Italian Porchetta

This Italian Porchetta will make the house smell amazing and will taste even better.
Italian Porchetta
1 Whole pork loin (not tenderloin)
1 Whole pork belly – butterflied to be 1/2″ to 1″ thick (ask your butcher to do this)
2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
10 Cloves of minced garlic
2 Tablespoons of ground fennel/anise seed
1/3 cup minced herbs, including thyme, rosemary and sage
Zest from one lemon, chopped finely
Coarse salt, as needed

The day before cooking, rub the pork loin and pork belly generously with salt. Let sit covered in the refrigerator overnight. The next day remove the pork loin and pork belly from the fridge. Rinse off the salt and then pat dry. Combine the pepper, garlic, fennel/anise, herbs and lemon. Mix well. Place the pork belly skin side down. Using a sharp knife, make cuts 1/4″ to 1/2″ deep and approximately 1″ apart across the meat. Rotate the meat 90 degrees and repeat the patterns perpendicular to the first cuts. Take 1/2 of your combined herb mixture, and spread it over the cut side of the pork belly. Salt generously. Spread the butterflied pork loin out. Add the remaining 1/2 of your herb mixture to the pork lion. Salt generously. Roll the butterflied pork loin into a tight roll. Place the rolled pork loin lengthwise in the middle of the pork belly, with the skin side down. Wrap the pork belly, around the rolled pork loin, making sure the skin side of the pork belly is out. Using kitchen twine tightly tie the pork belly in place, with loops of twine approximately every 2″ (Optional, for crispy skin): place the tied porchetta roast in a v shape roasting pan, and put it in a fridge overnight uncovered. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Place the porchetta in a v shaped roasting pan, and insert an oven thermometer into the center of the meat. Set your alarm to 160° F. Cook until the alarm goes off, and then reduce your oven heat to 250° F. Set the max alarm on your oven thermometer to 180°, and the min alarm to 155°. Adjust the temperature of your oven as necessary to maintain your meat within the 155° to 180° F range. Approximately 45 minutes before serving, increase your oven heat to 500° F, and cook until the skin on your pork belly is brown and crispy (about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and tent loosely with foil for 15 minutes before serving. Cut with a serrated knife and enjoy!



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