If you’re looking for an easy, impressive roast, porchetta is just what you need.

Golden brown crackling, juicy meat, and fresh herbs are all tied up into a neat roll. Savory, delicious, and a mix of crunchy and tender, porchetta is everything you’ve ever wanted in a roasted pork dish.

The best easter centerpiece?

If you’re the kind of person that’s always looking for a nice centerpiece for celebration or holiday dinners, porchetta is a great alternative to glazed ham, turkey, or expensive tenderloin. It’s cheaper, more delicious, and pretty unique. Not to mention, it’s lower in sodium and nitrates. Best of all, you can size it to your needs. Special anniversary for two? You can make a 2lb belly only porchetta. 16 people family reunion? Go all the way with a tenderloin stuffed full size porchetta.

porchetta | www.iamafoodblog.com

What is porchetta?

Porchetta is a classic Italian roast pork. The word “porchetta“ literally means little pig in Italian. Traditionally, an entire deboned pig, rolled up with fresh herbs, roasts over an open wood fire. The resulting roast is incredibly savory and delicious. It’s beloved all across Italy, served at celebrations, as a main dish at home, and as street food.

In North America, most porchetta is a cut of pork that consists of slab pork belly still attached to pork loin. It emulates the different cuts you find in a whole pig roast porchetta. You’ll also see porchetta made with pork belly and tenderloin or all pork belly.

porchetta recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

How to make porchetta

  1. Make two spice rubs. Toast fresh rosemary needles and whole fennel seeds in a dry pan over low heat until fragrant and toasty. Remove from the heat and chop into a rough spice mix. Mix together with flakey sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Divide the spice mix in two, then add fresh lemon zest and freshly chopped flat leaf parsley to one portion.
  2. Prep the pork belly. Scoring the meaty side of pork belly with a sharp knife helps it roll up into a neat, even log. Place the pork belly skin side down on a large cutting board and lightly score on a diagonal, about 1/4 of an inch deep, with lines 1 inch apart. Rotate the knife 90 degrees and score lines again, 1 inch apart, to create a diamond pattern.
  3. Season the meat. Rub the spice mix with the lemon zest and flat leaf parsley into the meaty part of the pork belly, making sure to rub into the scored cuts.
  4. Tie the porchetta. Lay out several pieces of string on the cutting board, 1-2 inches apart. Lay the pork belly on top of the string and place the tenderloin (if using), into the middle of the pork belly. If needed, trim the tenderloin in length so it fits neatly inside the belly. Roll the pork up tightly and use the strings to tie into a tight, neat roll.
  5. Season the skin. Use the remaining spice mix and evenly rub onto the skin of the pork belly.
  6. Roast. Place the rolled porchetta, seam side down, into a deep roasting rack. Slow roast, basting every so often, in a low oven, until the pork is tender, juicy, and yielding.
  7. Render. Blast the heat on high to render out some of the fat in the skin to create a crispy, crunchy, golden crackling.
  8. Rest. When the crackling is deeply golden and burnished, remove the porchetta from the oven. Let your golden porchetta rest for a minimum of 15 minutes. Resting will let the juices redistribute and remain in the roast. Enjoy!

porchetta sandwiches | www.iamafoodblog.com

Porchetta ingredients

  • pork belly – a 3 to 3.5 lb square or rectangular slab of skin on pork belly is large enough to roll around a small pork tenderloin. You can also make an all belly porchetta and skip the tenderloin. Try to get a slab that is an even thickness throughout the entire pice so it cooks and rolls evenly. Most butchers or meat departments have larger slabs of pork belly in the back, so don’t be afraid to ask. Also, if you have an Asian grocery store nearby, they will most definitely carry large slabs of pork belly.
  • pork tenderloin – if your going with a pork tenderloin, look for a small, thin, even diameter tenderloin so its easy to wrap the belly around it. Pork tenderloins come quite small, look for one that’s 1-2 lbs and around 3 inches in diameter. You might need to trim it if its too long to fit the length of your pork belly.
  • seasoning and spices – a mix of classic Italian flavors is what is going to give your porchetta incredible flavor: fresh rosemary, toasted fennel seeds, lemon zest, fresh flat leaf parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, flakey sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

porchetta spices | www.iamafoodblog.com

Porchetta rub

Porchetta is classically seasoned with salt, pepper, fennel seed, rosemary, lemon zest, and fresh rosemary. Most use toasted fennel seeds, but if you have fennel pollen, this is the dish you’ll want to use it in.

