Luciana's Porchetta
Don't forget to serve the pancetta (or skin if using it) with the porchetta. Enjoy!
A few spices and herbs deliver a big payoff.
Aliwaks has you first toast all the spices: coriander, salt, black peppercorns, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes.
We hate our jobs.
Toasting the spices.
They're done when you can smell them. They go from pleasantly fragrant to burnt in a flash so it's a good idea to hover. This was our second batch; first batch went in the garbage!
Merrill zests oranges while Amanda takes the challenging/ill-advised route of grinding the spices by hand. You can get it done in a matter of seconds in a coffee grinder. Either way, keep...
Merrill adds olive oil to the spices, garlic, orange zest and chopped rosemary to make a paste.
A boned pork shoulder is a large and unwieldy hunk of meat. Amanda attempts to tame it.
Rubbing the paste into the meat.
Rubbed.
We didn't have a baggie large enough to hold the pork so we heaped it in a bowl and covered it for its day-long resting time.
Too many cooks in the kitchen? We never think so!
Merrill skillfully rolls the shoulder into a log. A giant log.
Next, we tied it at 1-inch intervals.
We slipped the bay leaves under the twine, and in place of the pork skin we used pancetta and just laid 9 slices over the top of the porchetta like fish scales.
The pancetta curls up like butterfly wings in the oven. We thought it looked pretty fabulous.
Merrill reduced the pan juices with some vinegar.
Truly one of the most gorgeous and satiny pan sauces we've seen.
Before slicing, you remove the pancetta and if you're a virgo, you arrange it in a perfect overlapping row.
Here's we're debating the thickness of slices. Aliwaks says 1/4-inch thick slices. So does Merrill. Amanda says thin, thin, thin! She loses.
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Author Notes: I may have mentioned Luciana, the chef I work with, I watch her very closely, her porchetta is fabulous, this is my twist or my interpretation of her recipe, since I have absolutely no idea what really goes in her recipe. This is rather sublime with lovely rich sustainable heirloom pork, but equally wonderful with pork from the butcher, butcher not supermarket plastic wrap, though I've gone that route as well. This is definitely one of the those get to know your butcher times ( though I think you should always get to know your butcher, they are a world of knowledge, and often super nice, and flirty in a good way). I go to Cannuli's pork store in Philly's Italian Market and get a butterflied pork shoulder, with a piece of skin. The skin is important. - Aliwaks - Aliwaks
Food52 Review: We think porchetta should become a staple in everyone’s kitchen. It’s inexpensive, requires little but marinating and oven time and produces a roast that’s robustly flavored and goes with most anything. Aliwaks’s version is brilliant: she has you toast the spices, and combines them with fresh rosemary, garlic and orange zest. By the time the roast emerges from the oven, your entire neighborhood smells like an Italian trattoria. The first time around, make the porchetta with ½ tablespoon red pepper flakes and if that doesn’t do it for you, then feel free to increase it to a full tablespoon. And if you can’t find pork skin, just substitute 9 thin slices of pancetta and lay them over the top of the rolled shoulder (which protects the roast from drying out and makes for delicious crisp pancetta chips to serve with the porchetta.) - A&M - A&M
Serves 6-8
- 6 pounds Butterflied pork shoulder
- 1.5 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1.5 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon fennel seed
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 5 cloves mashed up garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 3 tablespoons Olive oil
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 piece pork skin, large enough to cover the shoulder, like a pashmina, or 9 thin slices pancetta
- 1/2 cup good red wine vinegar
- Toast spices & salt in small heavy bottom pan till fragrant, and crush in mortar and pestle or mini chop. It should be rather coarse, not a powder. I am not ashamed to admit I use a magic bullet blender that I bought on TV; it grinds beautifully and makes smoothies
- Mix spices with chopped rosemary, orange zest & mashed up garlic, add olive oil till it makes a paste
- Slather the pork in the spice mix, and place in a baggie with the bay leaves over night or up to 3 days; remember to smoosh it around when you are in the fridge
- Preheat oven to 325; bring pork to room temperature.
- Take pork out of baggie, turn baggie inside out and rub all the spice paste over the inside of the pork skin
- Roll pork into a cylindrical shape, tie with butcher twine at 1" intervals, stick the bay leaves under the middle strings, and lay skin over top (if using pancetta, lay the slices across the top like fish scales).
