-
1
Begin by making crisscross incisions on the meat side of the pork belly, being careful not to cut through the skin.
-
2
Do this for the whole pork belly.
-
3
Add the minced garlic and herbs to a bowl.
-
4
Drizzle enough olive oil until it just becomes wet.
-
5
Set aside.
-
6
Generously season the pork belly with salt and pepper.
-
7
Take the garlic and herb mixture and begin massaging it into the pork belly, making sure you get into all of the incisions made in the meat.
-
8
Roll, and securely wrap it in plastic wrap.
-
9
Place this in the refrigerator for 3 days.
-
10
Season the pork shoulder with some salt, pepper, and the additional herbs, just enough to lightly coat.
-
11
Lay down the pancetta on a flat surface, making it a blanket for your pork shoulder.
-
12
Add the shoulder to the pancetta and carefully roll into place.
-
13
Place in a large plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate for 3 days.
-
14
When you are ready to prepare the porchetta, take the shoulder and belly from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.
-
15
Unroll the pork belly.
-
16
To the top of the pork belly, add the pork shoulder, making sure everything is nice and snug.
-
17
Roll the porchetta, lengthwise, into a roll.
-
18
Take your kitchen twine and begin securing the porchetta.
-
19
Now, what you end up with is a pretty darn long pork roll.
-
20
My guess is that it will be too long for your roasting pan, so simply cut the porchetta in half and roast them in 2 separate roasting pans.
-
21
To the bottom of your roasting pan, add the carrots and the celery stalks, laying the porchetta, skin side up, on top of the vegetables.
-
22
Pour in the stock.
-
23
Drizzle a bit of olive oil onto the skin and massage it all over the skin.
-
24
Season with a bit more salt.
-
25
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
-
26
Lay your roasting pan in the preheated oven and cook for roughly 45 minutes.
-
27
Take in the smell, its amazing.
-
28
After this time, begin basting the top of the skin with the pan juices every 30-40 minutes.
-
29
Your total cook time for the porchetta will be roughly 4 hours.
-
30
After this time, remove the porchetta from the oven and lay on your cutting board.
-
31
Let this rest for about 20 minutes so that all of the juices distribute throughout the porchetta.
-
32
Remove the butchers twine and discard.
-
33
With a serrated knife, or better yet an electric knife if you have one, begin slicing through the crisp pork skin, then through the succulent pork.
-
34
Cut into rounds if you can.
-
35
Plate on a large serving dish for your guests.
-
36
A layer of crisp pork fat, then a wonderful blend of herbs and pancetta, followed by succulent pork shoulder, every bite is succulent and extremely delicious.
-
37
This porchetta was the perfect meal to serve lots of people, inexpensive compared to most other holiday meals, and I had plenty of leftovers for some really killer sandwiches.