  1. To make a porchetta rub, start with fresh rosemary. Wash the sprigs, remove the needles and lightly toast them in a dry pan to release their piney aromatics. Chop the cooled rosemary pine needs to further release their flavor.
  2. Similar to the rosemary, whole fennel seeds should be lightly toasted for maximum toasty, warm, earthy anise flavor. Crush the cooled, toasted fennel seeds and mix with the chopped rosemary, flakey sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
  3. Divide the spice mix in two. Add fresh lemon zest and chopped flat leaf parsley for a bright citrusy green freshness to one portion. The lemon rub is for the meat side of the porchetta and the spice rub is for the skin.

how to make porchetta | www.iamafoodblog.com

What does porchetta taste like?

Think of the most amazing pork belly you’ve ever had. Now think of the best pork chop you’ve ever eaten. Add crispy, crunchy, golden pork crackling, savory pork juices, a hint of lemon, earthy rosemary, bright and fresh flat leaf parsley, and the warm and toasty flavors of fennel seeds. All those flavors, textures, and juices explode in your mouth in a symphony of salty, fatty, balanced flavor. A perfect bite of porchetta is simply amazing.

What cut of meat is porchetta?

In Italy, there are still places where they make porchetta with an entire deboned suckling pig. In North America, most porchetta is a cut of pork that consists of slab pork belly still attached to pork loin. Most home cooks make porchetta with pork belly and tenderloin or just pork belly.

porchetta rolled up and ready to bake | www.iamafoodblog.com

What is pork belly?

Pork belly is just as the name implies, the belly of a pig. It’s a boneless, fatty cut of meat sold in a slab.

What is pork loin/tenderloin?

Pork loin is a tender, lean cut of meat cut from the loin muscle of a pig. Loin is large and rectangular, cut from the near the back, mid section of the pig.

Tenderloin, or pork filet, is a thin, long, boneless rectangular cut from the same loin muscle as pork loin. Tenderloin comes from near the spine and is especially tender and lean.

All belly porchetta

It’s definitely more common to see porchetta made from just pork belly. The reason being, its much simpler to make an all belly porchetta, both in regards to sourcing and rolling/tying.

porchetta recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Easy unrolled porchetta

If you don’t have kitchen string or don’t want to roll your porchetta into a roll, make a flat all belly porchetta. Rub the belly with the salt and herbs and roast the belly flat. Since you’re not rolling, you can make a smaller roast as well, making this ideal for smaller eaters.

Find a small baking vessel that’s about the same size as your belly and snuggle it in, so its a tight fit. The fat will render out and surround the meat, much in the same way rolling the belly together protects and bastes the meat at the same time. Essentially its a cheater’s pork confit.

Roast the belly in a 275°F for 2 hours or until the pork reaches 160°F and is tender and yielding. Blast the heat up to 450°F for 20-30 minutes or until the sling becomes crisp, golden, and crackly. Let rest, slice, and enjoy.

porchetta | www.iamafoodblog.com

How to serve

Typically, porchetta comes sliced, chopped, and served on a crusty soft bread roll. A porchetta panino is one of life’s perfect sandwiches. Non traditionally, you can also serve porchetta as a roast with sides, with pasta, on pizza, anything you can dream — just don’t tell the Italian nonni! Here are some sides you can make alongside with:

  • soft and fluffy garlic rolls – there’s no garlic in porchetta and Italians feel like garlic is incredibly overpowering, but my North American tastebuds LOVE porchetta tucked into a soft and fluffy garlic butter roll.
  • red wine spaghetti – ubriachi is rich and creamy and so good. Some chopped up porchetta on to would be amazingly delicious.
  • roasted potatoes – you can never go wrong with pork and potatoes and these roasties are crisp and crunchy on the outside and creamy and fluffy on the inside.
  • burrata and kale – sale quickly sautéed with tomatoes and topped with burrata makes a fast yet luxe side.

