Smoked Porchetta – Study to Smoke Meat with Jeff Phillips
9 min read
Smoking-Meat.com is supported by its readers. We could earn an affiliate fee at no further price to you should you purchase via a hyperlink on this web page.
Smoked porchetta (pronounced por-ke’-ta), is an Italian recipe that rolls up an enormous piece of pork closely filled with seasoning, herbs, and so on. and historically consists of a number of fennel.
My smoked porchetta recipe is conventional in taste however makes use of the pork stomach, probably the most mouthwatering melt-in-your-mouth lower of pork recognized to man and boy is it good!
Let’s get after it!
- Prep Time: half-hour
- Dry Brine Time: 12 hours
- Cook dinner Time: ~3 hours
- Smoker Temp: Varies (see directions beneath)
- Meat End Temp: 200°F (93°C)
- Really helpful Wooden: Maple, hickory, cherry combine
- Pork stomach (skinless)
- Kosher salt
- Rosemary, recent
- Thyme, recent
- Fennel seed
- Garlic, minced
- Black pepper, coarse floor
- Crimson pepper flakes
- Jeff’s Texas type rub
- Jeff’s authentic rub
- Butcher’s twine (clear cotton string will work)
Again within the day a smoked porchetta was large, usually a whole pig however for a house cook dinner, that’s loads, plus, I’m not large on the “complete pig” factor since each a part of the pig has totally different cooking necessities.
For my part, one of the best taste, texture and tenderness comes from cooking particular person elements of the pig to their excellent tenderness utilizing the proper cooking methodology for every.
My smoked porchetta is a bit totally different in that I merely use a rolled up pork stomach, pores and skin eliminated.
Most smoked porchetta recipes wrap a pork stomach round a pork tenderloin and even a part of the loin.
As soon as once more, the leaner tenderloin is completed at an inner temperature of 145°F (63°C) whereas the pork stomach is greatest when cooked all the way in which to 200°F (93°C) to permit a number of that fats to render and the meat simply melts in your mouth.
Cooking the tenderloin and the stomach collectively means the tenderloin is overcooked and/or the stomach is undercooked. Not situation in my humble opinion.
There’s a number of methods to do issues and whereas I’m not saying my method is the one method, that is the way in which that seems one of the best smoked porchetta at my home.
Right here’s Easy methods to Make My Smoked Porchetta
Lay the pork stomach fats facet up.
Use a pointy knife to chop ¼ inch deep crosshatch marks about ¾ inches broad from prime to backside and facet to facet.
It will assist the fats to crisp up a bit and provides the seasoning and salt a spot to seize on to.
Apply a lightweight coat of coarse kosher salt to the crosshatched fats cap. It will assist to tug moisture from the fats throughout the time within the fridge.
I solely used a couple of TBS of coarse kosher salt to the fats cap and a few of it will fall off or get wiped off throughout the course of. For that reason, I take into account it to be negligible and never a part of the salt I exploit for dry brining the meat facet.
Flip the pork stomach over to meat facet up and do the identical crosshatch sample within the meat about ¼ inch deep and about ¾ inch broad.
I went forward and lower mine in half to make it extra manageable. You are able to do this at any level within the course of or in no way should you’d somewhat have a smoked porchetta that’s full width.
On the meat facet, the salt is used for dry brining and nearly all the salt that’s utilized, will keep put.
In dry brining we sometimes use ½ teaspoon per pound of meat. I have a tendency to make use of a bit greater than this in my very own cooking.
My pork stomach was 9 lbs and at ½ teaspoons of coarse kosher salt per pound, I would like no less than 4 and ½ teaspoons or 1-½ TBS.
I rounded up and sprinkled a pleasant even layer of two TBS coarse kosher salt on the meat facet of the pork stomach.
I additionally sprinkled on a liberal quantity of Jeff’s Texas type rub for good measure.
The stomach is now prepared for the herb paste.
I eliminated the leaves from the rosemary and the thicker items of thyme and place equal quantities of that into an inexpensive espresso grinder (works nice as an herb grinder.
Observe: If the thyme stems are actually tender, you may use the stems and leaves collectively.
I coarse floor up sufficient rosemary and thyme to make ¼ cup of floor combination.
I then floor 2 TBS of fennel seed (ended up being about 1 TBS as soon as floor)
As soon as the herbs and fennel had been floor, I positioned all of that right into a bowl and added sufficient olive oil to make a spreadable paste. (about ¼ cup of olive eyeballed)
To this combination, I added 1 TBS of purple pepper flakes, 1 TBS of minced garlic and 1 TBS of coarse black pepper.
Combine this all collectively and should you want extra oil to make it spreadable, that’s no downside.
Place half of the herb combination on each bit of pork stomach and unfold it out along with your palms ensuring to get it down within the cuts within the meat.
Man that smells wonderful! THIS is an enormous a part of what makes a smoked porchetta so freaking good and that fennel simply takes it excessive!
For this half, I like to recommend a helper if attainable.
Roll one half of the pork stomach up as tight as you may and tie it with butchers twine about each 1.5 to 2 inches to carry it actually tight.
Roll the opposite half and tie it up similar to you probably did the primary one.
Stand there for a minute and absorb the great thing about what you simply did. Go forward and lean over and take one other whiff of that great aroma if you wish to.. you probably did good!
