granulated garlic to taste
Black pepper
A fresh bunch of rosemary
4 bottles of beer
2 glasses of water

Instructions

Optional: Put on gloves. Pour a small splash of whisky over the pork belly, just enough to coat it lightly. This gives the meat extra flavor without overpowering it.
Sprinkle salt evenly across the pork belly, then place the lean pork fillet in the center. Season the fillet with a little more salt to make sure every layer is perfectly flavored.
Next, add granulated garlic over the surface, as much as you like. Sprinkle the dried herbs evenly so they cover the meat from edge to edge.
Strip the rosemary leaves from the stems and scatter them generously over the top. Add plenty of fennel leaves too, avoiding the hard stems, until the entire piece is beautifully covered. Finish with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Find the center of the pork belly and carefully slide an aluminum rod through it. Roll the meat around the rod to form a tight cylinder.
Use a trussing needle to secure the roll. Start from the middle, threading the butcher’s string through to the other side, and tie it tightly like you would a shoelace. Keep sewing and tying until the porchetta is fully closed around the rod.
If threading with a needle is tricky, simply slide pieces of string under the roll, pull them up, and tie them firmly. The goal is to keep the shape tight and secure. Trim off any extra string when you’re done.
To close the opening, insert the trussing needle into the skin on one side and sew it shut. Add strings from top to bottom and around the porchetta to fully secure it.
If you plan to cook it later, wrap the porchetta first in baking paper and then in plastic wrap. It can stay like this in the fridge until you’re ready to roast. If cooking immediately, skip this step.
Place a roasting rack inside a deep baking tray. Set the porchetta on the rack, seam side down, with the aluminum rod still inside.
Pour four bottles of beer into the tray. This keeps the meat juicy and adds incredible flavor.
Cook the porchetta on the bottom rack of a conventional electric oven, where it’s furthest from the top heat. The total cooking time is about three and a half hours:
First hour: 220°C / 430°F
Second hour: 210°C / 410°F
Third hour: 200°C / 390°F
After three hours, carefully remove the aluminum rod. Pour two glasses of water over the top of the porchetta, then return it to the oven for another 30 minutes at 250°C / 480°F to make the skin bubble and crisp.
If the crust hasn’t blistered after 30 minutes, pour another glass of water over the top and roast a little longer until the skin is beautifully golden and crunchy.