Best 6 Porchetta Limoncello Recipes

PORCHETTA (AUTHENTIC ITALIAN PORK ROAST)

Steps:

• Open the piece of pork onto the butcher paper or clean countertop, skin side down.
• Sprinkle generously with the salt, then work the salt into the pork.
• Next, add the rosemary. We used fresh rosemary as I have a bush in my garden. Rub it and crush it between your fingers to release the oils.Add the freshly ground black pepper all over the porchetta. Now add the fennel pollen. Sprinkle evenly over the pork, but save a little of the pollen for after the porchetta has been rolled.
• Roll it tightly, but as you roll it, sprinkly some salt onto the unseasoned pork. Continue rolling until you reach the end.
• Keeping the seam side down, start tying the pork. Another pair of hands will make this part immensely easier. There's no need for fancy ties or sailors' knots, just wrap, double knot and cut.
• Repeat every few inches. The goal is only to keep the porchetta closed, so don't tie it too tightly, either. As you can see, ours is far from perfect, but unless you're serving the Queen of England, it won't matter.
• Turn the roast seam side up and add more seasonings, including the rest of the fennel pollen to the non-skin parts of the pork which are exposed (including the ends).
• Place seam side down on a rack on a roasting pan or baking tray. Cover the ends with aluminum foil and secure with toothpicks.
• Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over the skin with your hands. Sprinkle with more salt and rosemary.
• Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
• Place in the hot oven when it comes to temperature and roast for 1 hour, then lower the temperature to 350°F (170°C) and continue to cook for about another 2 hours. Check the center of the roast when it reaches 170°F (76°C) remove from the oven. Take the foil off the ends and place on top of the porchetta, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
• Using a sharp knife, remove one or two of the pieces of twine. Cut into slices and serve on crusty Italian rolls, or bread, Italian style!

CRISPY ROASTED PORCHETTA

Steps:

• Score the skin of the pork belly with an extremely sharp knife or a razor blade (or ask your butcher to do it). Poke the flesh side all over with the tip of a paring knife.
• Put the fennel seeds and peppercorns in a small dry skillet; toast over medium heat until very fragrant and a few shades darker, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool, then grind in a spice grinder. Mix the ground spices with the red pepper flakes, sage, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, orange zest, garlic and 2 tablespoons salt. Rub the mixture into the flesh side of the pork belly.
• Roll the belly up as tightly as possible and secure it with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Rub the outside with the baking powder and 1 tablespoon salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 to 2 days.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Set the rolled pork belly in a large roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees F and roast until the skin is golden brown and crisp all over, about 20 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

PORCHETTA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together sage, rosemary, oregano, garlic, fennel pollen, salt, pepper, and lemon zest; set aside.
• Place pork belly skin side up on a clean work surface. Using a very sharp knife, score skin in a diamond-shape fashion. Turn pork belly over so that it is skin-side down. Season flesh side of belly with salt and pepper and half of the herb mixture.
• Place pork loin on a cutting board. Holding the blade of the knife parallel to board, cut along the length of the pork loin, but not all the way through. Unfold so that it opens like a book. Place butterflied loin on top of pork belly. Season with salt and pepper and spread with remaining herb mixture.
• Roll pork away from you into a cylindrical shape; tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals to make snug.
• Season skin with salt and pepper. Transfer to refrigerator, uncovered, so that it air-dries for 3 days.
• Fit a rimmed baking sheet with a rack and transfer pork to rack. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a rack set in the lower third of the oven.
• Transfer pork, skin side up, to oven and cook until skin begins to crackle, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast reaches 135 degrees, about 2 1/2 hours, tenting with foil if necessary. Let stand 30 minutes before slicing.
• Make the salsa verde: In a medium bowl, mix together shallot, parsley, chives, vinegar, oregano, and salt; whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Stir in mustard and lemon juice, set aside.
• Make the sandwich: Cover split sides of rolls with salsa verde. Place 3 porchetta slices and some of the crackling on one half of each of the rolls; top with arugula; and sandwich together with remaining half.

LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Zest the lemons, and place zest into a large glass bottle or jar. Pour in vodka. Cover loosely and let infuse for one week at room temperature.
• After one week, combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Do not stir. Boil for 15 minutes. Allow syrup to cool to room temperature.
• Stir vodka mixture into syrup. Strain into glass bottles, and seal each bottle with a cork. Let mixture age for 2 weeks at room temperature.
• Place bottled liqueur into the freezer. When icy cold, serve in chilled vodka glasses or shot glasses.

PORCHETTA LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Cut pork into 1/2-inch thick slices, then pound each piece flat into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
• Season both sides of pork pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shake lightly, and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in large (12 or 14-inch) non-stick skillet over medium high heat, until smoking.
• Working in batches (make sure to leave space between pieces or it won't brown properly--saute pork in hot oil until lightly golden brown on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Set pork pieces aside when done.
• In the same skillet, reduce heat to low and melt butter.
• Once the butter is melted, add limoncello (careful--it will steam very high for a couple of seconds). Simmer for about two minutes, then add all of the pork pieces, overlapping slightly if necessary.
• Raise the heat to medium-low, and immediately sprinkle the garlic over the top, then cover pan with lid and simmer five minutes more.
• Turn pork over, squeeze about six lemon slices in between pork and layer the top with pepperoncini slices. Cover and simmer an additional three minutes. Pork should have a deep golden color when done.
• Arrange pork on a serving platter, drizzle any remaining sauce over the meat, then garnish plate with remaining lemon slices and whole pepperoncinis.

QUICK LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Peel the lemons carefully, making sure you have none of the white pith on the peel - you want just the yellow.
• Put all the peel and 150 grams sugar in a food processor and process until the peel has been finely minced into the sugar. Empty mixture into a wide-mouthed jar, add vodka, and screw top closed.
• Put in a dark, cool place. Shake once or twice daily for four to five days.
• Make simple syrup by bringing sugar and water to boil in a small saucepan. Let cool.
• Strain lemon peel/vodka mixture into another jar. Press on solids to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Discard solids. (if you can find something tasty to do with them, please mail me with the recipe directly ;-) ). Add cooled simple syrup and stir to combine. Pour into a the bottle you will be using.