This slow-roasted porchetta recipe is made with boneless pork loin and belly, fennel seeds, garlic, rosemary and lemon zest. The low-and-slow method gives you tender, juicy meat wrapped in golden, crispy crackling. It takes around 5 hours and serves 8.
I first made this for a big family Christmas dinner and it blew everyone away. The crackling alone had people fighting over seconds.
Porchetta Recipe Ingredients
For the Pork:
- 3kg piece of boneless pork belly with the loin attached, rind scored
- 1.5kg roasting potatoes (such as Maris Piper), thickly sliced
- 1 large onion, thickly sliced
- 100ml white wine or cider
- 100ml chicken stock or water
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
For the Stuffing:
- 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 bulb of garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 50ml white wine
How To Make Porchetta
- Make the stuffing paste: Combine the rosemary, thyme, crushed garlic, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, lemon zest and white wine in a pestle and mortar or small food processor. Blend or pound to a coarse paste and season well with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the pork: Lay the pork on a board, skin side down. Rub the stuffing paste all over the meat, pushing it into any crevices.
- Roll and tie: Starting from one long side, roll the pork up as tightly as you can to enclose the filling. Secure at regular intervals with butcher’s string.
- Dry the skin: Pat the rind completely dry with kitchen paper. Leave the pork uncovered in the fridge overnight, or for up to two nights. This dries the skin out for the best crackling.
- Prepare for roasting: Remove the pork from the fridge one hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C Fan / Gas Mark 2).
- Set up the tin: Scatter the sliced potatoes and onion in a large roasting tin and season with salt. Pour the wine or cider and stock or water over the vegetables.
- Roast the porchetta: Make sure the rind is dry, then rub it generously with sea salt flakes. Place the porchetta on top of the vegetables. Cover the tin with foil and roast for 4 hours.
- Check the temperature: The internal temperature should reach 68°C when the meat is cooked through and tender.
- Crisp the crackling: Turn the oven up to its highest setting, around 240°C. Remove the foil and cook for a further 30 minutes until the skin is blistered, golden and crispy. Watch it closely to stop it burning.
- Rest the meat: Transfer the porchetta to a carving board and rest uncovered for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This keeps the meat juicy and the crackling crisp.
What Are the Best Tips for Porchetta Recipe Crackling?
- Ask your butcher to score the rind: Get a boneless loin attached to the belly with the rind scored. This saves time and gives you even crackling all over.
- Dry the skin thoroughly: Moisture stops crackling from crisping up. Leave the rolled pork uncovered in the fridge overnight and pat it dry one last time before roasting.
- Rest without covering: After roasting, rest the porchetta for a full 30 minutes uncovered. Wrapping it in foil traps steam and softens the crackling. If you love pork crackling, try the Hairy Bikers pork belly recipe for another crowd-pleasing roast.
- Use a pestle and mortar: Crushing the fennel seeds and garlic by hand releases more oils than a food processor. This gives the stuffing paste a stronger, more fragrant flavour.
What Should You Serve With It?
The potatoes and onions that cook in the pork drippings are the natural side dish. They soak up all the flavour from the meat juices and crisp up beautifully around the edges.
To balance the richness, add simple steamed green beans, tenderstem broccoli or roasted courgettes. A sharp green salad with a lemon vinaigrette cuts through the fat nicely. For a bigger spread, creamy polenta or buttery mashed potatoes are great choices too. If you want a second centrepiece, the Hairy Bikers stuffed pork fillet pairs well.
How Should You Store the Leftovers?
Wrap leftover porchetta tightly in foil or place it in an airtight container. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat slices in the oven or air fryer at 200°C until the meat is warmed through and the crackling crisps up again. Cold porchetta also makes a brilliant sandwich, stuffed into a crusty bread roll with a little salsa verde.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1 generous slice
- Calories: 710 kcal
- Total Fat: 55g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Total Carbohydrate: 15g
- Sugars: 5g
- Protein: 38g
Frequently Asked Questions
What is porchetta and where does it come from? Porchetta is an Italian roasted pork dish from central Italy. The meat is deboned, stuffed with herbs and fennel, rolled and slow-roasted until the skin turns crispy and the inside stays juicy.
What cut of pork do you need for porchetta? You need a boneless pork loin with the belly still attached, skin on and scored. Ask your butcher to prepare this, as it can be tricky to do at home.
How does the Hairy Bikers porchetta compare to Jamie Oliver’s version? The Hairy Bikers use a low-and-slow method at 150°C for 4 hours before a high-heat blast. Jamie Oliver roasts at a higher temperature for a shorter time, giving a slightly different texture.
Can you freeze cooked porchetta? Yes, slice the cooled porchetta and freeze in airtight bags for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in a hot oven to re-crisp the skin, or try the Hairy Bikers BBQ pulled pork for another freezer-friendly pork dish.
Can you use just pork belly without the loin? Yes, pork belly on its own rolls and stuffs well. The result will be richer without the lean loin centre, so reduce the cooking time slightly based on the weight.
Try More Recipes:
- Hairy Bikers Pork Belly Recipe
- Hairy Bikers Stuffed Pork Fillet Recipe
- Hairy Bikers BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe
Hairy Bikers Porchetta Recipe
Description
This porchetta recipe features tender pork loin wrapped in juicy pork belly, filled with crushed fennel seeds, garlic, rosemary and lemon zest. Slow-roasted for 4 hours then finished at high heat, it gives you beautifully tender meat and crispy crackling that serves 8.
Ingredients
For the Stuffing:
Instructions
- Make the stuffing paste: Combine the rosemary, thyme, crushed garlic, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, lemon zest and white wine in a pestle and mortar or food processor. Blend to a coarse paste and season well.
- Stuff and roll: Lay the pork skin side down and rub the paste all over the meat. Roll it up tightly and secure with butcher’s string at regular intervals.
- Dry the skin: Pat the rind completely dry with kitchen paper. Leave the roll uncovered in the fridge overnight or for up to two nights to dry out the skin.
- Prepare for roasting: Remove from the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C Fan / Gas Mark 2). Scatter potatoes and onions in a roasting tin, add wine and stock.
- Roast: Rub the dry rind with sea salt flakes and place on top of the vegetables. Cover with foil and roast for 4 hours until the internal temperature reaches 68°C.
- Crisp the crackling: Remove the foil and turn the oven to its highest setting, around 240°C. Roast for another 30 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy.
- Rest and serve: Transfer the porchetta to a carving board and rest uncovered for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
