Porchetta


Porchetta is perfect for a dinner party or festive roast. It's rich and succulent, and teamed up with the stuffing its a bit special. 

Worth doing! 

Using Jamie Oliver as inspiration with some tweaks. 

There are a fair few ingredients.... 

Ingredients: (to serve 8)

  • 1 x 2.5 kg higher-welfare pork loin , with belly attached. (ask them for a Porchetta- most know what to do!)
  • 2 red onions
  • 7 slices of higher-welfare smoked pancetta
  • olive oil
  • 25 g unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 200g free-range chicken livers , cleaned, trimmed
  • Fresh sage
  • Fresh rosemary
  • ½ a bottle of white wine
  • 100g mixed dried apricots , cranberries, raisins, sultanas
  • 25g pine nuts
  • 50g Parmesan cheese
  • 100g stale breadcrumbs
  • 75ml Vin Santo
  • 4 carrots
  • Heaped tablespoon of plain flour
  • 250ml organic chicken stock

Method:

Let the meat get up to room temp, remove the bones and around 4 inches of skin from the belly end (or do a test roll to see where the skin will be exposed, as you don't want the skin within the roll), Then score the attached skin.

Making up the stuffing:

Peel and finely chop the onions, finely slice the pancetta, then place in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat with 3 tablespoons of oil, the butter and fennel seeds.

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly

Finely chop the chicken livers and strip the herbs from stalks, and finely chop. 

Pop the livers into the pan, followed by the herbs and 25ml of wine.

Chop the dried fruit, and add to the pan along with the pine nuts.

Cook and stir for a few minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. (the smell is incredible)

Finely grate the Parmesan and breadcrumbs and add to the now cool stuffing, smooshing it all together with your (clean) hands.

Pop the pork loin on a board, skin side down, open it out and season with salt and black pepper, then pour over and massage in half the Vin Santo. (take a medicinal sip to taste....) 

Cover the pork with the stuffing, and pour over the remaining Vin Santo, then roll up the pork, pokeing the stuffing in and compacting it as you go.

Tie with butcher’s string to stop it unrolling, season generously and rub all over with oil.

Set your Traeger to Max. (or oven) I used Big Game Pellets to add the rosemary smoke. 

Make a wee raft of carrots in a roasting tray and pop the porchetta skin side up on the carrots. You could go straight on the grill but you'll want the juices for the gravy.  Pour in 250ml of water and the remaining wine.

Pop in the grill for about 30 mins till the skin starts to bubble, then turn it down to 180ºC/350ºF and leave to cook for 4 to 5 hours, Baste it a couple of times and cook till your probe goes in nicely and the meat is tender, 

Once cooked remove from the oven tray to rest for 30 mins  

Gravy time:

Place the roasting tray over a medium heat on the hob.

Skim away most of the fat from the surface using a large spoon or basting syringe.

Sprinkle the flour into the tray, and mash the carrots and get all the bits off the bottom. cook the flour out for a few mins before adding the stock,

Simmer until the gravy is nice and glossy and a good consistancy.

Pass the gravy through a sieve, taste and season.

Carve it all up with a really sharp knife, and serve with the full compliment of Roasted Pots and veg and drench in Gravy.

 


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