I made a decision on the final minute so as to add sprinkling of my authentic rub on the skin. It really works so properly on pork!
Place the rolls of tied up pork stomach, quickly to be smoked porchetta, on a pan with a rack and place the pan into the fridge in a single day.
I like to recommend a full 12 hours if attainable. It’s even okay to depart them within the fridge for twenty-four hours if you wish to and have the time.
The following morning, seize the pan of meat from the fridge and place it on the counter whilst you go get the smoker prepared.
Conventional charcoal, wooden, fuel or electrical smoker
Setup your smoker for cooking at 275°F (135°C) utilizing oblique warmth. In case your smoker makes use of a water pan, replenish.
As soon as your smoker is as much as temperature, it’s time to cook dinner!
Place the pan of rolled up pork bellies into the smoker and shut the door/lid rapidly to take care of warmth.
Maintain a lightweight smoke flowing for your entire time if attainable.
As soon as the pork stomach hits 180°F (82°C) or about 2.5 to three hours relying on the smoker, climate, and so on., it’s time to crisp the fats a bit in a better warmth setting.
Observe: For those who’re on the lookout for a digital meat thermometer, my information referred to as “6 greatest digital meat thermometers” will aid you resolve which one is greatest for you.
In case your smoker/grill can run at a temperature of 450+ or provides a direct warmth setup then that’ll work in any other case, it’s greatest to make use of a grill and even the oven to complete it up.
Direct charcoal warmth corresponding to a kettle, Hasty Bake, Massive Inexperienced Egg with the plate setter eliminated, and so on. can be excellent for this.
A fuel grill may even work okay.
Broil setting in your oven may even work nice.
For those who’re broiling within the oven, maintain a pan underneath the meat to include the mess as a result of a number of fats will render.
Watch the pork bellies when you are crisping the fats so that they don’t burn. The thought is to get them on as much as 200°F (93°C) inner temperature whereas additionally browning and crisping the fats.
As soon as it’s as much as temperature and as brown or blackened as you want, transfer it to the countertop.
Pellet Smoker
Setup your smoker for cooking on the lowest temperature attainable or within the particular smoke setting. I used the Camp Chef Woodwind Professional and set it to Lo Smoke.
As soon as your smoker is as much as temperature, it’s time to cook dinner!
Place the pan of rolled up pork bellies into the smoker and shut the door/lid rapidly to take care of warmth.
Maintain this Lo Smoke setting for about an hour then crank up the smoker to 300°F (149°C) to complete. The marginally larger warmth will offset the time you misplaced utilizing low warmth at the start.
As soon as the pork stomach hits 180°F (82°C) or about 2.5 to three hours relying on the smoker, climate, and so on., it’s time to crisp the fats a bit.
I cranked up the temperature on my Campchef Woodwind Professional to 450°F and it solely took about 20 minutes to get brown on the highest facet. I rolled the smoked porchetta over to the opposite facet to get some brown on the underside facet.
One other Quarter-hour or so and it was excellent.
As soon as completed, take away the smoked porchetta rolls into the home and go away them on the countertop.
Drape a bit foil excessive of the smoked porchetta to allow them to relaxation for 10-Quarter-hour earlier than slicing into them.
Slice about ½ inch thick- pause to take a couple of bites- enable your self the liberty to say wow and OMG a couple of instances on the wonderful taste after which name the household that will help you eat it.
Don’t neglect to take away the strings!
We ate the primary one gathered across the kitchen island.🤣
Smoked Porchetta
My smoked porchetta recipe is conventional in taste however makes use of the pork stomach, probably the most mouthwatering melt-in-your-mouth lower of pork recognized to man and boy is it good!
- Prep Time: half-hour
- Cook dinner Time: 3.5 hours
- Complete Time: 11 minute
- Place pork stomach fats facet up and lower crosshatch sample in fats ¾ inch broad and ¼ inch deep.
- Apply about 1 TBS of salt evenly over your entire fats cap.
- Flip meat over and lower crosshatch sample in meat ¾ inch broad and ¼ inch deep.
- Apply about 2 TBS of coarse kosher salt evenly over total meat facet. Additionally sprinkle about 2 TBS of Jeff’s Texas type rub evenly over total meat facet.
- Make a paste from 2 TBS floor rosemary, 2 TBS floor thyme, 1 TBS floor fennel, 1 TBS coarse black pepper, 1 TBS minced garlic, 1 TBS purple pepper flakes and ¼ cup olive oil. Combine collectively till properly mixed.
- Unfold paste over total meat facet of pork stomach then lower pork stomach in half.
- Roll pork stomach tightly then tie each 2 inches with butchers twine to carry it safe.
- Smoke rolled pork stomach at 275°F (135°C) for about 2.5 to three hours or till it reaches 180°F (82°C).
- At that time you may crank up the warmth to 450°F+ in a pellet smoker or you need to use a charcoal grill and even the broiler in your oven to crisp the fats and convey the porchetta on as much as 200°F (93°C) inner temperature.
- Let it relaxation underneath tented foil for about 10-Quarter-hour on the counter then slice it about ½ inch thick and luxuriate in!
✅ My rubs and sauce would be the smartest thing you’ve ever tasted and it’s an effective way to assist what we do!
Do you know? You’ll be able to order the MASTER FORMULAS which let you make Jeff’s rubs and barbecue sauce at house utilizing your personal components! Order the Recipes
