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Bring a touch of Italian flair to your Christmas centrepiece with this fabulous pork belly porchetta.
Perfectly seasoned and rolled with aromatic herbs and spices. The pork belly is roasted to achieve a crispy, golden crackling on the outside while remaining juicy and tender on the inside. Whether you’re hosting a large gathering or an intimate family dinner, this Christmas pork belly porchetta will make your celebration truly special.
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hrs and 30 mins
Serves: 6
Cooking Skill: Worth the effort
Step 1
Put all the paste ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse together until a paste forms.
Step 2
Put the pork belly on a clean chopping board, skin side down. Spread the herb paste evenly over the flesh. Roll up tightly to enclose the filling and secure with butcher’s string, firstly in the middle, then at both ends, then continue to tie up. Wipe the surface of the joint with kitchen paper and sprinkle with additional coarse salt. Weight the joint to calculate the cooking time.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 190°C, 170°C Fan, Gas Mark 5.
Step 4
Place the pork on a rack in a foil-lined roasting tin and roast for 30mins per 450g plus 30 mins. During the last 30 mins of the cooking time increase the oven temperature to 220°C, 200°C Fan, Gas Mark 7 and cook until tender with crisp crackling.
Step 5
Remove the porchetta from the oven, lightly cover and leave to rest for 15–20 minutes in a warm place.
Step 6
Remove the butcher’s string and slice the porchetta. Serve with the pan juices and seasonal vegetables of your choice.
Any leftover porchetta is great in sandwiches served cold.
If preferred, substitute the pork belly for a 1.6kg boneless rolled pork shoulder joint. Simply unroll and follow the ingredients and cooking method for the pork belly porchetta recipe. The joint will take around 2 hours to roast.
1718kj
412kcal
20%
27g
39%
9.5g
48%
0g
0%
2g
33%
Step 1
Put all the paste ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse together until a paste forms.
Step 2
Put the pork belly on a clean chopping board, skin side down. Spread the herb paste evenly over the flesh. Roll up tightly to enclose the filling and secure with butcher’s string, firstly in the middle, then at both ends, then continue to tie up. Wipe the surface of the joint with kitchen paper and sprinkle with additional coarse salt. Weight the joint to calculate the cooking time.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 190°C, 170°C Fan, Gas Mark 5.
Step 4
Place the pork on a rack in a foil-lined roasting tin and roast for 30mins per 450g plus 30 mins. During the last 30 mins of the cooking time increase the oven temperature to 220°C, 200°C Fan, Gas Mark 7 and cook until tender with crisp crackling.
Step 5
Remove the porchetta from the oven, lightly cover and leave to rest for 15–20 minutes in a warm place.
Step 6
Remove the butcher’s string and slice the porchetta. Serve with the pan juices and seasonal vegetables of your choice.
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