porchetta sandwiches | www.iamafoodblog.com

Happy porchetta-ing! I hope this amazing roast graces your table at your next dinner party or date night :)

xoxo steph

porchetta recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Porchetta

Golden brown crackling, juicy meat, and fresh herbs are all tied up into a neat roll.
Serves 8
4.91 from 99 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2.5 tbsp fresh rosemary needles only
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp flaky sea salt
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 lemon zest only
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
  • 3-3.5 lb pork belly skin on, ~approx 12in x 12in
  • 1-2 lb pork tenderloin ~approx 3 inches in diameter, optional

Instructions

  • In a small frying pan, lightly toast 2 tsp of rosemary needles along with the fennel seeds over low heat, shaking constantly, until fragrant, about 30 second to 1 minute. Let cool and roughly chop into a rough spice blend. Add the fennel and rosemary to a small bowl along with the sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and crushed red pepper (if using). Mix well. In another small bowl, mix the lemon zest and flat leaf parsley together.
    porchetta spices | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Place the pork belly skin side down on a cutting board and lightly score the meat in a diamond pattern. Sprinkle on half of the salt rub. Top generously with all of the herb rub. If using, place the tenderloin in the centre of the belly.
    how to make porchetta | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Tightly roll the belly, skin side out, around the tenderloin and tie together with kitchen twine. Rub the skin generously with the remaining salt rub. Make ahead: tightly wrap the porchetta in plastic wrap, place in a dish, and put in the fridge overnight.
    rolled porchetta | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Heat the oven to 275°F. Make sure the surface of the porchetta is dry; pat with paper towels if needed. Lightly rub with neutral oil. Place the roll on a rack in a deep roasting pan, seam side down. Roast on the centre rack of the oven for 2-3 hours, basing with pan drippings every 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the belly reaches 160°F, which is optimal juicy pork belly temp.
    porchetta | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Blast the heat up to 450°F and continue to roast for 20-25 minutes, until the crackling turns golden brown and crispy, checking every 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, let rest for 15-20 minutes, slice and enjoy!
    sliced porchetta | www.iamafoodblog.com

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Porchetta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 634 Calories from Fat 550
% Daily Value*
Fat 61.1g94%
Saturated Fat 20.3g127%
Cholesterol 163mg54%
Sodium 832mg36%
Potassium 25mg1%
Carbohydrates 0.8g0%
Fiber 0.5g2%
Sugar 0.01g0%
Protein 40.8g82%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Read More

94 Comments

  1. sriese says:

    Do you drain off the fat as it renders during the 12 hour roast?

    1. steph says:

      The roasting period is 4 hours. I didn’t have to drain off any of the fat, my roasting dish was able to hold it all. Keep an eye on it though!

    2. Jyawei says:

      4 stars
      I tried last weekend,it turned out great. All my friends love it. My only question is, not a lot of fat came out during the four hours. I’m wondering if I could lower the temperature but make the roasting time longer? For example 230 degrees for 6 hours to reach the 160F ? I’m hoping it could burn more fat but do not want to make the meat harder. Please advice. Thanks

  2. Danica says:

    “Place your porchetta in a dish, cover and place in the oven for at least 12 hours.” – You mean leave raw pork in a cold oven for twelve HOURS? You must mean refrigerator, right?

    1. steph says:

      Whoops, it should say fridge. Fixed!

  3. arabella says:

    5 stars
    this is my new favorite food blog. period. i can’t wait to come back every day and look at the delicious photographs and get inspired by your cooking/ideas. simply loving it! keep up the good work :)

  4. Janna says:

    5 stars
    Those photos are unbelievable. I really don’t know how I can NOT make this now that I’ve seen it. *drool*

  5. master chef says:

    5 stars
    Amazing recipe, I can order this dish to my house (I live in Amsterdam)

  6. sara says:

    5 stars
    YUM, this looks incredible! I had a porchetta sandwich a while back that was INCREDIBLE, and now I totally am inspired to try making it at home! Gorgeous photos.

  7. 5 stars
    Love it. Meat & Bread is by far my favourite lunch spot in Vancouver. I’ve taken inspiration from the crackling and have started using it on my pork dish in my restaurant. Love the blog!

  8. myfudo says:

    5 stars
    I will always have a soft spot for sandwiches. The convenience, the practicality and the unexpected suprise they always bring. Love the recipe!

  9. 5 stars
    Now that is one nice looking sandwich!

