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Porchetta
(Italian Herb Scented Roast Pork)
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this story & recipe...
For several years we’ve traveled to from our New Hampshire home to
Europe for our vacations. By renting homes from the owners and living
like the natives we can stay for three weeks for less than one spends for a
week in Disney World. The bonus is that we share the life and culture of
the town and its people, shopping and getting to know the shopkeepers.
We plan our day trips to follow the open markets which travel from
village to village to sell the best fresh ingredients, which we usually buy
for our evening meals. We still talk of the huge mushrooms with
iridescent green gills I brought home from a market in Provence which
received dubious stares from my wife Joanne and our friends. They
rendered intense earthy flavor when sautéed with garlic in local olive oil
for a meal we all remember more vividly than any in a restaurant.
Markets in Europe have vendors selling meat, fish and cheese, and many
sell hot food. In northern Italy, it seems each outdoor market has a
vendor selling porchetta, a pig which is boned, flavored with wild fennel,
rosemary, garlic and sometimes with its own liver and heart and then
rolled, tied and cooked over wood charcoal. Slabs are sliced to order and
made into sandwiches on crusty fresh bread. Long lines form, with
special instructions being shouted from the customers, indicating if they
prefer “grassso” (fatty) or not and whether they want some of the
crackling crisp skin (you do!).
A couple of years ago in Greve, in the Chianti region of Tuscany, we had
wandered through the market, buying incredible sausage from a locally
famous sausage maker, along with bread, cheese and fish for dinner (and
some organic seeds for Italian greens not available here) when we came
upon the porchetta truck. An animated couple, who obviously enjoyed
their product, were red in the face and sweating as they struggled to keep
up with the clamoring customers who stood ten deep around them. We
joined the crowd and after a while managed to convey our order. We
carried the herb scented sandwiches, slices of meltingly tender pork
hanging out of the bread, and sat on a bench to enjoy some of the best
food we had on the entire trip. Again, quality ingredients simply
prepared typified why the Italian approach to food results in incredible
taste and where the whole seems greater than the sum of the parts.
Since most of us will never have the opportunity to cook a whole pig
over charcoal and since we certainly lack the knowledge of the past
generations which guide that memorable Tuscan couple, a much smaller
scale is needed if we wish to try to replicate the flavor of true porchetta.
The best slices of porchetta come from the moist areas of the pig, so it
makes sense to use a cut with collagen and some fat in this recipe. The
butt shoulder roast which does so well in a slow braise seemed to be a
good choice, and, because there are several muscle bundles, it is easy to
spread them in order to work the herb mix into the meat, simulating the
rolled layers of meat and herbs in the whole animal.
The herb mixture is handed down from generations, and I’m sure it
varies with every family – the kind of topic which leads to intense debate.
I know rosemary has been in every sample I’ve tried, as is wild Italian
fennel and probably a wild member of the mint family I was shown by a
native. Garlic is unmistakable, as well, so I was able to come up with my
own version which comes pretty close to real porchetta and has great
flavor, itself. I chopped fresh sage, rosemary and fennel fronds together
with garlic and mixed it with ground mixed pepper corns, coriander seed
and fennel seed. It was moistened with olive oil, lemon juice and a little
white wine, because I felt the acidity of the wine and juice would
intensify the flavor.
I believe the porchetta in Italy is wrapped in its herb flavoring for at least
a day or two before cooking, and a day’s rest in this recipe probably will
intensify the flavor. It was, however, well flavored after sitting at room
temperature for two hours.
Four to six servings:
3 – 3 ½ pound boneless pork shoulder butt, trimmed of excess fat
3- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch fresh sage
6 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed from stems
3 fresh fennel branches, fronds removed from the stems and washed
3 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons whole pepper corns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup white wine
¾ cups chicken stock, white wine or water
Inspect the pork roast to identify the separate muscle bundles. Look for
lines between the muscles which run lengthwise near the middle of the
roast. Using poultry shears or a knife, cut between the muscles and use
your fingers to develop pockets into the center of the meat. Several can be
made along the length of the roast, and more can be made on the other
side, if necessary, but avoid cutting entirely through the meat.
