Crispy-skinned pork belly roast, filled with roasted poblano, garlic-rubbed pork butt.
Porchetta is an Italian pork roast, traditionally stuffed with garlic and wild fennel. This porchetta is a little different. It’s filling is made of roasted poblanos, garlic, smoked paprika, and some extra pork!
Getting evenly crispy skin on the pork belly is probably the most difficult part of this dish. To achieve this, the skin must be as dry as possible. Begin by scoring the skin 1/4 inch deep every 1/2 inch. Rub the skin with a thick layer of salt and baking soda, making sure to get into the scoring. Place the belly skin side up on a sheet pan with a rack. Refrigerate the uncovered belly for 12-24 hours.
Once the skin is ready, then you can begin seasoning the meat. Cut the meat side of the belly 1/2 inch deep in a 1-inch cross pattern. Remove the fat from the pork butt and cut into 1-inch cubes. Season the butt and belly with garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper, and roasted poblano. Work the seasonings into the meat crevasses.
Fill the belly with the butt and wrap the belly into a cylindrical shape with the seam on the bottom. Secure the belly with butcher’s twine about every inch and a half. Wipe off any seasoning that may have gotten on the skin to prevent burning.
Roast the porchetta in the oven until it reaches 140 degrees, then crank up the temperature to crisp the skin. Remove from the oven and rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. This recipe makes a large roast and is great for company. If there are leftovers, I suggest porchetta sandwiches!
Porchetta
Ingredients
- 5 pound pork belly skin on
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp salt
- 11-12 ounces pork butt
- 3 poblanos 1/2 c roasted mince
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
Instructions
- Mix baking soda and salt together. Score the skin of the pork belly. 1/4 inch deep every 1/2 inch. Rub the skin with salt mixture. Put belly on a sheet pan with a rack and place uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. Up to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast poblanos for 15-20 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When the peppers have cooled, peel off the skin. Deseed and mince the peppers.
- Preheat oven to 275. Trim the fat from the pork butt and cut into 1 inch cubes. Score the meat side of the pork belly 1/2 inch deep in a 1 inch cross pattern. Season the meat of the belly and pork butt with poblanos, garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and Aleppo pepper.
- Fill the belly with the butt. Form the belly into a cylinder around the butt. Place seam side down and tie with butcher's twine every 1 1/2 inches.
- Place pork on a sheet pan with a rack and roast for 2-2 1/2 hours.. Pork should be 140 degrees. Turn the oven to 500 degrees and crisp the skin for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and rest 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