  10. Lindsay says:

    5 stars
    Those photos are beautiful! I can’t wait to try out this recipe. :)

  11. This looks incredible! I’m a sucker for porchetta, and recently made a slow roasted pork shoulder at home (http://meatballsandmilkshakes.com/2012/02/15/slow-roasted-pork-shoulder-and-pork-tacos/) so I think this may be next on the menu…

  12. Sophie says:

    5 stars
    Wow, this looks so good! I had my first porchetta sandwich in Florence, Italy and I have always wanted to try to recreate it.

  13. laura says:

    5 stars
    I’ve been thinking about making porchetta at home for awhile now, and your beautiful website might have just convinced me. I have a feeling your blog is going to quickly become a new favorite.

  14. Kat says:

    5 stars
    Your instructions were very easy along with a viewing of the video links. We made this yesterday; started it in the oven and it took about 3 1/2 hours to get to 160 degrees, then finished it in our wood burning pizza oven for only a few minutes to achieve a nice crackling top! It was delish with the salsa verde and some dijon. My only complaint is that all of the leftovers were eaten by my 20 something diners as a late night snack!

  15. Orion says:

    Hi,

    looks good. how is a “bunch” of parsley? 2 cups???

    Thanks

    1. steph says:

      2 cups should do it!

  16. Athena says:

    We wanted to try this and got the pork from the butcher without the skin on accident – do you think it would be ok without it?

    1. steph says:

      The skin is pretty key. You can probably make it without, but the pork may be a bit dry. Plus you won’t have any crackling and the crackling’s the best part!

    2. Paola says:

      Substitute skin by wrapping lots of bacon all around. It is not ideal but if in a bind, this will work to lock the moisture in.

  17. Gene says:

    4 stars
    Salsa verde recipe was over the top. Simple to make. Also used the salsa over pasta porchetta. Although, I need to work on keeping the crackling even and crispy.

  18. Migs says:

    What type of oil should one use?

    1. steph says:

      I use olive oil.

  19. Pat says:

    I have been looking for a Porchetta recipe for ages that matches the Porchetta that was made in Ontario Canada by Italian friends. The ingredients listed here are a bit similar but it certainly had garlic in the rub.

  20. John says:

    5 stars
    I just returned from Bologna; you have made me happy.

  21. Piero says:

    This article is amazing! I just want to show you the best Porchetta producer in Umbria (Italia), the region in wich Porchetta has a very strong tradition.
    This is his website: http://www.biondinicarni.it/12/porchetta_umbra
    I hope you will enjoy it!

  22. Taryn says:

    Looks amazing and cant wait to try! When you say chop herb leaf parsley for the herb rub- is that it? What is that green blended sauce in the one pic? I couldn’t see a step in your recipe for that. Thanks :)

  23. Taryn says:

    Oops!!! found it (blushing)

  24. Cindy says:

    5 stars
    Made it. Delicious!

  25. Jody says:

    5 stars
    loved the blog, I grew up eating porchetta, you can go to any grocery in my parents little town and buy it ready to pop into the oven … I, however, live 1500 miles south, so I’ve been making my own for years … my boys ask for this during the winter months, but last week our youngest came home from Law School and asked for one for todays dinner … mmmm, kitchen smells wafting throughout the home as I type …

  26. Rachael says:

    5 stars
    Thanks for doing the hard work for me! Saw Unique Eats with Meat & Bread awhile ago and wished I could go. Then my husband saw the Porchetta on DDD last night & proceeded to go to the store and buy a giant pork belly and loin. So, with a giant pig on my kitchen island and a somewhat knack for re-creating what I see on tv, I cheated and went on Pinterest. You nailed it! Again, thanks for making dinner so easy and I love your site.

  27. Kelly Kenya says:

    5 stars
    This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing this, we love all of your other recipes too!

  28. Susan deVilmorin says:

    5 stars
    Had lunch at Meat and Bread this summer and was trying to explain its wonderful was to my daughter…now I can show her! Thanks!

  29. BenJamin says:

    Did you use skinless or skin on pork belly?

  30. Brian says:

    Hi there. Great site. I’m from Vancouver and am wondering where I might find ciabatta rolls worthy of your porcetta recipe?

