The Porchetta


 
Notes: change nothing. This was perfect. Well, less tying next time. That’s the only change.
 
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Richard S said:
That smell in your kitchen must be something you would like to never go away. Looks incredible!
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This was a top 5 cook of all time. I cannot believe how easy it was for such a high yield. Layers of flavor. I used around 20 fresh rosemary sprigs as my wood so the rosemary perfume as smoke was unreal. The skin was perfectly rendered and crispy. And just the right amount of exterior salt. The pork rendered beautifully. Juicy, moist and flavor upon flavor. The roasted red peppers with arugula and the fattiness of the pork played so well together. And we washed it down with some Gott Sauv B. Perfect fruity acid to clean your pallet between each bite. Easily this is a $18 sando in a quality restaurant locally.

Get off the fence and give it a go. You will not be disappointed. I will use less ties/ trussing next time. You are in for a real treat if you endeavor a shot at this.
 
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Timothy F. Lewis said:
YES! “Casual” slices would be my goal as well. The “jacquard“ of the skin is brilliant, render the fat as evenly as possible, good thought.
Brett, I think this is driving me toward making a porchetta SOON!
One thing, no fennel? I think fronds in the “stuffing” or toasted seeds would be great. When I do one, I will try to document the cook fully.

Now, don’t hold your breath…
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I did a fennel dusting on the skin today before it hit the grill. I like that the fennel dust enhanced the flavor and was not pronounced. I’d replicate this method again. The meat was perfect as listed in the ingredients.
 
I think it’s a good thing that I have a waterproof cover for the iPad!
Brett, that’s inspirational! Belly will be purchased next Costco run! Judicious trussing, noted. Do you think rotisserie cooking might have any advantage?
I think that might be Thanksgiving dinner this year!
 
I keep coming back to look......
Why is 175 the final temp on this? It would be edible at a lower temp....like I say above I am unfamiliar with this dish......but I have a 2 to 3 pound hunk of belly in the freezer and a roll of string.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I think it’s a good thing that I have a waterproof cover for the iPad!
Brett, that’s inspirational! Belly will be purchased next Costco run! Judicious trussing, noted. Do you think rotisserie cooking might have any advantage?
I think that might be Thanksgiving dinner this year!
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My only recco is less tying next time. I was originally concerned the pb wouldn’t hold its shape, thus inhog tied the heck out of it. I’d only do like 6-7 single rings on the next one. Once it’s exterior salted, the skin then firms up in the fridge and takes its new shape well. So less trussing means less flossing when slicing up the done roast.

I wouldn’t roto it. No need to as the jacquard in if the skin as I did allowed for very even fat rendering. I’d be concerned if the insides coming out with the spit in it. The roast cooked perfectly in its single position. Even cook with a very consistent exterior texture. Pure cracklings for sure.

I did start with my own fresh dried herbs. I think this was an excellent idea. Very low moisture due to them being dried. And the 24 hours advance preparation allowed all the flavors to marry inside the pub roll. I think using fresh, wet herbs will produce more moisture which I don’t think is a good thing.

The EVOO rub I made was the profile I was seeking. Not too overpowering. And the fennel dusting of the exterior was plenty of fennel nose. If you like fennel, you could add it to the meat. The key for me was fennel dust. I ran fennel seeds through the spice grinder. I find fennel seeds whole can me something taste like sausage.

On heat, I cooked at high heat all the way. Around 400°F. If I wanted to go slower on the cook, I’d do 400° for the first hour to 90 minutes and then dial down to 350° till 175° IT. I was able to cook this quickly due to the higher temps. A more gentle heat will allow the roast to go longer and still maintain juicy meat. I was on a time crunch due to events out of my control. But I would dial down for a longer and slower roast after the “set” of the skin for those first 60-90 minutes.

I think this would make Ana amazing Xmas or TG roast. I will make this again for a large part dinner cook off. It’s a massive crowd pleaser. Everyone was enjoying it so much. Many had 1.5 sandos even when they were full because it tasted so great. I’m guilty too.

And you have to make the peppers and verde. Both, along with arugula really got this to next level.
 
Brett-EDH said:
My only recco is less tying next time. I was originally concerned the pb wouldn’t hold its shape, thus inhog tied the heck out of it. I’d only do like 6-7 single rings on the next one. Once it’s exterior salted, the skin then firms up in the fridge and takes its new shape well. So less trussing means less flossing when slicing up the done roast.

I wouldn’t roto it. No need to as the jacquard in if the skin as I did allowed for very even fat rendering. I’d be concerned if the insides coming out with the spit in it. The roast cooked perfectly in its single position. Even cook with a very consistent exterior texture. Pure cracklings for sure.

I did start with my own fresh dried herbs. I think this was an excellent idea. Very low moisture due to them being dried. And the 24 hours advance preparation allowed all the flavors to marry inside the pub roll. I think using fresh, wet herbs will produce more moisture which I don’t think is a good thing.

The EVOO rub I made was the profile I was seeking. Not too overpowering. And the fennel dusting of the exterior was plenty of fennel nose. If you like fennel, you could add it to the meat. The key for me was fennel dust. I ran fennel seeds through the spice grinder. I find fennel seeds whole can me something taste like sausage.

On heat, I cooked at high heat all the way. Around 400°F. If I wanted to go slower on the cook, I’d do 400° for the first hour to 90 minutes and then dial down to 350° till 175° IT. I was able to cook this quickly due to the higher temps. A more gentle heat will allow the roast to go longer and still maintain juicy meat. I was on a time crunch due to events out of my control. But I would dial down for a longer and slower roast after the “set” of the skin for those first 60-90 minutes.

I think this would make Ana amazing Xmas or TG roast. I will make this again for a large part dinner cook off. It’s a massive crowd pleaser. Everyone was enjoying it so much. Many had 1.5 sandos even when they were full because it tasted so great. I’m guilty too.

And you have to make the peppers and verde. Both, along with arugula really got this to next level.
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Sounds fair! But, now I need a Jacquard device! Oh, horror another kitchen gadget!🤣🤣🤣
 
Darryl - swazies said:
I keep coming back to look......
Why is 175 the final temp on this? It would be edible at a lower temp....like I say above I am unfamiliar with this dish......but I have a 2 to 3 pound hunk of belly in the freezer and a roll of string.
Click to expand...
175° is when the meat has rendered and is sliceable and not chewy. The meat fibers are supple, juicy and not shredding like a pulled pork. If you go lower,you’ll run the risk of rubbery, not fully rendered meat. If you go above 180° you’re going to start to shred when you slice. From 175° and left untented for 10 minutes before slicing, I was able to make excellent slices and still have shape on each ring. The meat was bite through tender and not rubbery, stringy pieces. Just follow me and it’ll be all right. I am your Guinea pig.
 
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Timothy F. Lewis said:
Sounds fair! But, now I need a Jacquard device! Oh, horror another kitchen gadget!🤣🤣🤣
Click to expand...
ZXZ Meat Tenderizer, 48 Stainless Steel Sharp Needle Blade, Heavy Duty Cooking Tool for Tenderizing Beef, Turkey, Chicken, Steak, Veal, Pork, Fish, Christmas Cooking Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DRHG8CR/?tag=tvwb-20

Wash with soapy water immediately after use. It doesn’t get a lot of use here but when it does, it’s an excellent tool. It’s a must have for the pb skin. Unless you have an hour and a fork and Popeyes forearms.
 
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