This was a very piggy holiday season.
It started when the December Food & Wine arrived with a recipe for Mario Batali’s porchetta. Generally, I am not a fan of his recipes, as I find them very Americanized and not really authentic. But this recipe appealed, as long as I changed out the garlic for shallots.
I made it for a dinner party to welcome our young friend Stephanie from Venice; she has come to Tucson to study art history at the University. We were joined by our mutual friends Annamaria and Giuseppe, who divide their time between Tucson and Milan.
In lieu of the traditional chopped organ meats, Mario’s porchetta is stuffed with a combination of sautéed sausage, onions, and fennel, and augmented by fennel seeds, fennel fronds, and rosemary. It is then rolled into a perfectly even shape (hah!), and tied.
In making the recipe, I found it very difficult to stuff, roll and tie. When it was done and had rested 30 minutes, I also found it hard to slice. The end result was quite tasty, nevertheless, and we all agreed it was worth making again. I made some notes for the next time, which included making less stuffing and making my own pork sausage instead of using store bought (I use higher quality meat – less gristle).
Enter Melissa Clark, food columnist for the New York Times.
A week or so later, in one of her NY Times videos, she made porchetta and and the editors mention that her recipe is the “real deal.” Well, I can assure you that it isn’t the real deal (I’m not a huge fan of hers, either) but I have to say that it sounded fantastic, and was much simpler than Mario’s.
To be the “real deal” in the world of porchetta, one has to bone, stuff, and roll an entire pig, and then roast it slowly on a spit. Let’s be honest: this will never happen in my tiny kitchen.
I decided to make Melissa’s porchetta for Pauline and Alex, who were visiting from Zurich, Switzerland. It was, indeed, incredibly simple – and the flavor was outstanding! In fact, it tasted much more like traditional porchetta than Mario’s.
Markipedia found it intensely reminiscent of his first encounter with porchetta at a rural crossroad in the Roman campagna forty years ago: a whole, stuffed pig just pulled from a free-standing, wood-fired, outdoor oven. He is delighted this is a recipe I intend to make over and over.
Both recipes say they serve 8 or so… but each would easily take care of a small army. That is the good part about them: they are perfect for holiday entertaining… or, if you want tons of leftovers. (Which is what we are eating this week in the form of traditional porchetta sandwiches on fresh bread crispy from the oven…)
If you are into stuffing, rolling, and tying a roast (really, it is not as easy as his recipe title suggests!), give Mario’s a try; the recipe is found here. But if you want a simple, unbelievably flavorful, porchetta-inspired roast, I suggest you give you my slightly-adapted version of Melissa’s a try.
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| Mark lights the candles on the Christmas tree for the last time this season. |
I think, after 18 pounds or so of pork between these two recipes, I have had my fill of pork for a while. At least until next week.
Oink! Oink!
~ David
Porchetta-esque
Slightly adapted from Melissa Clark’s recipe in the New York Times.
1 8-pound bone-in, pork shoulder, fat trimmed to 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 large shallot, finely grated
finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 teaspoons fennel seeds
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Score skin and fat all over pork at 1 1/2-inch intervals, taking care not to cut down through the meat.
In a food processor, combine fennel fronds, rosemary, sage, shallot, lemon zest, salt, fennel seed, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and olive oil. Pulse until it forms a paste. Rub all over the bottom, sides and fatty top of the pork, making sure the mixture gets into the scored sections of the top. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove pork from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before you want to cook it. Heat oven to 450°F. Transfer pork, fat side up, to a parchment- or foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and roast 35 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°F and cook an additional 3 to 4 hours, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 180 degrees, which will give you sliceable, tender meat. (Mine was done after about 3 1/2 hours.)
Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before serving. When slicing, make sure everyone gets some of the cracklings.
Leftovers make the best sandwiches, much like those available in food trucks at the daily markets in Italy. Simply warm a few slices of porchetta, and put them on freshly baked warm ciabatta – no mayo or mustard needed. They are simple and wonderful on their own.
Note:
There are regional differences between Tuscan and Roman porchetta, as told to me by my Markipedia. The Roman version is heavier on its use of fennel, while the Tuscan version leans more to the rosemary side of the spectrum, though in neither case to the exclusion of the other herb.
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| A Christmas Eve visit to the Mission of San Xaviere del Bac. |
Susan Manfull
January 10, 2015 at 8:28 pmWow! The porchetta and the leftovers it provides both sound terrific. I am curious what you served the porchetta with…or what do you suggest? Inspiring photos, too!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 10, 2015 at 9:16 pmGood questions, Susan! I served it with mashed potatoes (although I think next time I will roast them) and sautéed rapini (broccoli rabe).
Unknown
January 10, 2015 at 9:08 pmLooks fabulous, but where in Tucson would I find a skin on pork shoulder?