- Place in a roasting pan with a rack, and roast until the internal temperature reaches 150. remove and let sit until goes to @ 160. Depending on your oven you may need to rotate it every so often. It should take 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
- Remove skin, scrape off the fat (if you want) and cut into strips with a sharp set of shears (say that 4 times fast), to serve. (The pancetta will crisp, so simply break it into small pieces for serving alongside the porchetta.)
- Deglaze pan with vinegar. Don't reduce too much -- just enough to get rid of some off the sharpness (this is more like a porky vinaigrette).
- To serve slice into 1/4" slices, add a strip of skin (or pancetta) to each plate (or pile atop if serving en masse on a platter) and drizzle with sauce.
- Serve with garlicky bitter greens and roasted or mashed potatoes, or escarole & white beans. The next day make Philly Style Roast Pork Sandwiches by piling warm pork & greens on a crusty seeded long roll with thin slices of sharp aged provolone.
- Your Best Roasted Pork Shoulder Contest Winner!
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5 months ago gnathanson
Bought my Christmas shoulder from Giunta's at the Terminal yesterday, did some home butterflying to remove the bone (for stock... pork stock, is that a thing?) and have it marinating right now. Can't wait! Thanks for sharing this recipe, though the anticipation is killing me :)
8 months ago Robb S.
Definitely the lesser time range. Mine was done way before the time specified here. I thought I'd done something wrong, so I'm glad to hear it's a typo.
8 months ago tbrooks
Help, the on-line recipe says it takes 3-3.5 hours but the book say 1.5-2.5 hours. I'm cooking this for dinner tonight at 5, what time is correct??
8 months ago tbrooks
Help, the on-line recipe says it takes 3-3.5 hours but the book say 1.5-2.5 hours. I'm cooking this for dinner tonight at 5, what time is correct??
11 months ago Jytte Tuttle
Could this be made in a slow cooker or pressure cooker? If so, what would the temp and time be?
11 months ago Aliwaks
Anyone know this??
I don't use slow cooker often, and I will admit I'm pretty random about it, my slow cooker has three settings, high, low and off so i tend to just stick stuff in there and hope for the best... more often than not I use it as a heated dish rather than for cooking.
I am pretty sure it will end up wetter than desired and I know the skin/pancetta will not be crispy. If you do decide to experiment, I suggest searing it on all sides first, then if you use the skin, it will add flavor but unless you deep fry a few chunks (not that that is a bad thing) it will end up sort of woobly and gelatinous, not the most appetizing morsel and if you use pancetta it may just melt in without crisping, though you can crisp some up separately.
hope that helps.
11 months ago lylebama
I made this tonight and thought it was fabulous. Mine, too, cooked in less time than suggested. Do you think this would work with a leaner cut , like loin or tenderloin? I have some friends who would find the fat a little off-putting.n thanks for sharing this recipe
11 months ago Aliwaks
You could definitely season a pork loin similarly, though it will lack the unctousness that a shoulder has.
I used a Turkey Breast in place of Pork Shoulder when we had a Food52 book signing the Jewish Deli I was working for.
A lower fat option and really very good. Just get a whole boneless turkey breast w skin, butterfly, season & tie it...it works great...with lots of good leftovers for sandwiches.
12 months ago Tiffany Michelle
I made this for a dinner party with some friends 2 days ago and it was perfect. The orange zest made such a difference. I served it with Hawaiian dinner rolls, caramelized onions and grilled pineapple for a tropical twist the first night, then, the second night I served it with some cheesy risotto. You can do so much with this recipe. Thanks!
about 1 year ago Lilismom
It's in the oven now. I couldn't find pork skin so am using the pancetta. The house smells sooooo good!
about 1 year ago DAVILCHICK
My husband made this last night and it's RIDICULOUSLY delicious. Accompanied by roasted potatoes and the Suspiciously Delicious Cabbage dish. Seriously, it doesn't get any better than this.
about 1 year ago rrcooks
I made this for a large supper with friends and it was a huge hit. I bought a pork shoulder and asked the guy at the meat counter to butterfly it for me - we ended up having a great conversation about meat! I used the piece of pork skin to cover it which worked well (my husband ate most of it!). Will definitely make this again.
over 1 year ago AnnP
I made this tonight after marinating it for 3 days - it called my name from the garage fridge every time I passed by. This recipe is amazing! The flavor combo is perfect and all throughout dinner, my husband and son were enthisiastically planning their left over sandwiches. I served it with simple pan roasted new potatoes and wilted spinach with garlic, pine nuts and raisins. Thank you for sharing!
over 1 year ago sidthecat
I made this for eight on Christmas Eve - I added rather more pancetta than the recipe called for, because there's always room for more bacon.