Grind the pepper corns, salt, coriander seeds and fennel seeds in a spice
grinder or mortar and pestle until slightly coarse. Chop herbs and fennel
fronds and mix with garlic. Mix herb mixture with ground spices in a
small bowl and add lemon juice, ¼ cup white wine and olive oil; stir to
mix in the liquids.
Work flavoring mix into all the pouches in the roast and tie meat together
in five or six places with kitchen twine. Rub extra mix over the surface of
the roast, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (remove from
refrigerator 2 hours before cooking) or leave at room temperature for two
hours.
Preheat the oven to 340 degrees. Choose a shallow baking pan just large
enough to hold the roast and any vegetables you wish to cook with the
pork. In Italy, potatoes are cooked in the hot fat which drips from the
porchetta; I put a halved fennel bulb, onion, garlic and carrots with this
roast.
Place the roast into the oven, turning it at 1 hour, and add 1/4 cup of
water, stock or white wine. Check temperature to gauge remaining time.
The cooking time will vary from 1 ½ hours to 2 or more, depending upon
the oven and the shape and temperature of the uncooked roast. Cook
until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Remove the roast and
vegetables from the pan and let rest under foil for 20 – 25 minutes.
Pour fat from the roasting pan, place it over medium heat and deglaze
with1/2 cup chicken stock, water or white wine, along with any juice
from the roast.
Slice the roast into thin pierces and serve with the pan juices and
vegetables.
There are many recipes for roasting pork, but this recipe inspired by the
traditional preparation of porchetta has remarkable flavor and brings
authentic northern Italian flavors to the table. It is ideal for entertaining,
especially if served with a Chianti Classico or a Sangiovese which share
its heritage.
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice
president of the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president
of the NH Farm to Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton
(NH) Farmers' Market. Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows
certified organic herbs, greens and berries at Weather Hill Farm in
Sanbornton, NH.
(Italian Herb Scented Roast Pork)
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this story & recipe...
For several years we’ve traveled to from our New Hampshire home to
Europe for our vacations. By renting homes from the owners and living
like the natives we can stay for three weeks for less than one spends for a
week in Disney World. The bonus is that we share the life and culture of
the town and its people, shopping and getting to know the shopkeepers.
We plan our day trips to follow the open markets which travel from
village to village to sell the best fresh ingredients, which we usually buy
for our evening meals. We still talk of the huge mushrooms with
iridescent green gills I brought home from a market in Provence which
received dubious stares from my wife Joanne and our friends. They
rendered intense earthy flavor when sautéed with garlic in local olive oil
for a meal we all remember more vividly than any in a restaurant.
Markets in Europe have vendors selling meat, fish and cheese, and many
sell hot food. In northern Italy, it seems each outdoor market has a
vendor selling porchetta, a pig which is boned, flavored with wild fennel,
rosemary, garlic and sometimes with its own liver and heart and then
rolled, tied and cooked over wood charcoal. Slabs are sliced to order and
made into sandwiches on crusty fresh bread. Long lines form, with
special instructions being shouted from the customers, indicating if they
prefer “grassso” (fatty) or not and whether they want some of the
crackling crisp skin (you do!).
A couple of years ago in Greve, in the Chianti region of Tuscany, we had
wandered through the market, buying incredible sausage from a locally
famous sausage maker, along with bread, cheese and fish for dinner (and
some organic seeds for Italian greens not available here) when we came
upon the porchetta truck. An animated couple, who obviously enjoyed
their product, were red in the face and sweating as they struggled to keep
up with the clamoring customers who stood ten deep around them. We
joined the crowd and after a while managed to convey our order. We
carried the herb scented sandwiches, slices of meltingly tender pork
hanging out of the bread, and sat on a bench to enjoy some of the best
food we had on the entire trip. Again, quality ingredients simply
prepared typified why the Italian approach to food results in incredible
taste and where the whole seems greater than the sum of the parts.
