This rich, crackling-coated pork roast has all the intense garlic, lemon and herb flavors of a classic Italian porchetta, but is much simpler to make. It utilizes inexpensive pork shoulder rather than pork belly (which can be difficult to find, depending on your local market).
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Culinary 4
Ingredients
17- to 8-pound bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder roast, or a 6- to 7-pound boneless roastfat trimmed to 1/4-inch thickness
¼cupchopped fennel fronds
¼cupchopped fresh rosemary
2teaspoonschopped fresh sage leaves
5garlic clovesgrated or mashed to a paste
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 ½tablespoonskosher salt
1teaspoonfennel seed
¾teaspoonred pepper flakes
½teaspoonblack pepper
¼cupextra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Score skin and fat all over pork, taking care not to cut down to the meat.
In a food processor or mortar and pestle, combine fennel fronds, rosemary, sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt, fennel seed, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Pour in oil.
Pulse or mash until it forms a paste. Rub all over pork. If using a boneless roast, tie with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.
Remove pork from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before you want to cook it. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet and roast 35 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and cook an additional 2 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 180 degrees, which will give you sliceable, tender meat. (Bone-in roasts will take longer than boneless ones.)
Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Make sure everyone gets some of the cracklings.