My sister-in-law insisted that we take it out of the oven at 140 degrees instead of 160 and I'd have to say she was right - it would have dried out at the higher temperature. Unfortunately, it threw off the timing of the meal and I ended up setting fire to the kitchen. That said, it was still a great dish.
over 1 year ago Monica Colorado
I had Porchetta in Rome last Christmas. I am going to make it for my family in Colorado for this Christmas but I will use strips of thick cut pork belly and basket weave it over the port shoulder. I can not wait!
about 1 year ago msgruvn
ohhhhh...
over 1 year ago Robb S.
I cooked two of these for our annual summer BBQ and served thick slices on either soft or crusty rolls, accompanied by caramelized onions (I skipped the porky vinaigrette). It received rave reviews and more than one guest made the point that having 'raised the bar', there was no way I would be allowed to get away with cooking hot dogs and hamburgers ever again! Thanks for sharing a terrific recipe.
PS: As other commentators have observed, my porchette were cooked in less time than specified.
over 1 year ago MexicoKaren
I have this wonderful porchetta in the oven as I write this. I'll be taking it to a birthday dinner later, along with a casserole of garlicky mashed potatoes and spinach. It smells just splendid. It is my "go to" dinner for guests.
over 1 year ago casa-giardino
http://casa-giardino.blogspot...
over 1 year ago casa-giardino
http://casa-giardino.blogspot...
over 1 year ago EmilyC
Made this today. The smell from the oven was intoxicating and the taste even better. Cut it thin and served it on soft italian rolls with balsamic red onions and provolone cheese. I have a feeling I'm going to making this porchetta A LOT this fall / winter -- it's a wonderful recipe.
about 2 years ago mariviblanco
instead of pork shoulder with a separate skin, would this work if you substituted pork belly? Or would that be too fatty?
over 2 years ago casa-giardino
I use a pork shoulder with skin on. I just love the crunchiness of the skin.
almost 3 years ago ChefJune
My goodness, this was SO delicious. I lowered the oven temp to 300 in the hopes of it cooking more slowly in my convection oven, but it took quite a bit less time than 3 hours, anyway. Still really amazing. Everyone loved the spices. Looking forward to leftovers for sandwiches. Pictures are on my Facebook page.
almost 3 years ago ChefJune
so, I didn't take it out then, but I AM making it this weekend. Aliwaks, are there any special sides you think go particularly well with it? I was thinking Nicoise Potato Salad and Cole Slaw with Sweet & Sour Celery Seed Dressing.
almost 3 years ago Aliwaks
I think those sound wonderful!
I usually make something bitter like endive, broccoli rabe, etc to counteract richness of the pork, but your menu sounds like a fabulous summer picnic!
I've been somewhat obsessed with grilled raddichio and endive (especially the beautifully speckled heirlooms that have been popping up at my farmers market) lately...drizzled with a bit of reduced balsamic and grilled radishes brushed with anchovy/garlic/parsley/lemon/olive oil emulsion (like a faux bagna cuda).
Please let me know how it comes out!
almost 3 years ago Aliwaks
Cannellini bean salad with sage goes really well too! Or maybe some shaved summer squash & fennel marinated in a bit of lemon & olive oil with a few charred cherry tomatoes thrown in.
I want to make one now! But no roasting till the weather cools down for me. My kitchen get way way too hot.
almost 3 years ago ChefJune
Oh dear! I bought a pork shoulder to make this, and ended up freezing it. Taking it out tonight so I can start the process this weekend. Every time I read this recipe I salivate. ;) Really looking forward to the leftovers for sandwiches, especially!
almost 3 years ago Aliwaks
Can't wait to hear how it comes out!
about 3 years ago monkeymom
Hi Aliwaks! I made this and the CI pork this weekend. I loved yours! Preparing it was very enjoyable - toasting the spices and spreading the garlic all over the meat. It was delicious and I've been enjoying it with garlicky broccoli rabe this week. The cut I got was pretty fatty and probably didn't need the pancetta protective coating...I would have liked to have roasted off that fat a bit. But it was very flavorful. I've voted on Slate already and plan to make this again in the future!