    1. Andre says:

      Try Bosa (http://www.bosafoods.com) close to the Cassiar connector. They have big loaves but I suspect they can help you with Meat&Bread-sized buns too.

  31. CassiaD says:

    4 stars
    I’ve been to Meat and Bread in Vancouver a few times, and it is amazing, to die-for delicious, I was so excited to try your version. I could not get a hold of a pork roast with the pork belly attached or even the pork belly slab the way you did for your recipe. So, I did the next best thing, I wrapped my center-cut pork loin roast prepared with the rub and herb rub, and tucked in strips of bacon under the twine that held the roast together.
    I have to say the result was pretty darn good, not as decadent as the real thing (crackling is hard to beat), but the flavors were all there, I will be making this again (and again!). Thanks!

  32. Greg says:

    5 stars
    Got my belly in the fridge, couldn’t get one with the loin, so I will be using your idea of wrapping up a tenderloin.

    My question is regarding the salt rub/12hr rest period in the fridge. I’m by no means a chef/cook or even amateur but I always thought salt pulls the moisture out of the meat, leaving it dry. Again I could easily be wrong. I’m just wondering.

    Anyways great site, love the recipes and I cannot wait to sample this sangwich. Hope it tastes half as good as yours looks!

  33. Gaynor Mairs says:

    5 stars
    I so enjoyed your article and the food photography blew me away!

    Do you have any tips on getting great food photos at home?

    Gaynor

  34. MaryU says:

    5 stars
    I also have been to Meat and Bread and was so excited to find a recipe to make this without having to buy a pig. I found a fresh pork belly at a specialty butcher in Annapolis, MD. It is now roasting slowly in the oven and we are feeding a crowd this evening. So excited. It smells wonderful!

  35. BeckyM says:

    I am planning on making this tomorrow, I called the local butcher shop & they have pork belly but my question has to do with your top picture of the meat roll up & cut…..how did you roll a pork tenderloin? It appears to me that it is a flattened piece of meat which the belly is rolled around…..thanks!

  36. 5 stars
    Wow great Porchetta! The best I try is Tuscany Porchetta in Orciano Pisano. Nice pics. Bye

  37. Gail D. says:

    5 stars
    The first time I had this was in Vasto, Italy last year and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. There they debone and stuff the whole pig. First thing I did when I got back to Mississippi, was to find a recipe. I made it using a pork butt(I butterflied) with the skin on it. I tell you, it took me right back to that bench on the hill overlooking the Adriatic Sea. I’m making this for my friends for Super Bowl.

  38. jules says:

    5 stars
    absolutely delicious. i just made a mini porchetta…tenderloin wrapped in pig cheeks and bacon. i think i’ll top it off with this delicious salsa verde. next time i do a pork belly roll i will definitely try your blend of herbs, spices and technique. thanks for such a great blog and fab photos.

  39. Luisa says:

    5 stars
    My husband was in pork heaven! He absolutely loved this. So much happiness after such success. Thanks for sharing and for inspiring with the beautiful pictures.

  40. 5 stars
    Ok. This one will have to be done on one of our weekends. Given our more-than-novice skill in cooking as of late (the most skillfully crafted thing we have ever done was roasted chicken or rubbing some spices in baby back ribs) , we will have to take our sweet time to get this right hehe.

    But great stuff! It’s been quite some time since I visited here and the recipes are great(as well as the food pics)

    Ray
    for
    Lynne-Enroute.com

  41. Justin says:

    Does it smoke in the oven in the high-heat crisping phase?

    1. Rich says:

      Hi Justin, I just made this and found it smoked a lot. Be sure to open windows and make sure you have the ventilator on! A tip could be to remove the tray which collected all the drippings, and replace it with another. This will at lease minimise it.

  42. Rich says:

    5 stars
    I’ve just made this and can say have never had so many different taste sensations in my mouth at one time! I think i’ve fallen in love.

    The citrus, fennel and coriander in the salsa verde compliment the pork and make up for any potential dryness in it (I was lucky enough to get a piece with a decent fat to meat ratio, but sometimes i’m sure this isn’t the case) and the meat already infused with these ingredients also had a subtle hint in it.

