Non-VegetarianLaziale cuisine Main Course

Porchetta di Ariccia

Name: Porchetta di Ariccia
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Laziale
Ingredients: 2 kg Pork belly; 2 tbsp finocchietto selvatico; 6 cloves Garlic; 3 tbsp Fresh rosemary; 1.5 tbsp Black peppercorns; 2 tbsp coarse sea salt; 100 ml Dry white wine; 8 pieces crusty bread rolls

Succulent boned pork belly rolled with garlic, rosemary, and wild fennel, roasted until crisp and carved into crusty bread rolls.

🇮🇹Italy· Lazio

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 180 min
Total: 210 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 620 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

2 kg Pork belly — skin-on, boneless, trimmed into an even rectangle
2 tbsp finocchietto selvatico — wild fennel seeds, lightly crushed
6 cloves Garlic — finely chopped
3 tbsp Fresh rosemary — finely chopped needles
1½ tbsp Black peppercorns — coarsely ground
2 tbsp coarse sea salt — divided between meat and skin
100 ml Dry white wine — for the roasting tin
8 pieces crusty bread rolls — such as rosette or ciabatta rolls

Equipment

•Roasting tin with wire rack
•Kitchen twine
•Mortar and pestle
•Sharp chef knife
•Meat skewer

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 620 kcal
fat: 36 g
carbs: 34 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 38 g
calories: 620 kcal

Instructions

1
Lay the pork belly skin-side down on a clean chopping board.
2
Score the meat lightly in a diamond pattern without piercing through the outer skin.
3
Pound the garlic, wild fennel seeds, rosemary, cracked pepper, and half the salt into a coarse paste.
4
Rub the aromatic seasoning firmly into every cut and crevice of the meat.
5
Roll the pork tightly into a compact cylinder with the skin on the outside.
6
Tie the pork securely with kitchen twine at two-centimetre intervals.
7
Prick the skin thoroughly with a sharp skewer to help render fat.
8
Rub the remaining salt into the dry skin to ensure maximum crispness.
9
Set the pork on a wire rack over a roasting tin containing the wine.
10
Roast at 160C for two and a half hours until the meat is meltingly tender.
11
Raise the oven to 230C for twenty minutes until the skin blisters into crunchy crackling.
12
Rest for fifteen minutes before carving into thick slices and filling crusty bread rolls.

Chef's tips

Ensure the pork skin is completely dry before roasting to achieve signature brittle crackling. If wild fennel seeds are difficult to source, cultivated fennel seeds combined with a pinch of ground fennel pollen provide a very close authentic aroma. Always let the roast rest slightly so the juices settle before carving.

Ingredient substitutions

finocchietto selvatico (wild fennel) → standard fennel seeds with a pinch of ground fennel pollen
pork belly → pork belly wrapped around a small pork loin for a leaner centre

Storage

Wrap leftover roasted porchetta tightly in parchment paper and keep refrigerated for up to three days.

Reheating

Reheat thick slices in a dry frying pan over medium heat to re-crisp the crackling without drying the meat.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Leaving moisture on the pork skin, which leads to chewy rather than brittle crackling.
•Tying the twine too loosely, causing the roll to lose its shape and aromatics while roasting.
•Slicing the roast immediately without resting, which drains the meat of its juices.

Serving suggestions

Carved warm into fresh, crusty rosette rolls.Served at room temperature on a wooden board with pickled Romanesco artichokes.Paired with a chilled glass of Roman Castelli Romani white wine.