This porchetta with ciabatta, nduja and oregano stuffing is a must-have in your cooking arsenal. It’s the perfect Sunday lunch substitute.
Much has been written about how to make perfect pork crackling. We prefer a combination of techniques: First, scald the skin of the pork with boiling water, then refrigerate it, uncovered, for 24 hours to dry out.
Begin this recipe a day ahead.
Ingredients
- 60 g butter
- 150 g guanciale or pancetta, cut into
- 2 cm batons
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 golden shallots, finely chopped
- 1½ tsp each fennel and cumin seeds,
- toasted, crushed
- 300 g breadcrumbs from day-old
- ciabatta
- 1 small bunch each flat-leaf parsley
- and oregano, leaves picked, chopped
- 80 g finely grated Parmesan
- 2 lemons, zest finely grated
- 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
- for drizzling
- 3 kg piece boneless pork belly,
- skin on
- 150 gm ʼnduja, at room temperature,
- softened
- Fried Brussels sprouts with tonnato,
- to serve
- Chinotto sauce
- 660 ml chinotto (see note)
- 200 ml beef stock
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves, bruised
- 5 black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- To make stuffing, heat butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add guanciale, garlic, shallots, fennel and cumin seeds, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat has rendered from
- the guanciale (6 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, place breadcrumbs, herbs, Parmesan, zest and oil in a food processor and pulse until mixture is combined. Transfer to the bowl with guanciale, and then using your hands, mix to combine and season to taste.
- Place pork belly, skin-side down, on a chopping board. Butterfly meat from centre outwards on one side to separate meat from the skin without cutting all the way through, then open out to form one large piece. Season and spread 'nduja over meat, then top with guanciale and breadcrumb mixture. Roll pork over itself into a log shape so that the skin is over the top and not rolled into the centre of the porchetta.
- Cut 8 pieces of kitchen string long enough to wrap around the pork. Lay string at even intervals on a bench and place rolled pork onto the string. Bring up each piece of string and tie a knot to secure pork firmly. Place pork on a wire rack in a clean sink, then pour boiling water over skin and pat dry with a paper towel. Leave uncovered on a wire rack over a tray in the fridge for 24 hours to dry out.
- Preheat the oven to 240°C fan-forced. Place a wire rack in a roasting pan, then place porchetta, seam-side down, in the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C and roast until skin crackles and meat is cooked through (1 hr 15 min). Rest porchetta, loosely covered with foil, for 20 minutes before carving.
- Meanwhile, to make chinotto sauce, boil chinotto with remaining ingredients, except lemon juice in a saucepan over high heat until slightly thickened (25 min). Strain into a bowl, then stir in lemon juice and keep warm.
- Carve porchetta into thick slices and serve with chinotto sauce and fried Brussels sprouts with tonnato.
Notes
Chinotto is a sparkling coffee-coloured citrus-flavoured Italian soft drink, and is available from select delicatessens.
ALSO SEE:
Char siu pork burger with pickled vegetables
Featured Image: Woman&Home Magazine
