Heritage Porchetta Sandwiches
• Prep Time: 4 hours • Yields: 20 servings
Ingredients:
Equipment:
Method:
1. Place Pork Belly, skin-side down, on a large cutting board.
2. Using a sharp chef’s knife, score flesh at an angle using strokes about 1-inch apart. Rotate knife 90° and repeat to create a diamond pattern in the flesh.
3. In a small bowl mix the fennel pollen, sea salt, chili flakes, the 7 garlic cloves and the dried parsley.
4. Use your hands to rub the mixture deeply into the cracks and crevices in the meat.
5. Roll belly into a tight log and push to top of cutting board, seam-side down.
6. Cut 12-18 lengths of kitchen twine, long enough to tie around the pork and lay them down in regular intervals along your cutting board, about 1-inch apart.
7. Lay rolled pork seam-side down on top of strings. Working from the outermost strings toward the center, tie up roast tightly. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to cure in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place pork in a v-rack, set in a large roasting pan, or on a wire rack, set in a rimmed baking sheet.
9. Place roasting pan in oven and roast until internal temperature of pork reaches 160°F (about 2 hours), basting with pan drippings every half hour.
10. Continue roasting until a knife or skewer inserted into the pork shows very little resistance asides from the outer layer of skin, about 2 hours longer or until it registers 145°F internal temperature.
11. When pork is fully cooked, increase oven temperature to 500°F and continue roasting until completely crisp and blistered, about 20-30 minutes longer.
12. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice with a serrated knife into 1-inch thick disks and serve immediately as main course or cool and use leftovers to make a delicious sandwich.
13. Heat a grill pan or cast iron on the stove over high heat. Add 3 tbsp. olive oil.
14. Then add broccoli rabe and sear in pan for 2-3 minutes until wilted; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
15. Mix together ingredients for the salsa verde. Assemble the sandwiches.
16. Slice open ciabatta rolls and spread salsa verde on both halves. Add slices of porchetta, broccoli rabe and pork rinds for an extra crunch. Enjoy!