Porchetta

Active Time:

30 mins

Chill Time:

12 hrs

Total Time:

15 hrs 30 mins

Yield:

6 to 8 servings

This roast combines a crispy, fatty exterior and tender pork wrapped around an aromatic filling with kale, fennel, garlic, and lemon. We love it as the centerpiece of a special dinner, and using the leftovers to make sandwiches.

Frequently asked questions

What is porchetta?

Porchetta is a rich, fatty pork roast popularized in Italy and the South of France. A classic porchetta roast is a pork loin butterflied and rolled around a mixture of fennel, other spices, and aromatics. It’s then wrapped in pork belly, which gives the roast a crunchy, fatty outer layer. Our version of porchetta calls for a boneless pork shoulder, which offers some of fattiness similar to what you get from pork belly along with lean, flavorful meat. For that reason, you want to select a pork shoulder with a 1/4- or 1/2- inch fat cap.

How do you butterfly meat?

We call for butterflying the pork shoulder so you can roll it. This technique is outlined in the recipe method, and calls for you to cut the meat so it opens like a letter. When you start to butterfly it, go slow and make deliberate cuts — the main thing is to keep it in one piece. Don’t worry about trying to get the meat perfectly even. Some areas will be thinner than others, but it won’t be so noticeable after you roll and tie the roast, which helps it keep its shape while roasting.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

While it’s not required, taking the time to refrigerate the meat overnight helps the flavors develop as the seasoning penetrates the meat. Then, cooking this rich, fatty roast while covered at a low temperature encourages the meat to cook throughout and reach a temperature that will break down the tougher muscles and fibers in the pork shoulder. We broil it at the end to crisp up the skin.

Make ahead

You can assemble the roast up to two days in advance of cooking it. Leftovers can be kept up to four days in the fridge.

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Ingredients

4 1/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6-ounce) bunch Lacinato kale, stemmed and finely chopped (about 6 cups)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
12 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 6 tablespoons)
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Place pork, fat side up, on a clean surface. Score fat in a crosshatch pattern. Flip pork, fat side down. Holding a very sharp knife parallel to the cutting board, start about 1/3 of the way down from top of the meat, and cut pork lengthwise until tip of the knife is about 1/2-inch from the opposite edge of the pork — do not cut all the way through. Open the cut pork like a book and repeat this cut once more, slowly unrolling the meat as you cut. (It will not be even in all spots, but pork should lay flat and be about 1 1/2 inches thick.) Score meat in a crosshatch pattern, cutting about 1/2-inch deep and 1 1/2 inches wide.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add kale, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until kale is just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool 10 minutes.
Sprinkle scored pork with garlic, parsley, rosemary, lemon zest, black pepper, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and cooled kale mixture. Pat mixture into meat. Roll up pork in a tight spiral, starting from shorter side. Tie spiral tightly in 3-inch intervals using kitchen twine to prevent it from unrolling. Place on a wire rack placed inside a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Transfer pork to a roasting pan, fat side up, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of meat registers 180°F, about 2 hours, 5 minutes. Remove from oven; increase oven temperature to 500°F. Uncover roast, and transfer to a cutting board. Discard any liquid accumulated in bottom of pan; line bottom of pan with foil. Place roast in pan. Bake at 500°F until crispy and deeply browned and thermometer registers 190°F, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove from oven, and let rest 30 minutes before slicing (use a serrated knife).