Porchetta

Name: Porchetta
Total time: 10800 s
Yield: 8-10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Kg pork belly, boneless; 2 Sprigs rosemary, leaves picked; 3 springs fresh thyme; 1 large bulb of garlic; 1 tbsp fennel seeds; 1 pinch chili flakes; 1 pinch Sichuan pepper (Optional); 2 tbsp white wine; 1 tsp flaky sea salt; 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper; 500 ml water

Naomi @butterrice

Zurich

I traveled to Tuscany this year and can't forget the Porchetta Panini I had in Florence. I found this recipe from Italian Great Chefs in the website below and added a little twist with my Asian roots.
greatitalianchefs.com/recipes/porchetta-recipe

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Ingredients

1 hour prep time and 2 hours cooking in oven

8-10 servings

1 Kgpork belly, boneless
2 Sprigsrosemary, leaves picked
3 springsfresh thyme
1large bulb of garlic
1 tbspfennel seeds
1 pinchchili flakes
1 pinchSichuan pepper (Optional)
1 lemon, zested
2 tbspwhite wine
1 tspflaky sea salt
1/2 tspcracked black pepper
500 mlwater

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Steps

1 hour prep time and 2 hours cooking in oven

1

To begin, place the fennel seeds and chili flakes in hot, dry pan and toast for 30 seconds, until fragrant
2

Wrap the garlic by foil and leave it in oven under 160°C for 30mins to 1 hour.
3

Place the pork belly skin-side down and slice it in the middle horizontally. Stop at last 2 centimeters in the end to remain the pork in one connected piece
4

Peel the garlic cloves and place in a pestle and mortar. Add the herbs, toasted spices, salt, pepper, lemon zest and white wine and grind to a rough paste. (You could simply chop them all together finely if you don’t have pestle and mortar)
5

Lightly score the belly flesh in a 2cm diagonal pattern and massage the stuffing paste into the belly.
6

Roll up tightly, tie up with butcher's string and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight. This will dry out the skin, giving a crispier crackling. Chinese culinary method would poke the skin with pinpoint to make it crispy. In the last picture I use the tip of my knife to do that.
7

Preheat the oven to 160°C
8

Place the pork on a wire rack set over an oven tray. Pour in the 500ml of water and cook in the oven for 2 to 2 and half hours. Check at intervals; if the water has evaporated, add a little more. Put a tray under the pork to collect the oil dripping down while baking. The oil is perfect to cook leftover potato. If you like crispy skin with texture like fired pork skin, use top heat function of the oven in the last 10 mins. Turn the pork around to burn the skin evenly.
9

This picture is the version of poking holes using knife tip
10

Leave it to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Slice and serve warm in panini bread. Or use it as topping for Japanese Ramen🍜