Ingredients
- 500g boneless pork belly
- 2 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- small handful of rosemary, chopped
- small handful of sage, chopped
- small handful of thyme, chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested
Method
- Season the pork all over with 1 tablespoon of salt. You can do this up to 24 hours before you roll it. Keep the salted pork covered and chilled.
- Toast the fennel seeds and 2 teaspoons of black pepper in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes. Blitz the toasted fennel seeds and pepper, a large pinch of sea salt flakes, the garlic and the herbs using a pestle and mortar or a mini chopper to make a rough paste. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the lemon zest.
- Lay the pork skin-side down on a chopping board and score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern all over. Cut away a 3–4 cm strip of flesh along the long side closest to you, leaving just the skin exposed – this will make it a neater roll later. Massage the herby seasoning mixture deep into the cuts and all over the flesh, then place the strip of meat you’ve cut away along the middle. Starting from the longest side that hasn’t been cut, roll the belly up as tightly as you can, with the flap of skin you created in step 3 neatly overlapping at the end. Use butcher’s string to tie the joint tightly at 2 cm intervals.
- When you’re ready to cook, heat the oven to 160°C. If you have one, place a wire rack or trivet over a large roasting tray and sit the pork on top, or place the pork in a shallow roasting tin. Massage or brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over the pork skin and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 3 hours, basting with the fat every 30 minutes after the first hour of cooking.
- After 3 hours, turn up the heat to 220°C and roast for a further 20–30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes or so to make sure it doesn’t burn. Cook until the skin has crackled well. When the pork is ready, lift it onto a board and rest for 10 minutes.
- For a lighter gravy, pour the fat out of the roasting tray, leaving behind any caramelised bits. If the tray is flameproof, scrape it into a saucepan first. Simmer for a few minutes, then season. Carve the porchetta into slices and serve in soft rolls with chutney, or as a roast with all the trimmings.
Source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/next-level-porchetta