    I didn’t bother weighing out the spices (apart from the salt which is 75g) or the meat, as i’m from Europe and work in G’s and not C’s :-) just bought the right sized loin to compliment the belly and added what i thought was the right proportion of the spices to the salt. Even if you made this recipe twice and measured out all the ingredients separately, both still would taste different. But thats the joy of cooking I feel. Just do whatever you feel is right, and adapt it to your tastes.

    I’m so happy I stumbled across this blog. I can not wait to try more recipes (albeit with my cackhanded approach) from it.

  43. Rich says:

    5 stars
    My fussy eater of a cat is also enjoying scraps from the roasting tin, so something had definitely gone right here!

  44. Joey Fuangfoo says:

    5 stars
    Have to say I am in the intermediate stage for most of my day to day cooking, but I like researching some of these recipes to boost my rating haha. I recently traveled to the Couv as well and ate at Meat and Bread. Fell in love with their porchetta when our eyes locked. I drooled when the chef peeled the crispy fat off of the top and placed it aside. After my first helping I couldn’t help myself. I stood at the counter like Oliver Twist goes to Bumble and makes his famous request, “Please Sir. I want some more.”

    I haven’t cooked the porchetta yet but It’s in my frig as I type this. Thirteen more hours and ill write back I’m sure. Looking forward to seeing more recipes. I have a nice quinoa summer salad that would be a great side to this.

    Quinoa cooked and chilled. Persian cucumbers. Fresh dill. Greek yogurt (not too much, but just for taste), salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Mix and serve.

  45. scott says:

    In the mouth-watering picture at the top of what looks like a cross section of the porchetta, it appears that the meat is spiraled all the way to the center with herbs, i.e. that the tenderloin is also kind of butterflied and then rolled up inside the belly. But the recipe instructions just has the tenderloin going in whole. Did anyone do anything like that when they made this? Does anyone know if the restaurant does it that way? That picture looks delicious and I would like to try to get my version as close as possible.

    Also – kind of a pet peeve of mine when the accompanying picture is different than what the recipe describes, at least when it is to the extent that it would be impossible to achieve what the picture shows by following the directions (I realize that staging, lighting, etc. are going to make the picture look different as well.)

    1. scott says:

      5 stars
      ok, never mind – i was looking at it wrong – I didn’t realize how small in relation to the belly the loin is – my bad.

  46. RonnieArt says:

    5 stars
    this is so freaking delicious

  47. Joe says:

    Im trying to make this in the morning, but before i left for work today i only wrapped and seasoned the pork belly. do i need to cut the string and add the pork loin into it when i get home tonight? or will it still come out ok just using the belly?

  48. Raffaella says:

    5 stars
    Yummm love porchetta, especially when I can enjoy it at a ‘fraschetta’ rustic tavern just outside Rome.. great recipe!

  49. mark says:

    5 stars
    THE REAL TRUTH IS!!!
    IF YOU ARE IN VANCOUVER
    YOU MUST!!! GO TO *****MEAT AND BREAD*****
    TO DIE FOR!!!
    MY WIFE AND I NEVER MISS THIS

  50. Lori says:

    5 stars
    I just did this for a crowd and wow – it was amazing, I don’t think I have ever had so many compliments on a sandwich. I tried it first with the family before I made it for 25 people and the first time I made the recipe it was good, this time it was fabulous. I don’t think I followed your instructions to the letter on my first try as I thought 450 for 35 minutes would be too high so only turned my oven up to 400 but crackle wasn’t as good as today. Today I did your recipe just as you said and actually for the 450 I used the convection on the oven and it was wonderful so thank you for figuring out how to do that great sandwich from Meat and Bread – love that place and love your blog.

  51. Gilles says:

    5 stars
    Made this yesterday. Made a mistake in the temperatures in the first 2 hours (too low), pushed it up a bit in the last 2 (+ the higher temp in the last 1/2 hour) and it ended up great, tons of compliments. Also, I didn’t use a separate pork belly as it was quite easy to find a loin with skin attached here in Germany. I then had to cut a spiral inside so as to unroll the meat and stuff it.
    I’ve made the ciabatta following this recipe (http://leitesculinaria.com/79221/recipes-ciabatta.html) and added capers and fish sauce to the salsa verde (instead of salt) – I’d have put a few anchovies too if I had them around. It was a surprisingly good match with the pork.