Since most of us will never have the opportunity to cook a whole pig
over charcoal and since we certainly lack the knowledge of the past
generations which guide that memorable Tuscan couple, a much smaller
scale is needed if we wish to try to replicate the flavor of true porchetta.
The best slices of porchetta come from the moist areas of the pig, so it
makes sense to use a cut with collagen and some fat in this recipe. The
butt shoulder roast which does so well in a slow braise seemed to be a
good choice, and, because there are several muscle bundles, it is easy to
spread them in order to work the herb mix into the meat, simulating the
rolled layers of meat and herbs in the whole animal.
The herb mixture is handed down from generations, and I’m sure it
varies with every family – the kind of topic which leads to intense debate.
I know rosemary has been in every sample I’ve tried, as is wild Italian
fennel and probably a wild member of the mint family I was shown by a
native. Garlic is unmistakable, as well, so I was able to come up with my
own version which comes pretty close to real porchetta and has great
flavor, itself. I chopped fresh sage, rosemary and fennel fronds together
with garlic and mixed it with ground mixed pepper corns, coriander seed
and fennel seed. It was moistened with olive oil, lemon juice and a little
white wine, because I felt the acidity of the wine and juice would
intensify the flavor.
I believe the porchetta in Italy is wrapped in its herb flavoring for at least
a day or two before cooking, and a day’s rest in this recipe probably will
intensify the flavor. It was, however, well flavored after sitting at room
temperature for two hours.
Four to six servings:
3 – 3 ½ pound boneless pork shoulder butt, trimmed of excess fat
3- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch fresh sage
6 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed from stems
3 fresh fennel branches, fronds removed from the stems and washed
3 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons whole pepper corns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup white wine
¾ cups chicken stock, white wine or water
Inspect the pork roast to identify the separate muscle bundles. Look for
lines between the muscles which run lengthwise near the middle of the
roast. Using poultry shears or a knife, cut between the muscles and use
your fingers to develop pockets into the center of the meat. Several can be
made along the length of the roast, and more can be made on the other
side, if necessary, but avoid cutting entirely through the meat.
Grind the pepper corns, salt, coriander seeds and fennel seeds in a spice
grinder or mortar and pestle until slightly coarse. Chop herbs and fennel
fronds and mix with garlic. Mix herb mixture with ground spices in a
small bowl and add lemon juice, ¼ cup white wine and olive oil; stir to
mix in the liquids.
Work flavoring mix into all the pouches in the roast and tie meat together
in five or six places with kitchen twine. Rub extra mix over the surface of
the roast, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (remove from
refrigerator 2 hours before cooking) or leave at room temperature for two
hours.
Preheat the oven to 340 degrees. Choose a shallow baking pan just large
enough to hold the roast and any vegetables you wish to cook with the
pork. In Italy, potatoes are cooked in the hot fat which drips from the
porchetta; I put a halved fennel bulb, onion, garlic and carrots with this
roast.
Place the roast into the oven, turning it at 1 hour, and add 1/4 cup of
water, stock or white wine. Check temperature to gauge remaining time.
The cooking time will vary from 1 ½ hours to 2 or more, depending upon
the oven and the shape and temperature of the uncooked roast. Cook
until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Remove the roast and
vegetables from the pan and let rest under foil for 20 – 25 minutes.
Pour fat from the roasting pan, place it over medium heat and deglaze
with1/2 cup chicken stock, water or white wine, along with any juice
from the roast.
Slice the roast into thin pierces and serve with the pan juices and
vegetables.
There are many recipes for roasting pork, but this recipe inspired by the
traditional preparation of porchetta has remarkable flavor and brings
authentic northern Italian flavors to the table. It is ideal for entertaining,
especially if served with a Chianti Classico or a Sangiovese which share
its heritage.
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice
president of the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president
of the NH Farm to Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton
(NH) Farmers' Market. Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows
certified organic herbs, greens and berries at Weather Hill Farm in
Sanbornton, NH.
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