Wood Fired Recipes Community Cookbook

Porchetta

Jun 30, 2011Posted by guestchefPrint

Porchetta is a highly seasoned pork roast that is rolled in herbs and slow cooked in a WFO.  This version cooks all night and is beautifully flavored with fennel pollen.  Your patience will be rewarded with tender, juicy pork and chewy, crunchy pork skin.

Porchetta

Course Meat And Poultry

Ingredients
  

Equipment

  • A fully fired wood oven
  • Spice grinder/coffee grinder/mortar and pestle
  • Roasting rack over a drip pan or bowl
  • String for trussing

Ingredients

  • 1 large pork shoulder or Boston butt, boneless (8-12lbs) skin on
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 4 sprigs rosemary or 3 tablespoons dried rosemary
  • 3 sprigs thyme or 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • .25 cup Kosher Salt or sea salt, to taste
  • 2 cups white wine I like Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Instructions
 

  • After making pizza in the oven… Score the pork skin in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife. Only cut the skin, not the meat. If using a large roast, butterfly it.
  • Mix the herbs, salt, and pepper in the chamber of a coffee or spice grinder and grind until the mixture looks like fluffy, herby snow. Crush and chop the garlic and add it to the salt/pepper/herb mixture. Don’t worry if it seems too salty; this is just a dry rub and the salt helps.
  • Liberally rub the herb mixture over every part of the pork. Go nuts, and rub it in well.
  • Roll the pork and tie it into a roast. Use this as an opportunity to apply more dry rub.
  • Place the porchetta skin side up on the roasting rack and pour the wine into the drip pan.
  • When the oven drops to 350 F, add the pan and put on the door. Cook overnight (6 hours +). The final desired temperature is 180-190 degrees F in the thickest part of the roast. The finished texture should resemble pulled pork and the skin should be both crunchy and chewy.
  • Let the roast cool slightly before slicing. If desired, strain the pan juices/wine for a simple sauce. Serve with rolls for the greatest pork sandwich ever, or serve sliced with sauce and side items.

Notes

*I buy vacuum packed pork shoulders and debone them myself.
**If no fennel pollen is available, substitute and equal amount of ground fennel seed.  You won’t get that incredible burst of flavor, but it will still work.

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