Serves 6-8
*Adapted from a recipe by Matty Matheson
Ingredients
1 (6-7 pound) meaty pork belly with skin
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and crushed
2 garlic cloves, grated with a microplane
zest of 1 orange
3 sprigs parsley, leaves minced
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
¼ cup chopped fennel fronds
3 tablespoons Amaro
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1-2 cups canola oil
Prep
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Lay pork belly skin-side down. Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the meat then sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt, the chili flakes, crushed fennel seed, garlic, orange zest, parsley, rosemary, and fennel fronds. Drizzle the amaro and orange juice over meat. Work the mixture into the meat with your finger tips.
- Roll up the belly lengthwise to form a tight cylinder and tie tightly at 2-inch intervals with kitchen twine and place seam side down on a resting rack fitted with a baking tray underneath. Make incisions lengthwise on the skin-side, about ½-inch apart from each other from end to end. Do not cross hatch the incisions. Season the outside of the roast with remaining salt and roast the porchetta until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of meat registers 145°F, about 3 ½ hours.
- When the meat is almost done, heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°F. Remove the porchetta from the oven and ladle the hot oil over the skin until the surface of the roast becomes crispy and blistering.
- Let the porchetta rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.