Oscar's Porchetta
Ingredients
- 2kg Free Range Boneless Pork Loin or Belly (ask your butcher for this - a leaner piece will be better for this dish if it’s available)
- 1 tbsp of crushed garlic
- 1/2 tbsp fennel seed
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1 generous bunch parsley (Finely Chopped)
- 1 small bunch dill (Finely Chopped)
- A few sprigs of rosemary (Stripped)
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- Zest of one lemon
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- Salt flakes
Method
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Lay pork down on a flat surface with the skin side down and the meaty side up. Rub meaty side with garlic, lemon zest, paprika, fennel seeds, chilli flakes.
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Sprinkle chopped herbs on top of this, spreading evenly over the whole piece.
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Roll the pork into a log and tie with butcher's twine in a few places to keep everything in place.
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Score skin (or prick all over if you don’t have a sharp enough knife to do this). Ensure you’re just cutting through the skin, not deep enough to pierce the meat itself.
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Salt the skin and leave uncovered overnight in fridge to dry out skin for excellent crackle.
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On the day of cooking, preheat oven to 200C and salt the skin again as needed.
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Roast for 30 mins on 200C then 1 hour 30 mins on 170C. It’s a good idea to use a trivet (a roasting tray that elevates the pork off the bottom of the dish to allow more airflow around the entire piece) if you have one.
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Rest for at least 15 - 20 mins before serving to allow the juices to redistribute in the meat.
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If your crackle hasn’t popped as much as you’d like, finish off under the grill - but don’t take your eyes off it!
