Porchetta di Ariccia

Ariccia, a small hill town south of Rome in the Castelli Romani, is the undisputed capital of porchetta — a whole deboned pig rolled with wild fennel fronds, rosemary, garlic, and black pepper, then roasted until the skin crackles like glass. Since the 16th century, vendors have sold it from wooden carts; today it is still sliced thick and eaten in a bread roll at village festivals across Lazio.

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the pork:

• 3 kg (6.6 lb) boneless pork belly with skin, scored in a crosshatch pattern
• 500 g (1.1 lb) pork loin, butterflied open

For the stuffing:

• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp wild fennel fronds or 2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1.5 tsp (8 g) coarse sea salt
• 2 tsp (6 g) coarsely ground black pepper
• 0.5 tsp chilli flakes

Instructions

1. The day before: combine all stuffing ingredients into a paste. Lay pork belly skin-side down. Place butterflied loin on the belly. Spread the herb paste aggressively over the meat surfaces.
2. Roll the belly tightly around the loin, skin side out. Tie with kitchen twine at 3 cm (1.25 in) intervals. Refrigerate uncovered overnight to dry the skin — this is essential for crackling.
3. Remove from fridge 1 hour before cooking. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F).
4. Roast on a rack at 230°C for 30 minutes until the skin begins to blister and crackle.
5. Reduce heat to 160°C (325°F) and roast a further 2–2.5 hours until internal temperature reaches 70°C (160°F).
6. Rest uncovered 30 minutes before slicing thickly. The crackling should shatter when tapped.

Cook's Notes: Do not cover the porchetta while resting — steam will soften the crackling. If the skin has not fully crackled, blast under the grill (broiler) for 3–5 minutes at the end. Leftovers are superb cold in sandwiches the next day.