Holiday Porchetta | MEATER

It’s time to make the Holiday Porchetta of your dreams! If you’re looking to add an extra level of holiday cheer to your family’s festive feasts, this recipe is for YOU! An overnight dry brine with coarse salt will transform and elevate the pork belly, promising an extra layer of deliciousness. Plus, you’re guaranteed to love the symphony of aromas that unfold — peppercorns, fennel seeds, and chili flakes toasted to perfection, herbs and spices blended with zested lemons and olive oil — which create a fragrant mixture to be massaged deep into every crevice. This recipe will certainly be a hit for your next holiday feast — a joyous feast for all your senses!

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Instructions:

1. Begin prepping this recipe the night before you’d like to dig into the Holiday Porchetta recipe of your dreams. To start off your cooking, use a sharp knife or crisping tool with a pointed edge and poke the entire surface of the pork belly skin. Try to poke as many holes as you can; but make sure you’re only using just enough force to puncture the skin, not the meat!
2. Next, salt the skin with enough coarse salt to cover the entirety of the pork skin and put it in the refrigerator unwrapped overnight! This is your overnight dry brine which will make your pork belly extra delicious!
3. The next day, remove the salt and place pork belly skin-side down on a MEATER Board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, score the flesh at an angle. You’ll want to rotate the knife 90 degrees and repeat to create a diamond pattern in the flesh!
4. Next, toast your peppercorns, fennel seeds, and chili flakes in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Once they have toasted, transfer the mixture of spices to a mortar and pestle. Proceed to grind your mixture until all spices have been roughly crushed.
5. Once you have finished your spices, proceed to chopping your herbs (fresh, flat leaf parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme leaves). After chopping, combine your herbs, garlic, spices, zested lemons, and olive oil to a bowl and mix well. Don’t be afraid to use your hands to rub the mixture deeply into the cracks and crevices in the meat. It’ll be fun and add extra flavor to your meat!
6. As soon as you are ready to cook, set your Traeger’s temperature to 300℉ (149°C).
7. Finally, roll your pork belly into a tight log. Move your rolled pork belly to the top of the cutting board, making sure it is seam-side down so it doesn’t unroll. It’s time to twine! Cut 7-10 lengths of kitchen twine long enough to tie around the pork and lay each piece down along your MEATER Board, ensuring they are about 1 ½ inch apart each. Move your rolled pork seam-side down on top of the twine strings and then use the twine to tie up roast tightly. Once your pork belly is nicely tied, season with salt to your preference.
8. Before placing your pork belly in the Traeger, insert your MEATER 2 Plus probe and set up the cook in the MEATER App to 160°F as the internal target temperature. Check out this video HERE to learn how to properly place your probe if you are unsure how to do so. 
9. Now you can place your pork seam-side down on a baking sheet with a rack. Place the baking sheet in the smoker and cook until the MEATER App notifies you that your pork is ready to be removed from the heat.
10. Once your beautiful porchetta has finished cooking, heat up oil in a pot to 500°F (260°C) degrees or more. Make sure to be extra careful during this step, especially as you pour the hot oil over the pork skin for bubbly, crispy, crunchy, skin!
11. Slice in to your perfect holiday porchetta and serve! This will certainly be a recipe to remember and cherish for years to come!