Porchetta

Ingredients

• 1 WWC Farm 5lb Pork Belly 
• ⅓ cup salt

PORCHETTA FILLING

• 8 cloves garlic grated
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns 
• 1 Tablespoon coarse kosher salt 
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest
• 1 Tablespoon fresh sage minced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary minced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh fennel fronds minced
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1. Prepare your Roast. Pierce the belly skin all over with a sharp skewer or the tip of a paring knife. Then use your knife to cut a cross-hatch pattern into the flesh of the belly, about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Make the filling. Preheat a small skillet over medium heat and toast the fennel seeds, black peppercorns, and red pepper flakes for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Crush in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder. Add the toasted spice blend to a bowl with the lemon and orange zest, minced garlic, and fresh minced herbs. Combine and then drizzle with the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Assemble the roast. Rub the seasoning paste all over the flesh side of the belly. Be sure to press the seasoning into the cut cross-hatch sections of the belly. Roll the belly up. Once the roast is rolled into a cylinder shape, tie off every inch or so with butcher's twine. The roast should be fairly uniform in shape and thickness when tied.
4. Dry brine the porchetta. Place the tied roast onto a flat roasting rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Season the porchetta on all sides with the 1/3 cup of salt. Refrigerate the roast, uncovered, for at least 12 hours (1 hour per pound of roast). Dry brine the porchetta. Place the tied roast onto a flat roasting rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Season the porchetta on all sides with the 1/3 cup of salt. Refrigerate the roast, uncovered, for at least 12 hours (1 hour per pound of roast).
5. Smoke the porchetta. After the porchetta has brined, remove it from the refrigerator and pat off any excess salt and moisture. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. I prefer pecan for this recipe. Place the porchetta directly on the smoker grates, close the lid, and smoke for approximately 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 140 degrees F. You can plan approximately 20 minutes of smoking for each pound of roast. Remove the porchetta from the smoker and set it on your cutting board to rest while you prepare for the next step.
6. Crisp the skin. This step can be done on a grill or in your oven. If using the same smoker you used to slow smoke, be sure to remove any fat or grease drippings before this step to prevent any additional flare-ups. Preheat your smoker or grill to 500 degrees F. If using an oven, place the porchetta on a roasting rack over a pan to catch any drippings and roast in the center rack of the oven. If using a grill, have tongs handy to roll the roast around easily and keep a no-heat zone on your grill to mitigate flare-ups. Place the roast directly on the grill grates and rotate every couple of minutes to crisp the skin on all sides. Pork belly is fatty, so move regularly and carefully to prevent excessive burning or char on the skin. This step should take less than 10 minutes in both the oven and the grill.
7. Rest and slice. Remove the crisped porchetta roast to your cutting board and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing into thin rounds and serving.