Italian Porchetta (see below for sandwiches)
Porchetta (por-KET-uh) is an entire deboned pig, including the head of Italian culinary tradition. It dates back to Roman times, where it was a popular banquet centerpiece. The pig is hand deboned, hand seasoned, sewed and roasted at more than four hours, at temperatures in excess of 500°F. This results in crackling skin and moist, seasoned meat inside.
Porchetta (por'ket:a) is traditionally roasted over wood. Porchetta is usually heavily salted in addition to being stuffed with garlic, rosemary, fennel, or other herbs, often wild. Porchetta has been selected by the Italian Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali as a "prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale" ("traditional agricultural-alimentary product", one of a list of traditional Italian foods held to have cultural relevance).
Although popular in the whole country, porchetta originated in central Italy, with Ariccia (in the Province of Rome) being the town most closely associated with it. Elsewhere, it is considered a celebratory dish. Across Italy porchetta is usually sold by pitchmen with their typically white-painted vans, especially during public displays or holidays, and it can be served in a panino. It is also eaten as a meat dish in many households or as part of a picnic.
Porchetta was introduced to the USA by Italian immigrants of the early 20th century, and is sometimes referred to as "Italian pulled pork". It is in many places served on a sandwich with greens (broccoli raab or spinach) and—controversially—provolone cheese.
Esposito's, a meat shop in South Philadelphia, offers their recipe for porchetta: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butterfly a boneless pork shoulder, with the skin on, until about 2-inches thick around. Season with garlic and fresh herbs and spices to your taste. From the narrow end, roll tightly toward the broad end. Place fat or skin over roll and tie to secure. Bake for 20 minutes per pound. For a crispier skin, roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 20 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees until done. Slice and serve as you wish.
*Porchetta Philly Style
6 lbs fresh ham (uncured leg of pork), boned
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup garlic, minced
2/3 cup dried basil
1 1/2 tbsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 pinch chili pepper pods
3 sprigs rosemary
3 medium chipped onions
4 chopped carrots
3 whole garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Make a spice rub by combining basil, pepper, salt and pepper pods in a bowl. Massage minced garlic and spice rub into both sides of the pork roast. Roll roast fat side out. Place rosemary sprigs on top and tie. Rub with olive oil. Add onion, carrot and garlic bulbs into a roasting pan with the pork roast.
Place in the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. After one hour, add the stock. Cooking time is approximately 25 to 30 minutes to the pound. Cook until the internal temperature is 170. Strain the liquid and remove the fat.
Let the roast settle at least half an hour before carving.
Italian Porchetta Sandwiches
Good served as a sandwich on crusty bread with broccoli rabe, roasted peppers (optional) and sliced sharp Provolone cheese.
Tuscan Smoked
Pork Shoulder (Porchetta)
From: Barbecues 101 by Rick Rodgers
At markets in the squares of Italy, there is almost always a porchetta stand, with a whole pig turning on a mechanized spit. It's impossible to resist getting a sandwich of the roast pork, bursting with garlic and herbs. Back home, I devised a way to make it with a pork shoulder, a cut that gives very moist results. Note that the seasoned pork should be refrigerated overnight to infuse the meat with flavor.
Servings: 10 to 12
Indirect Grilling/ Medium Heat
MAKE AHEAD: Refrigerate the seasoned pork overnight before cooking.
- 4 cups oak wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes and drained
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 (5 1/2- to 6 1/2-pound) whole pork shoulder with skin and bone
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- The day before, chop the garlic. Sprinkle with the salt and chop and smear on a work board into a paste. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the rosemary.
- With the tip of a sharp thin-bladed knife, poke holes all over the pork, going through the skin about 2 inches into the flesh. Push the rosemary paste into the holes. Season the pork all over with the pepper. Place in a large plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
- Meanwhile, build a charcoal fire on one side of an outdoor grill and let it burn until the coals are covered with white ash and you can hold your hand just above the cooking rack for about 3 seconds (medium heat). Place a large disposable aluminum foil pan on the other side of the grill and fill halfway with water. In a gas grill, preheat on High. Turn one burner off, and adjust the other burner(s) to Medium. Place a large disposable aluminum foil pan over the off burner and fill halfway with water.
- Lightly oil the cooking rack. Place the pork over the pan, skin side down. Sprinkle a handful of drained chips over the coals and cover. For a gas grill, place the drained chips in the metal chip holder. Or, wrap the chips in aluminum foil, pierce a few holes in the foil, and place the foil packet on the heat source. Cover the grill.
- Cook until the pork is very tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part not touching a bone reads about 185 degrees F, 5 to 6 hours. Every 40 minutes, turn the pork, and add 10 unignited briquettes and a handful of drained chips to keep the grill temperature at about 300 degrees F. For a gas grill, just add more drained chips about every hour. (If your grill doesn't have a thermostat on its lid, place an oven thermometer next to the meat to get a reading.)
- Transfer the meat to a platter and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Carve across the grain, discarding the rind, and serve hot.