  52. JJ says:

    I do not recommend this recipe. I often have pochetta at Two Amy’s in Washington DC. While the pictures look like that porchetta, the end result does not taste like it should.

    1. WAY too much salt. I used a full two pounds of pork and the 1/4 cup of salt is extremely excessive. Use less than half of that amount.

    2. Cooking times are WAY too long. I can’t imagine what this would have been after 4 hours at 275. A thermometer had it at 160 after just two hours.

    3. New recommended pork temps are 145, not 160. At 160, this porchetta is very dry.

    Very disappointing.

  53. gail says:

    do you wrap the tenderloin with the skin in or the fat in? the picture looks like the fat is on the outside, and scored. does the fat mostly cook away, leaving the skin to brown?

    1. steph says:

      It’s wrapped with the scored skin on the outside.

  54. Harmon Weitzman says:

    I’d like to do this in a slow cooker. Any reccs on time? Plan to finish in a high heat oven.

    1. steph says:

      Hi Harmon,

      I haven’t tried in slow cooker – depends on what temperature your slow cooker goes up to. I think I would err on the longer side and go for at least six hours and then check the internal temperature of the pork to ensure it reaches a safe level. Hope that helps!

      1. Harmon Weitzman says:

        I’m thinking about setting it on low for about 12 hours.

  55. Harmon Weitzman says:

    5 stars
    Came out perfect. I kept it in the crockpot on low for 12 hours. I put it in the oven at 450F for 35 mins to crackle up the skin. Dare I say this is just about the tastiest thing I”ve ever shoved into my maw. Thank you for sharing this recipe. P.S. My home has a porky smell and I like it.

    1. steph says:

      yes!! so happy it turned out in the crock pot!

  56. Shannan says:

    5 stars
    I use your recipe a lot except I do the cheater easy way – a big, fat, pork butt. Butterflied, slathered with a heavy dose of your rub combo and some oil, roll it back up and tied. I also cook mine longer – until I see it starting to get soft, but not fall apart, but not still a tough roast. Patience. I cook it off with root veggies usually. Leftovers – garlic toasted ciabatta rolls, warmed pork and cracklins and an insane amount of delicious sauce. That sauce is SO good on pork and potatoes.

    Thank you so much for the recipe. I would never have done anything like it without it.

  57. eagle says:

    dunno if you’ve ever seen the Meat and Bread clip on youtube, but throw in some finely chopped garlic and fennel fronds in the inside for some extra herby punch

  58. RickU says:

    5 stars
    I want to make this at least twice – once as a base recipe and then it seems like something I should throw on the smoker.

  59. Juleen says:

    5 stars
    This Porchetta gets made at least 3 times a month here and I’ve used everything from the pork shoulder to the pork leg.

    I sometimes vary the herbs inside adding oregano and garlic but the fennel and rosemary are definitely always used.

    It’s a very popular roast in my house I tell you!

  60. Robert Koppenaal says:

    In the pictures, it looks like the pork loin is butterflied. Is this correct?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi robert,
      the loin is left whole and wrapped in the belly :) there are more photos of the process here.

  61. Hannah says:

    5 stars
    Just made this today for the umpteenth time, this time for a Superbowl party. Everyone was already full from appies so I was just going to chop it up and save it for dinner tomorrow. As soon as I sliced into it, people started appearing out of nowhere and ate it anyways, even though they were all stuffed. I’ve always made it just as it is, but next time I’m considering nixing the rosemary and maybe adding cilantro in with the parsley, and switching out the lemon for lime. Either way, it’s delicious and the leftovers are always a hot commodity in this house. Thanks for the recipe!

  62. Cemre says:

    5 stars
    great recipe i will try it looks yummy

  63. 4 stars
    It is so nice and delicious i ever eat.
    😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋

  64. Sheila says:

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe many times and it’s excellent. Came back to make again for tomorrow but the salsa verde recipe seems to have disappeared. Is it somewhere else on the blog? Please help.

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi sheila,
      sorry it took so long to get back to you! here it is:
      blend: 1 bunch Italian parsley, 1 cup neutral oil, juice from 2 lemons, zest of 1 lemon, 2 tsp toasted fennel seeds, 2 tsp toasted coriander seeds, 2 tsp chili flakes, 2 cloves garlic. salt and pepper to taste.

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