Outdoor Porchetta
- Total Time
- About 5 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1whole boneless skin-on pork shoulder
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 8 to 10garlic cloves, chopped
- 3tablespoons fennel pollen or minced fresh rosemary
- Crusty rolls (such as kaiser) or fresh focaccia, cut in half horizontally, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (18 servings)
405 calories; 30 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 398 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Use the tip of a sharp, strong knife to roughly score the skin into diamonds, about ¾ inch on each side.
- Step 2
Liberally season the inside of the roast with salt and pepper. Rub in garlic and fennel pollen or rosemary. With the skin on the outside, roll into a cylinder and tie tightly at 1- to 2-inch intervals.
- Step 3
On one side of a grill large enough for indirect cooking, rest a drip pan under the grate to catch the drippings. Pour in an inch or two of hot water to prevent flare-ups. You may need to top up or empty and refill the pan once during the cooking, depending on how fatty the roast is.
- Step 4
Heat the other side of the grill to high. Place the tied roast on the other side, away from the direct heat, and close the grill.
- Step 5
Roast at 350 to 375 degrees (the temperature can hover between the two), turning occasionally, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 140 degrees, about 3 to 4 hours. (The temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests.) If the meat is cooked through but the skin is not crisp, move the roast to the part of the grill that sits over direct, high heat. Cook with the grill open, turning often, just until sizzling and crisp (not more than 10 minutes, to prevent overcooking).
- Step 6
Let rest, tented loosely with foil, at least 20 minutes before slicing. (A bread knife is useful to cut through the skin.) The meat can be served hot or at room temperature. Serve in sandwiches on crusty rolls, or inside split pieces of focaccia.
Private Notes
Comments
I've made porchetta several times and want to comment on some refinements to,the recipe. Judging from from the photo, they used a pork belly with the skin attached tied onto the roasts because it's really difficult to get a roast with that kind of fat layer on it. An easy remedy is to add the pork belly. Also, not all boneless roasts are easily laid out to season, so butterflying is helpful if that's the case. It's a spectacular presentation for a special meal!
If using pork shoulder (with skin or with pork belly with skin tied on), I would recommend grilling at 275 for about 7 hours, then let it rest (up to 2 hours in foil), then blast it in a very hot oven or grill until it crisps up, turning frequently. This is a cross between the techniques of Americas Test Kitchen and The Food Lab. It is beyond amazing. If you have any leftover, crisp it a bit and make carnitas!
If you don't have a decent fat cap before you start, it won't be porchetta at the end. Tie on a pork belly if necessary.
It is implied, but not specified, that the roast should be butterflied before prepping.
I don't get it. Why use a photo of a roast with pork belly tied onto it, but make no mention at all of that being one of the necessary ingredients? I am pretty sure that without said pork belly you'd get a pretty disappointing result.
Are we talking charcoal grill or can this be done on gas??
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