Authentic Porchetta di Ariccia Recipe
Ariccia, Italy
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Introduction & history
Made exclusively with the breed of pigs raised in the Ariccia area, such as Landrace, Large White, Pietrain and related hybrids, a perfectly prepared porchetta di Ariccia is characterized by pinkish-white meat and a brown, incredibly crunchy crust. It is made using an entire sow, about 27-45 kilos total, which is deboned manually, and then seasoned with salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic which are rubbed into the meat. The pig is then rolled and tied with a butcher's rope at intervals to hold in place, and spit roasted. However, because using an entire pig is usually unpractical for a home cook, the amount of meat and the preparation method in the original recipe are modified. Pork belly alone or in combination with pork loin or sometimes pork shoulder is used instead of a whole piglet, while seasonings vary from recipe to recipe. The meat is usually baked in the oven, but it can also be spit roasted on a grill. Porchetta is carved once the meat has had time to rest, anywhere from 1... Read more
Cooking tips
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meat
Roasting a whole piglet may be unpractical for a home cook, so most recipes bypass this by using deboned pork belly, pork loin, and even leg or shoulder instead. If going only for pork belly, look for one that is meatier, with only about 30% of fat. Also, because even with these adjustments, making a porchetta that is small enough is almost impossible, so it is advised to cut the assembled roll in ... Read more -
method
To help the fat from the skin render better is it important that you score it before baking, and for an incredibly crisp skin, dry it out by refrigerating it overnight, although recipes will differ in the amount of time necessary. Also, oiling the skin may prove unnecessary, but it is very common in recipes. When it comes to the oven temperature, there is no unanimous answer. Some cook at a low temperature,... Read more -
seasoning
The authentic porchetta di Ariccia is seasoned only with salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic, that are rubbed into the meat, or mixed with lard or olive oil and applied to the meat. Some recipes for at home preparation will include more spices and herbs, such as fennel, red pepper flakes, sage, thyme, lemon zest, or orange zest, though that would not be in line with the original recipe. -
serving
Serve with roasted potatoes or roasted vegetables, and some crusty bread, but a salad would also make an excellent side dish. In Italy, however, it is most commonly served as a porchetta panini.
Recipe variations
Traditional Porchetta di Ariccia
PREP 30min
COOK 1h 50min
READY IN 2h 20min
Modified for at home preparation, this is the most basic and traditional porchetta di Aricia recipe. The recipe is adapted from the Australian Gourmet Traveller's website.
Ingredients
Traditional Porchetta di Ariccia
2.2 kg piecefree-range pork belly, scored in a 3cm cross-hatch pattern
100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 tsp finely chopped rosemary
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp black pepper, heaping
100 ml white wine, optional
Preparation
Traditional Porchetta di Ariccia
Lay the pork skin-side up on the worktop and first drizzle it with half of the olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt and rub into the meat. Place the pork in the refrigerator for two hours, uncovered.
Meanwhile, set the oven to preheat to 160°C. Take the pork out of the refrigerator and lay it out skin-side down on the worktop. Sprinkle with rosemary, garlic, and pepper. Roll into a log, and tie with a kitchen string to hold in place. Transfer to a deep roasting pan. Drizzle the log with the remaining half of the olive oil.
Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, then up the temperature to 180°C and roast for another 35-40 minutes. Lastly, add the wine and set the oven temperature to 200°C and bake until crisp, about 35-40 minutes.
Take out of the oven and wait until it cools down a bit, about 30 minutes, then serve.
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