Crispy-Skin Porchetta with Sofrito

Directions Print

1. First, pat the pork belly dry and flip the belly so that the flesh side is up and make crisscross cuts. Be careful not to cut all the way through. This is for the marinade to penetrate and give more flavor. Flip over the pork belly, skin side up; with a meat tenderizer or Jaccard, poke many holes in the skin, but do not go through the skin. This will allow the skin to dry out so that you will get the crispy chicharron texture you are looking for.
2. Place the pork belly, skin side up, in a shallow pan. Pour in enough marinade to come just up the sides, but do not completely submerge. You want the skin to dry and not touch the marinade. Place ½ the salt on top of the pork belly on the skin, and spread a thin layer evenly, as this will help to dry and release the moisture in the skin. Place in the cooler for a minimum of 24 hours.
3. For the sofrito, it’s best to make this at least one day in advance so that the flavors have a chance to marry well. Rough chop all the vegetables like for a stock; combine in a bowl and mix.
4. In a food processor, in batches, pulse the mixture 3-5 times, but do not purée. You want the texture, and small bits of the peppers and onions. Your mixture should resemble a rustic salsa. Refrigerate and this will keep for 5 days.
5. For the pork belly, remove from the marinade and scrape the salt off the skin. Pat the pork belly dry and place in a fresh pan with a trivet or wire screen rack. Place back in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours to dry completely.
6. For the porchetta, on a cutting board, place a towel to make sure the skin stays dry as you wrap the porchetta. Depending on the length of the pork belly, cut 12-15 pieces of butcher’s twine, about 18 inch long. Spread them 1 inch apart on the towel-covered cutting board. Lay down the pork belly, skin side down, and season with the salt, pepper supreme and a generous layer of about 3 cups of the sofrito. Make sure to spread it all through the crevasses. Begin by rolling the pork belly lengthwise and a full rotation. Make sure the roll is very tight, then begin tying the butcher’s twine, making sure twine is tight. The seam should be at the bottom. Place in the cooler for 1 hour to fi rm up and make sure the skin is dry.
7. Place the porchetta on a trivet or wire screen rack and roast in the oven at 350°F for 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 170°F.
8. Once the roast is done, remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. The final step is to ladle hot oil on top while the porchetta is in a deep hotel pan on top of a fresh trivet or wire screen rack. This will give you the chicharron texture all around the porchetta. Once completed, slice with a serrated knife into 1-inch slices.