about 3 years ago Aliwaks
that makes me so happy!!! Thank you. I'm sad I haven't had a chance to make the CI version so I can vote for myself, its been one thing after another over here + midterms ++++,
about 3 years ago Aliwaks
Thanks ChezS!!! So glad you enjoyed it!
about 3 years ago TheWimpyVegetarian
Made this tonight and it was just fabulous. I'm sooooo glad we have some leftovers for tomorrow. My money's on you! GREAT recipe!!
about 3 years ago TheWimpyVegetarian
BIG congrats to you Aliwaks!! I haven't tried this yet, but I plan to the next time I cook pork. It looks really great and is a really inviting recipe with which to go up against CI. Got get 'em girl!!
about 3 years ago Abra Bennett
I made this tonight and it was utterly delicious. This dish could win! The only problem I had was that my pork skin turned out to be tooth-shatteringly hard, so I didn't manage to use it. I used convection, which might account for that. But it basted the roast gorgeously, so I didn't mind. I made one change and cooked the bitter greens directly in the hot roasting pan in the pork juices and fat, then added the vinegar to them.. When I tasted the vinaigrette I thought it was painfully acidic, but over the pork, and with the greens cooked in it, it was addictive.
about 3 years ago george
Way to go! Good luck!
about 3 years ago ENunn
Game on, Aliwaks: Let's kick some Cook's Illustrated booty. Congrats! I can't wait to maike this. Also: go pork!
about 3 years ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Yeah! Go Pork! This should be our fight song: http://www.weebls-stuff...
about 3 years ago Aliwaks
Mrs L. OMG can't believe you posted that!!! I love weebl and bob!! Pie.
about 3 years ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
cat face is our favorite. especially the one with the so-called gordon ramsay. ;)
about 3 years ago wanderash
congrats! what an exciting win!
about 3 years ago aargersi
Abbie is a trusted source on General Cooking.
AliROCKS!
about 3 years ago Aliwaks
you're awesome!
about 3 years ago Aliwaks
WOW WOW WOW!!! THANK YOU! Everyone, I'll do you proud! Such an honor, think I'm gonna cry!
about 3 years ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Congrats aliwaks!!
about 3 years ago dymnyno
I got a little porked out last week...but now I am up for trying your recipe...sounds really delicious..
about 3 years ago Midge
Made this last night: foolproof and DElish. Thanks, Aliwaks, you've got my vote.
about 3 years ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
These flavors sound fabulous. Porchetta is one of my favorite dishes. P.S. I luv my magic bullet! And I have the slap-chop too (not so great) but no slanket or snugee. ;)
about 3 years ago veronique
Really like the coriander/fennel/orange/bay leaf combination here. As with other pork recipe contender, I question having so much rosemary. Seems to me that the bay leaf takes care of that layer of seasoning.
about 3 years ago Jennifer Perillo
What a wonderful looking and sounding recipe. This will go into my "to test" files. Good luck!
about 3 years ago Abra Bennett
I got the pork today and am going to be making this soon. I'm so bummed not to be able to get pork skin though, since after using it for years in France I really appreciate all it has to add to a dish. I'm still going to try to find some, but I'm not holding my breath. This recipe looks delicious to me.
about 3 years ago monkeymom
swoon. great job!
about 3 years ago Aliwaks
OMG!!!!!
about 3 years ago spinthebottleny
This sounds fantastic -- and I too am a fan of the Magic Bullet. Perfect for spice rub grinding and frozen fruit drinks.
about 3 years ago pierino
pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.
I guess I don't understand the part about discarding the skin. For me crispy skin and fat make porchetta what it is. Other than that, it sounds delicious. But I'm glad that for your "Philly Style" you didn't use Cheeze Wiz. ;-) Good luck though!
about 3 years ago Aliwaks
I don't discard the skin, it's quite clear inthe recipe and the pictures that the skin is a part of the technique and the final product that the skin is there, step 6 and 8 show that. I serve it with the crispy strips.
about 3 years ago Aliwaks
Pierino, guess I left out the adding the crispy strips after you cut them, my bad...I revised the instructions. Hey, there's more to Philly than Cheese Wiz, we have some great sandwiches here, roast pork with broccoli rabe and aged provolone is a standard, sadly it doesn't get as much press and the loathsome "Wiz Wit" cheesesteak
about 3 years ago pierino
pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.
Pork and broccoli rabe? Now THAT is a sandwich I can eat!
about 3 years ago testkitchenette
Love the pashmina reference! Sounds divine...