Porchetta-Style Roast Pork Loin

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Roasting pan with wire rack
• •Kitchen twine
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Heavy chef's knife for carving
• •Rimmed baking sheet for drying

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the fennel seeds

   Place the fennel seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer immediately to a cutting board and let cool. Crush coarsely with the flat of a knife or the bottom of a heavy pan. You want pieces, not powder. The texture matters.

   Toasting transforms fennel seeds. Raw seeds taste medicinal. Toasted seeds release their essential oils and become sweet, almost licorice-like. Do not skip this step.
2. 2

   Make the seasoning paste

   Mince 4 of the garlic cloves fine. In a small bowl, combine the crushed fennel, minced garlic, rosemary, sage, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and the black pepper. Add the olive oil and stir to form a rough paste. The fragrance should be intoxicating. If it is not, your herbs are not fresh enough.

3. 3

   Prepare the pork belly

   Score the skin of the pork belly in a crosshatch pattern, cutting through the skin and into the fat but not into the meat. The cuts should be about half an inch apart. This allows the fat to render and the skin to crisp. Turn the belly skin-side down. Spread half of the seasoning paste evenly over the meat side. Scatter the remaining 4 whole garlic cloves across the surface.

4. 4

   Season and assemble the roast

   Season the pork loin all over with the remaining 1 tablespoon salt. Rub the remaining seasoning paste over the entire surface of the loin. Place the loin lengthwise along one edge of the prepared belly. Roll the belly tightly around the loin, keeping the seam on the bottom. Tie securely with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. The package should be snug but not strangling the meat.

5. 5

   Dry the skin

   Place the roast seam-side down on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours, preferably 24. The refrigerator air dries the skin, which is essential for proper crackling. This is not optional. Wet skin steams instead of crisping.

6. 6

   Roast low and slow

   Remove the roast from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loin reads 135 degrees, about 2 to 2 and a half hours. The skin will be pale and leathery at this point. This is correct.

   Low temperature renders the fat slowly without drying the lean loin. Patience here prevents the disappointment of dry meat beneath beautiful skin.
7. 7

   Crisp the skin

   Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees. Continue roasting until the skin puffs and crackles, 15 to 25 minutes more. Watch carefully. The skin should blister and turn deep golden brown, but it burns quickly at this temperature. If some spots brown faster than others, that is natural. The final internal temperature should reach 145 degrees.

8. 8

   Rest before carving

   Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let rest for at least 20 minutes. Do not tent with foil, which softens the crackling you worked to achieve. The resting allows juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Cut away the twine. Carve into slices about half an inch thick, ensuring each slice has both the tender loin and a piece of crackling belly.

   Use a sharp, heavy knife. The skin requires force to cut through. A serrated knife tears rather than slices. Let the weight of a proper chef's knife do the work.

Chef Tips

• •Ask your butcher to score the pork belly skin for you. Explain that you need cuts through the skin and fat, about half an inch apart in a crosshatch. A sharp blade and a steady hand are required, and butchers have both.
• •If you cannot find skin-on pork belly, the dish still works but loses its defining characteristic. You will have a very good roast pork. You will not have porchetta.
• •The overnight drying is what separates crackling skin from leathery disappointment. Plan ahead. This is Sunday cooking that begins on Saturday.
• •Leftover porchetta makes sandwiches that rival any you would find in Ariccia. Slice thin, pile onto crusty bread, and eat at room temperature. The cold fat has its own appeal.

Advance Preparation

• •The roast must be assembled and refrigerated at least 8 hours before cooking. Twenty-four hours is better. Plan accordingly.
• •Cooked porchetta keeps refrigerated for 4 days. Reheat slices gently in a 300-degree oven, or serve at room temperature as the Italians do.
• •The seasoning paste can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)