Cocoa & Lavender
January 10, 2015 at 9:15 pmThanks, Sarah! As it happens, we got this pork shoulder (also know as pork butt) at Albertsons. I think many of the grocery stores carry them for pulled pork. One of our favorite places – where we usually get it – is Dickman's Meats – there is one at Oracle and Orange Grove (NE corner) and another on the East Side. I hope that helps!
john | heneedsfood
January 10, 2015 at 10:58 pmOne day I'd love to do an entire traditional porchetta, but realistically that will never happen in my household. I just don't have the means.
And eating left-over porchetta for a week … I'd happily deal with that!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 11, 2015 at 12:55 amI know, John – wouldn't it be fun? But not in my kitchen, either. Nor haggis, although I love it, too.
The last hunk of Porchetta and the bone just made a really hearty stew today. That pork should has done us very wells,
Cathleen | My Culinary Mission
January 11, 2015 at 5:25 amThis sounds amazing! As well as the wonderful sounding leftovers – especially the sandwiches.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 12, 2015 at 12:49 amThe sandwiches have been amazing. I hope the stew is good, too!
Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things
January 11, 2015 at 8:20 amOh my, this sounds amazing, David… yum! Tell me, have you seen the spiced cranberries on Good Things. I wonder if it would sit well with your porchetta!?
Cocoa & Lavender
January 12, 2015 at 12:50 amLiz -I think your spiced cranberries would be perfect with this! Great suggestion!
Chef Mimi
January 11, 2015 at 2:50 pmI just bought a book on butchering, which I hope will help me with projects such as porchetta. I can't ask the "butcher" at my local grocery store to do anything, so I decided I finally need to figure it out myself. Your pork looks fabulous.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 12, 2015 at 12:50 amGood for you, Mimi! A book on butchering is intimidating to me! Sometimes local butchers are just that – butchers.
Tina
January 12, 2015 at 12:16 amWow, you pork looks wonderful, juicy and tender. If I cooked mine to 180, I would have new shoe leather for the whole family. You must have a great butcher.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 12, 2015 at 12:49 amTina – I followed Melissa Clark's recipe to the degree and it was fine. Usually, I take out pork at 165° but this was prefect. Maybe it was the fat content? I must say that I got this chunk o' meat at the grocery store!
Cheri Savory Spoon
January 13, 2015 at 12:24 amI bet the holidays are a wonderful time at your house David, beautiful dish and I bet the sandwiches were amazing.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 13, 2015 at 4:05 amThe holidays were nice and quiet here, Cheri. Just what we needed! And, yes, the sandwiches were amazing!
Unknown
January 13, 2015 at 5:25 amI'm sure this is delicious David, but please don't make it for me when I visit you! 🙂
I do wish you were closer and I could visit you, I bet it's a fun time at your house. My daughter isn't considering any of the Arizona colleges so I have no excuse there either!
Her friend on the other hand is headed to Arizona State or even U of A, hasn't decided yet. Maybe I'll visit her 😉
In the meantime, you need to stop over in Denver again.
Nazneen xx
Cocoa & Lavender
January 13, 2015 at 3:43 pmNazneen – two strikes in a row! 🙂 And yet you still leave the sweetest comments! I promise next week will be okay!
I wish your daughter would consider the UofA! It is a great school!
xox, David
Nuts about food
January 15, 2015 at 11:44 amFinally catching up again! I will tell you, I was already impressed when I read you were making porchetta at home. But you blew me away when you mentioned making your own sausage!! Happy New Year and look forward to reading the other posts I missed.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 15, 2015 at 2:45 pmFiona – you really need to try making your own sausage meat. Even if you don't put it in casings (which is a pain, I admit), the delicacy of the texture and the flavor you can get are so superior!
Nuts about food
January 30, 2015 at 11:28 amI am sure you are right… will try once both kids are in high school! ;o) Oh, also just noticed the Xmas tree photo, don't know how I missed it last time. LOVE it!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 30, 2015 at 2:37 pmThat seems like a perfect plan! I love our quirky tree, too, Fiona – but I miss being able to have a truly fresh tree with the candles like we had back East. But it did make me realize that the candles were the best part!
Sippity Sup
January 17, 2015 at 7:56 pmYou hang with such international jet setters! I guess they flock from around the world for your porchetta. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
January 18, 2015 at 4:09 pmHah! If that were only the case, Greg! I may be the only fool out there who makes Italian food for Italian people! 🙂
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
January 18, 2015 at 8:47 amDavid, you actually tried out two recipes for porchetta – I must say that I am utterly impressed. I have not made any in ages and I find it very interesting that you would compare a recipe from Mario Battaglia and Melissa Clark – so much to learn here. I wish I could invite such an illustrious crowd to our dinner table but it is mostly us and the kids for dinner! What I really like is the "left-over" pork sandwich, as Porchetta tends to make an amazing tasting sandwich topping the day after…
I love pok and I will have to get going on making Porchetta again soon – thank you for the inspiration this Sunday morning . we are having chicken soup and pasta today, I would much rather have Porchetta now.
Alles Liebe,
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
January 18, 2015 at 4:10 pmAndrea – I think you will be really pleased with Melissa Clark's version. It is so incredibly flavorful, and it slices so beautifully.
Your chicken soup with pasta sounds lovely – and perfectly light!