Outdoor Porchetta
- Total Time
- About 5 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:15 to 20 servings
- 1whole boneless skin-on pork shoulder
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 8 to 10garlic cloves, chopped
- 3tablespoons fennel pollen or minced fresh rosemary
- Crusty rolls (such as kaiser) or fresh focaccia, cut in half horizontally, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (18 servings)
405 calories; 30 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 398 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Use the tip of a sharp, strong knife to roughly score the skin into diamonds, about ¾ inch on each side.
- Step 2
Liberally season the inside of the roast with salt and pepper. Rub in garlic and fennel pollen or rosemary. With the skin on the outside, roll into a cylinder and tie tightly at 1- to 2-inch intervals.
- Step 3
On one side of a grill large enough for indirect cooking, rest a drip pan under the grate to catch the drippings. Pour in an inch or two of hot water to prevent flare-ups. You may need to top up or empty and refill the pan once during the cooking, depending on how fatty the roast is.
- Step 4
Heat the other side of the grill to high. Place the tied roast on the other side, away from the direct heat, and close the grill.
- Step 5
Roast at 350 to 375 degrees (the temperature can hover between the two), turning occasionally, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 140 degrees, about 3 to 4 hours. (The temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests.) If the meat is cooked through but the skin is not crisp, move the roast to the part of the grill that sits over direct, high heat. Cook with the grill open, turning often, just until sizzling and crisp (not more than 10 minutes, to prevent overcooking).
- Step 6
Let rest, tented loosely with foil, at least 20 minutes before slicing. (A bread knife is useful to cut through the skin.) The meat can be served hot or at room temperature. Serve in sandwiches on crusty rolls, or inside split pieces of focaccia.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Patricia
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!
Sue
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!
Marqua1
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.
David
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.
Gillen Reed
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.
Lbrookey
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.
Calisson
I don't get it. Why use a photo of a roast with pork belly tied onto it, but make no mention at all of that being one of the necessary ingredients? I am pretty sure that without said pork belly you'd get a pretty disappointing result.
Peter
The picture is not a rendition of the written recipe.. Beware people....
Roberto Pisano
It is implied, but not specified, that the roast should be butterflied before prepping.
Calisson
I don't get it. Why use a photo of a roast with pork belly tied onto it, but make no mention at all of that being one of the necessary ingredients? I am pretty sure that without said pork belly you'd get a pretty disappointing result.
ewkrause
Are we talking charcoal grill or can this be done on gas??
Sally
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.
Leek
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.
Gillen Reed
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.
Marqua1
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.
Peter
The picture is not a rendition of the written recipe.. Beware people....
Anne
In the Sudbury, Canada version, dill is used in place of fennel.
Try it for a variation.
Lbrookey
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.
Sue
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!
David
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.
Patricia
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!
Katherine
I'm not sure I understand the sentence "an easy remedy is to add the pork belly." Do you mean as pictured?
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