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Mock Porchetta
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4.67 from 3 votes

Mock Porchetta with Root Vegetables, the Best Roast Pork You'll Ever Eat

Mock Porchetta is a more approachable version of Italy's porchetta, a whole roasted, deboned pig, stuffed with herbs.
Prep Time1 day
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time1 day 3 hours
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 three-pound boneless pork shoulder butt pork roast
  • salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon capers rinsed, pressed dry and barely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
  • 12 fresh sage leaves crushed, coarsely chopped ( 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary taken off stem
  • 1 tablespoons fennel seeds barely crushed, divided 2 teaspoons, 1 teaspoon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 to 2 pounds prepared root vegetables potatoes, onions, carrots, rutabagas, fennel bulb
  • olive oil
  • 2/3 cup pork stock or chicken stock or water
  • 3 tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine

Instructions

  • Trim all but 1/4" layer of fat. Make slits in the pork where the fat lays next to the w muscle. This will be for the stuffing. Make several slits, careful not to cut the pork in half.You will want to have a lot of internal surfaces to place the herb mixture.
  • Combine zest, capers, 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, herbs, pepper together and stuff the pork inside all of the cut slits.
  • Tie the pork up with string. Rub remaining fennel seeds on the outside of the pork. Season with salt and black pepper.
  • Marinate overnight.
  • Take out of refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to roasting.
  • Preheat oven to 350. Roast for approximately 2 1/2 hours
  • Toss vegetables in very small amount of olive oil. Season with salt.
  • Roast pork with vegetables. If roast has not turned brown within the first 45 minutes, turn oven up to 375. After one hour of cooking, turn roast and vegetables.
  • Cook until internal temperature is at 160 degrees. Allow to rest 20 minutes outside of oven, while making the pan sauce. Pork will continue to cook.
  • The pork should look as golden and crispy as this picture.
  • As the herbs fall into the liquid, reapply to the exterior of the roast.
  • In making the pan sauce, remove the pork and vegetables, spoon off the fat, add in vermouth and stock or water and cook over low heat. Deglaze the pan. Skim more fat off if necessary. Pour sauce over slices of pork.
  • Serve either as entree or with as sandwiches on ciabatta bread with arugula.
  • Note: Watch the vegetables. They may be getting done before the pork is done, but you do want them to be very caramelized.