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A thick and juicy porchetta roast will be the main attraction at any special occasion! This easy baked pork is flavored with herbs and prosciutto to give it extreme flavor!
I know Easter is going to be a little different this year. Our Easter meal may not have all the family we would like to see around our table. But the Easter Bunny will still come and we will still celebrate everything about Easter.
I am planning on serving my family this simple porchetta recipe. It is juicy and flavorful and doesn’t require too many ingredients!
What Is Porchetta?
Porchetta is an Italian style boneless pork roast. It is often stuffed with garlic, herbs and is slow-roasted.
This version of porchetta takes the prep time and roast time and cuts it in half without sacrificing any flavor!
Which Cut Is Used for Porchetta?
If you want to be traditional, then you would wrap pork belly around a pork loin roast. I did not know if I could find pork belly, therefore, I just used the pork loin and used the prosciutto to replace the fatty and crispy exterior.
What Do You Need For This Porchetta Recipe?
- 2 ½ lb pork loin roast
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- Dried herbs such as thyme, rosemary, fennel, oregano, and salt
- Olive Oil
- Prosciutto
How Do You Make This Porchetta Roast?
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, combine your dried herbs and the olive oil; stir.
With a small knife, make small slits into the pork loin. Insert your garlic cloves into each of those slits. Doing this will help intensify the garlic flavor throughout the roast.
Carefully spoon or rub the herb mixture over the top of the roast.
Arrange prosciutto slices (overlapping) over the top of the roast, making sure to cover the roast completely.
Place the roast in a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes per pound in a 350-degree oven. The best way to test for doneness, however, is with a meat thermometer. The pork is done when an internal temperature registers 145 degrees.
Allow the pork to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- You can use your favorite herbs in this recipe. I kept with the thyme and the fennel because these are traditional porchetta ingredients, but it is OK to use what you have in your pantry.
- If you want to add minced garlic to your herb mix then please do!
- If you cannot find prosciutto, bacon can be used instead.
- If you do not want to use a pork loin, pork tenderloin can be a good substitute. Make sure you reduce the roasting time to account for the smaller piece of protein.
- Make sure you have a good meat thermometer, it really is the best way to test for doneness with any cut of meat.
Can Porchetta Be Made In Advance?
Absolutely! This roast lends itself perfectly for advance prep. Prepare the recipe as directed up to the roasting. Instead, cover the pork the foil and refrigerate until needed.
When ready, allow the pork to come to room temperature while the oven is preheating, then bake as directed.
Can I Freeze This Porchetta?
Yes, you can freeze this roast. Once the pork has cooled completely, wrap it in aluminum foil (making sure nothing is exposed) and freeze the pork for a month.
Allow the pork to thaw in the refrigerator when needed.
What To Serve With This Pork Roast?
I love serving this recipe with roasted potatoes or lemon risotto. In addition, a lemony kale salad or oven-roasted carrots would also be great side dishes for this recipe!
More Roasted Pork Recipes:
Herb Crusted Pork Roast
Coffee Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Fig Sauce
Pork and Sauerkraut
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lb pork loin roast
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried fennel
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4-6 slices Prosciutto
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, combine your dried herbs and the olive oil and stir.
- With a small knife, make small slits into the pork loin. Insert your garlic cloves into each of those slits.
- Carefully spoon or rub the herb mixture over the top of the roast.
- Arrange prosciutto slices (overlapping) over the top of the roast, making sure to cover the roast completely.
- Place the roast in a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes per pound.
- The pork is done when an internal temperature registers 145 degrees.
- Allow the pork to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
The best way to test for doneness, however, is with a meat thermometer.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1
Amount Per ServingCalories 242Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 86mgSodium 514mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 29g
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FAQs
Cuts for Traditional Porchetta: Belly and Loin
Traditional porchetta is made by butchering a hog such that the boned out loin is still attached to the boned out belly.
What temperature should porchetta be cooked at? ›
Cook the porchetta to an internal temperature of at least 130°F depending on your preferred doneness, because continue to rise in temperature after leaving the oven. 5. Rest for at least 20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute, and use a serrated knife to make slicing easiest.
