Herb-Stuffed Porchetta with Fennel and Citrus
Porchetta is one of the great Italian pork roasts: rolled, tied, heavily seasoned, and cooked until the skin crackles while the meat inside stays tender. This version skips the liver stuffing found in some regional preparations and keeps the focus where most home cooks want it: pork, garlic, rosemary, sage, fennel, and citrus.
The basic method is pork belly wrapped around pork loin. The belly brings the fat and crackling skin; the loin gives clean slices and a meaty center. The seasoning is where you can make the roast especially Buck's: toasted fennel seeds, a pinch of Italian fennel pollen, lemon zest, and, if you want a brighter aromatic version, a little minced sweetened yuzu peel. Dried citrus works beautifully here too, especially orange peel powder, lemon peel, or finely chopped dried kumquat.
Why Fennel Belongs in Porchetta
Fennel is one of the signature flavors in many porchetta recipes. Toasted whole fennel seed gives the roast its warm, sweet, anise-like backbone. Fennel pollen is more intense and perfumed, so use it as an accent rather than a replacement. A teaspoon in the herb paste is enough to make the pork smell like an Italian market stall without pushing it into licorice territory.
Citrus plays a different role. Lemon zest cuts through the richness of the pork, while yuzu peel or dried orange peel adds a bittersweet, fragrant edge. If using sweetened yuzu peel, chop it very fine and keep the amount modest: it should brighten the filling, not make the roast taste sweet.
Ingredients
- 2 kilograms skin-on, boneless pork belly
- 1 kilogram boneless pork loin
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
- 1 teaspoon fennel pollen, optional but excellent
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon finely minced sweetened yuzu peel, optional
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more for the skin
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
Optional Citrus Variations
If you want to lean further into the citrus, replace the fresh lemon zest with 1 to 2 teaspoons finely ground dried lemon peel, or add 1 teaspoon orange peel powder to the herb paste. Finely chopped dried kumquat is also good in small amounts, especially with the fennel pollen, because it brings peel bitterness, fruit, and perfume all at once.
Method
1. Dry the Skin
Pat the pork belly skin completely dry with paper towels. If it is not already scored, score the skin in a tight crosshatch pattern, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Leave the belly uncovered in the refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight, to dry the skin further. This matters: dry skin is the foundation of good crackling.
2. Make the Herb Paste
In a bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, toasted crushed fennel seed, fennel pollen, sage, lemon zest, optional yuzu peel, and olive oil. Stir into a thick paste.
3. Season and Stuff
Lay the pork belly skin-side down. Season the inside generously with about half the kosher salt and black pepper, then spread the herb paste evenly over the meat. Season the pork loin all over with the remaining salt and pepper, and lay it lengthwise in the center of the belly.
4. Roll and Tie
Roll the belly tightly around the loin so the skin ends up on the outside. Tie the roast securely with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals to hold its shape.
5. Dry Brine Again
Rub any remaining salt over the skin. Rest the tied roast uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the skin dries fully and the seasoning has time to penetrate.
6. Bring to Room Temperature and Preheat
Remove the porchetta from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 250C / 480F.
7. Start Hot
Place the porchetta on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the skin with a little olive oil. Roast at high heat to begin blistering and puffing the skin.
8. Slow Roast
Reduce the oven temperature to 160C / 320F. Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan. Continue roasting until the center of the roast reaches 68 to 70C / 155 to 160F.
9. Crisp the Skin if Needed
If the skin is not fully crackled and blistered, raise the oven back to 250C / 480F for a final blast, watching closely so it does not burn.
10. Rest and Carve
Remove the porchetta from the oven, tent it loosely with foil, and rest for 20 to 30 minutes before removing the twine and slicing into thick rounds. The rest is essential: it keeps the juices in the roast instead of on the cutting board.
Serving
A roast this size, roughly 3 kilograms total, serves about 8 as a main course and more if you are making sandwiches. For porchetta panini, slice the pork thin and pile it onto crusty bread with arugula, rapini, or a sharp, bitter green. A little extra chopped citrus peel or a pinch of fennel pollen in the greens makes the sandwich feel tied back to the roast.