Hairy Bikers Porchetta Recipe

For this Hairy Bikers porchetta, 3kg of pork belly and loin is rolled around rosemary, garlic, fennel, chilli and lemon, then slow-roasted over potatoes. And this British Classics version serves 6 in 5½ hours at about 1,260 calories each, plus an hour out of the fridge first.

It’s described in British Classics as “a great alternative to turkey for a festive meal”, which is why I’d put it on a Christmas table. And on BBC Food, Si and Dave’s version from Go North comes with a spiced Bramley apple sauce, which I’ve included as an optional extra.

Dry skin is what makes the crackling, so whenever I can, I give the joint a night or two uncovered in the fridge. Then I pat the rind dry again and salt it just before it goes in, because any moisture left on top steams instead of crisping.

Hairy Bikers Porchetta Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Roasting Cuisine:British Italian Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time:4 hours 30 minutesRest time: 30 minutesTotal time:5 hours 30 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:1260 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A butterflied joint is spread with herb paste, rolled and tied, ideally chilled for a night or two, then roasted low under foil on potatoes. Then a final blast at full heat crisps the rind, and the skimmed tin juices go on the side.

Ingredients

For the paste

• 3 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
• 1 thyme sprig, leaves only, finely chopped
• 1 garlic bulb, cloves peeled and crushed
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• zest of 1 lemon
• 50ml wine (I use white, like the tin)
• sea salt and black pepper

For the pork

• 3kg piece of boned belly pork attached to the loin, butterflied and rind scored
• 1.5kg potatoes, such as Maris Pipers, thickly sliced
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 100ml white wine or cider
• 100ml chicken stock or water
• sea salt

For the spiced apple sauce (optional)

• 2 large Bramley apples, peeled and roughly chopped
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp light soft brown sugar
• 15g butter
• a splash of water

Instructions

1. Make the paste: Blitz the paste ingredients in a small food processor, or pound them with a pestle and mortar, until well combined but not completely smooth. Then season with salt and pepper.
2. Roll the pork: Lay the pork skin-side down and rub the paste all over the meat. Then roll it up as tightly as you can and tie it at intervals with butcher’s string.
3. Chill if you can: If you have time, leave the pork in the fridge overnight, or better still for 2 nights, uncovered or loosely wrapped in kitchen paper. And I keep it on a tray on the bottom shelf, since raw meat belongs below everything else.
4. Warm it up: Take the pork out of the fridge an hour before cooking, then heat the oven to 150°C/Fan 130°C/Gas 2.
5. Fill the tin: Spread the potatoes and onion over the base of a large roasting tin and season with salt. Then pour over the wine or cider and the stock or water.
6. Slow roast: Pat the rind dry, salt it and sit the pork on the potatoes. Cover the tin with foil and roast for 4 hours, until the centre reads 68°C on a meat thermometer. If it isn’t there yet, I give it another 20 minutes and check again.
7. Crisp the skin: I take off the foil at this point, then turn the oven to its highest setting, about 240°C/Fan 220°C/Gas 9 on most ovens. Roast for 30 minutes more to crisp the skin, then check the centre reaches at least 70°C, as the FSA advises for rolled joints.
8. Rest the pork: Move the pork and potatoes to separate dishes, then rest the meat uncovered for 30 minutes, keeping the potatoes warm under foil.
9. Make the apple sauce: While the pork rests, simmer the apple sauce ingredients with the splash of water for about 10 minutes, until the apples collapse. Taste it, and add a little more sugar if it needs it.
10. Serve: Strain off any juices left in the tin and skim away the fat. Serve them alongside the sliced pork, the potatoes and the apple sauce.

FAQs

Which cut do I ask for, and can I use pork loin only?

You want a boned belly with the loin still attached, butterflied so it opens flat, with the rind scored. So the easy route is asking your butcher to butterfly it, which is the tip that comes with the BBC version.

I wouldn’t make porchetta from pork loin alone with this method, because to my mind loin has too little fat for 4 hours. But if loin is what you’ve got, there’s a loin of pork, Italian style, in Meat Feasts, which braises gently in milk instead.

How long does a smaller porchetta, like 1.5kg, take?

The method only covers a 3kg joint, so I cook a smaller one by thermometer rather than the clock. And my rule for a 1.5kg joint is to halve the paste, wine and stock, then start checking at about 2½ hours.

Then it gets the same 30-minute blast, and the same 70°C check before it rests.

Is porchetta good for Christmas, and what goes with it?

Yes, and it’s on the Fab Festive Feasts list in British Classics, alongside glazed ham, roast turkey and a last-minute Christmas cake. Since the potatoes cook under the pork, I only add buttered greens and their red cabbage braised in cider.

That cabbage is from the same book, where it’s suggested for roast pork, so it suits porchetta just as well.

How many does it really feed, and how do leftovers keep?

Six portions is generous at 500g of raw pork each, so I’d say it feeds 8 or 10 if you want leftovers. And the 1,260 calories a portion is my own sum, rising to about 1,320 with the apple sauce.

Cool the leftovers and get them in the fridge within 2 hours, then eat them within 2 days. And reheat slices until steaming hot, though cold porchetta in a crusty roll is how I like it best.

What if the crackling doesn’t crisp?

If it’s still soft after the blast, I slice it off in one piece and return it to the hot oven while the meat rests. And it’s my fix rather than theirs, but it works without overcooking the pork.

And if crackling makes you nervous, their pork belly with apples and sage is an easier win, roasting 1.5kg of belly in under 3 hours.