How do Italians eat porchetta? ›
Across Italy, porchetta is usually sold by pitchmen with their typically white-painted vans, especially during public displays or holidays, and it can be served in a panino. It's a common street food in Rome, and Lazio served as a filling for pizza bianca ( lit. 'white pizza').
What is a good side dish for porchetta? ›
Pairing Perfection: 11 BEST Side Dishes for Porchetta
- Produce.
- • 1 Buttered asparagus.
- • 1 Carrot slaw with cilantro and mint.
- • 1 Cherry tomato salad with fresh basil.
- • 1 Corn, on the Cob.
- • 1 Mashed potatoes with chives, Creamy.
- • 1 Parmesan and garlic green beans.
- • 1 Polenta with mushrooms, Creamy.
The skin wasn't dry enough. Make sure to pat the pork completely dry before rubbing in the salt and oil as excess moisture will stop it from crisping up. It's important to score the skin if you want it really crisp. You'll need a sharp knife for this, or ask your butcher to do it for you.
Do you cook porchetta fat side up or down? ›
Lightly score the skin and fat in a crosshatch pattern using a sharp knife. Flip over the meat and lay it open like a book, fat-side down on the work table with the flappiest side closest to you.
What is the best way to eat porchetta? ›
The best side dishes to serve with porchetta are roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, polenta, mashed sweet potatoes, crispy green beans, stuffed shells, Caprese salad, blistered tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, risotto, glazed carrots, garlic bread and caramelized onions.
Can you eat porchetta raw? ›
Both uncooked or raw pork and undercooked pork are unsafe to eat. Meat sometimes has bacteria and parasites that can make you sick. Thorough cooking kills any germs that might be present.
How many pounds of porchetta per person? ›
How much porchetta to serve per person? Most of the time you'll want to buy ½ pound of uncooked meat per person. But once you start eating pork belly it's incredibly hard to stop, which is why we plan on 1 pound per person. Also, leftovers are excellent in sandwiches so it's wise to plan on making extra!
How is porchetta traditionally served? ›
Porchetta is traditionally a boneless pork loin wrapped in a pork belly, slow roasted with herbs for hours until the skin is super crispy. In Italy, porchetta's traditionally roasted and served as a street food sandwich on a crispy baguette with arugula and a garlic aioli.
The heat at which you cook pork cracklins can also cause them to become hard. If the temperature is not high enough, the skin won't crack properly, resulting in a rubbery texture. Make sure to cook pork skin in oil that has a smoke point of 400 degrees.
How do you cook store bought porchetta? ›
Roast the porchetta in the oven for 45 minutes on 500f turning once at halfway point. After 45 minutes turn heat down to 300f and continue cooking until 145-150f internal temperature is reached.
Do you cook porchetta on high heat first or last? ›
For the crackling on your porchetta, you need to start or finish the cooking process with a blast of high heat.
What does porchetta taste like? ›
Porchetta is a boneless pork roast that was created in central Italy. Porchetta, whether it be alone or with a sandwich is very savory. This means that it's more salty and spicy than it is sweet in flavor. Porchetta is salted during its creation and also has plenty of spices on it for maximum flavor.
What is a good substitute for porchetta? ›
Porchetta Substitutes:
Another good option is a pork butt with the bone removed. Flatten the pork butt by slicing it open and stuff it with the spice and paste mixture.
What is the best pork cut for roasting? ›
In a section further down below, I explain at length why pork shoulder is the best cut for pork roast. But in summary, this is the cut of pork with flesh that can sustain the 3 hour cook time required to get a really good crackling. The meat becomes tender and juicy because it's a slow cooking cut of meat.
What cut of pork is best for shredded pork? ›
Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, melty meat, but it's essential you cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly.
What part of the animal is porchetta? ›
Porchetta: Porchetta is traditionally made from a whole pig, usually deboned, with the skin still attached. The belly and loin are seasoned, rolled, and roasted. * Pulled Pork: Pulled pork is typically made from pork shoulder or pork butt, which is a more fatty and tougher cut compared to the loin used in porchetta.
