Porchetta
Lazio-style herb-scented roast pork
Roast pork is rolled with garlic and herbs, sliced through its crisp skin and served on a plate or tucked into bread.
A rolled roast with crisp skin & a lean centerCrisp skin and herbs,
a central Italian roast.
Porchetta is boned pork seasoned with herbs and roasted until the meat is tender and the skin crisp. It is closely associated with central Italy, including Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria. At markets and food stalls, thin slices often fill a bread roll.
Ariccia in Lazio is particularly known for its protected porchetta, flavored with garlic, rosemary and black pepper. Other preparations may use fennel. The home recipe is a smaller rosemary-and-garlic pork-belly roll, rather than a whole pig or a claim to reproduce the protected product. The photograph shows a larger roast with a lean center; this belly-only version has more visible fat layers.
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At the table: Secondi · Street food.
Let’s make porchetta-style pork belly.
Eight main portions from a 2 kg boneless skin-on belly. This smaller home roast uses rosemary and garlic; it is not Porchetta di Ariccia IGP. The photographed roast also has a lean center.
Eight main portions from a 2 kg boneless skin-on pork belly, about 25 × 30 cm; ask the butcher to remove ribs and cartilage.
What you’ll need
- 2 kgboneless skin-on pork belly
- 4garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 tbspfinely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tspcoarsely ground black pepper
- 25 gfine salt, divided
- 15 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 500 mlwater, for the roasting tray, plus up to 500 ml more if needed
Total includes 12 hours drying and 30 minutes resting. The 3½-hour cooking allowance includes the hot finish; thickness and oven performance can extend it. Belly-only porchetta is rich and fatty. Bread, vegetables or other sides are separate preparations.
How to make it
- 01
Season and roll
Pat pork dry. Lay skin down and make shallow cuts in the thickest meat without cutting through the skin. Rub flesh with garlic, rosemary, pepper, oil and 20 g salt. Roll tightly so the skin wraps around the outside, and tie with kitchen string at 3 cm intervals. Pat the skin dry again.
- 02
Dry overnight
Set the roll on a rack over a tray, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Keep it below ready-to-eat foods. The skin should feel dry before roasting.
- 03
Roast slowly
Heat a conventional oven to 160°C/320°F. Rub the remaining 5 g salt over the dry skin. Put the rack and roll over a deep roasting tray with 500 ml water underneath, keeping water off the skin. Roast for about 3 hours, turning the tray halfway through. Add some extra water to the tray if drippings begin to burn. The thickest center must reach at least 74°C/165°F; the belly should also feel tender under a skewer. Allow longer if still firm.
- 04
Crisp the skin
Raise the oven to 230°C/450°F. Roast for 15–30 minutes, watching closely, until the skin blisters and crisps. Turn the tray if one side colors faster. Stop before herbs or skin scorch.
- 05
Rest and slice
Rest on the rack for 30 minutes, uncovered so the skin stays crisp. Cut away all string and slice with a sharp serrated knife. Serve warm in modest slices.
While you’re in Lazio…
SecondiAbbacchio alla Romana
Lamb braises with garlic, rosemary and white wine, then takes on a savory, lightly sharp sauce from anchovies and vinegar.
PrimiAgnolotti del Plin
Small pinched pasta parcels hold a fine filling of braised veal, pork and spinach, dressed simply with butter and sage.
AntipastiAntipasto Misto
Cured meats, cheeses, olives and preserved vegetables make a shared Italian starter, with bread for assembling small bites.