Outdoor Porchetta Recipe (2024)

I've made porchetta several times and want to comment on some refinements to,the recipe. Judging from from the photo, they used a pork belly with the skin attached tied onto the roasts because it's really difficult to get a roast with that kind of fat layer on it. An easy remedy is to add the pork belly. Also, not all boneless roasts are easily laid out to season, so butterflying is helpful if that's the case. It's a spectacular presentation for a special meal!

If using pork shoulder (with skin or with pork belly with skin tied on), I would recommend grilling at 275 for about 7 hours, then let it rest (up to 2 hours in foil), then blast it in a very hot oven or grill until it crisps up, turning frequently. This is a cross between the techniques of Americas Test Kitchen and The Food Lab. It is beyond amazing. If you have any leftover, crisp it a bit and make carnitas!

If you don't have a decent fat cap before you start, it won't be porchetta at the end. Tie on a pork belly if necessary.

I made this for a group of 20 so it had to be a large shoulder and I ordered one boneless, skin on. I realized the the fat cap was way too fatty so I removed it from the meat in one piece, sliced much of the fat away leaving an inch of it against the skin and tied it back on the meat after seasoning. It looked just like the picture! So I'm thinking that's what the recipe creator did.

Yes to longer time at lower trmperature. This is what Aaron Franklin recommends, and he has people waiting up to 3 hours in line to buy his meats in Austin.

This was wonderful. I followed the directions closely (did insert garlic cloves in meat cuts) and cooked on my gas grill with one side off until 140 degrees. The temperature spanned 400 to 300 degrees. I let it sit two hours after cooking. Tender and delicious. A real treat.

Are we talking charcoal grill or can this be done on gas??

I find its best to remove the fat and cook seperately especially on a big piece of meat. Ive always struggled to make perfect crackling.

I did this in the oven in winter, it turned out very well. I used a pork collar wrapped inside a pork belly. Shoulder would be fine. I followed directions on Serious Eats, with seasonings based on Roli Roti's carts in San Francisco (recommend doubling the herbs). Cooked for 7 hours - low & slow - and it could have gone longer! Served it chopped up for sandwiches with onion jam. It would really be wonderful done on the grill, but w/lower temp, longer cook to become meltingly tender.

I made this for a group of 20 so it had to be a large shoulder and I ordered one boneless, skin on. I realized the the fat cap was way too fatty so I removed it from the meat in one piece, sliced much of the fat away leaving an inch of it against the skin and tied it back on the meat after seasoning. It looked just like the picture! So I'm thinking that's what the recipe creator did.

If you don't have a decent fat cap before you start, it won't be porchetta at the end. Tie on a pork belly if necessary.

The picture is not a rendition of the written recipe.. Beware people....

In the Sudbury, Canada version, dill is used in place of fennel.
Try it for a variation.

This was wonderful. I followed the directions closely (did insert garlic cloves in meat cuts) and cooked on my gas grill with one side off until 140 degrees. The temperature spanned 400 to 300 degrees. I let it sit two hours after cooking. Tender and delicious. A real treat.

If using pork shoulder (with skin or with pork belly with skin tied on), I would recommend grilling at 275 for about 7 hours, then let it rest (up to 2 hours in foil), then blast it in a very hot oven or grill until it crisps up, turning frequently. This is a cross between the techniques of Americas Test Kitchen and The Food Lab. It is beyond amazing. If you have any leftover, crisp it a bit and make carnitas!

I've made porchetta several times and want to comment on some refinements to,the recipe. Judging from from the photo, they used a pork belly with the skin attached tied onto the roasts because it's really difficult to get a roast with that kind of fat layer on it. An easy remedy is to add the pork belly. Also, not all boneless roasts are easily laid out to season, so butterflying is helpful if that's the case. It's a spectacular presentation for a special meal!