Porchetta
Pork belly wrapped around loin, packed with fennel and rosemary, roasted until the skin shatters. Umbria and Lazio have argued about it for a very long time.
Photograph credit: porchetta - rolled pork belly, aromatic herbs, red onion, carrots, fennel, celery by T.Tseng · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr
Photograph credit: Porchetta - rolled pork belly, aromatic herbs, red onions, carrots, fennel, celery by T.Tseng · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr
Method
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Lay the belly skin down and score the flesh side in a shallow lattice. Rub the coarse salt into the skin side.
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Set the belly skin up on a rack and refrigerate uncovered 24 hours to dry the skin.
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Wipe the salt off the skin and pat it dry. Turn the belly flesh up.
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Mix the fennel, garlic, herbs, pepper, fine salt, oil and lemon zest and rub the paste all over the flesh side.
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Lay the loin along one long edge and roll the belly tightly around it. Tie at 3 cm intervals with butcher's string.
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Roast on a rack at 150C fan / 170C / gas 3 for 4 hours.
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Raise the oven to 240C fan / 260C / gas 10 and roast 20 minutes more, until the skin blisters and crackles right across.
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Rest 30 minutes before cutting the strings and slicing thickly with a serrated knife.
Chef’s Tips
- A full day uncovered in the fridge. Wet skin will never crackle.
- Low first, hot last. The other way round gives a greasy layer under a shell.
- A serrated knife for slicing, or the crackling shatters off the meat.
Common Substitutions & Variations
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
Pairing Suggestions
- Bread rolls
- Braised bitter greens
- A cold Umbrian white
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerated for 4 days. Reheat slices in a hot dry pan, not a microwave.
Common questions
How long does Porchetta take to make?
About 4 hours 45 minutes of hands-on work — 45 minutes of preparation and 4 hours of cooking — plus 1 day 1 hour of drying the skin uncovered in the fridge, then resting the roast, so allow 1 day 5 hours from start to finish. The recipe serves 10.
What are the key tips for making Porchetta?
A full day uncovered in the fridge. Wet skin will never crackle. Low first, hot last. The other way round gives a greasy layer under a shell. A serrated knife for slicing, or the crackling shatters off the meat.
What should I serve with Porchetta?
Bread rolls; Braised bitter greens; A cold Umbrian white.
How should Porchetta be stored?
Refrigerated for 4 days. Reheat slices in a hot dry pan, not a microwave.
Is Porchetta suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, high-protein, low-carb, keto and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Porchetta?
About 640 kcal per serving, with 52 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate and 47 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutritional Highlights
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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