Everyone has their Easter traditions. For us, it’s a Heathen Brunch with a combination of good food and questionable taste with regard to the themes surrounding the foods on the table. This year, I threw away the traditional ham idea and instead worked on making my first Porchetta. Porchetta is an Italian skin-on pork belly, generally wrapped around something else – sometimes a pork tenderloin, other times sausage or another savory filling. I was thrilled to see that Tasting Table published the Porchetta recipe from Olympic Provisions in Portland a couple of weeks ago. If you’ve never been to Olympic Provisions, you’re missing out. Their charcuterie is brilliant, and they have a small restaurant setup, where you can dive into more meat than you can possibly consume. This dish is one of my favorites from their repertoire, and it turned out great.
I made minimal substitutions and modifications to this recipe— First, I scored the skin to make it crispier. Also, when I sliced and seared it Easter Morning, I simmered the maple syrup used for brushing with a few cinnamon sticks and some star anise to add a little more character. Finally, the belly I procured was only about 8lbs, so I didn’t bother cutting it into two roasts. Besides, with the sausage stuffing it’s a feat to roll the damned thing and I didn’t want to do it twice!
The measurements here are a combination of Imperial and metric, and it’s good to use a scale for the sausage prep.
Enjoy. This dish will send everyone running back for more.
Italian Sausage-Stuffed Porchetta
Executive Chef Erin Williams
Olympic Provisions - Portland, Ore., USA
Yield: 20 servings
Cold water, 1 gal
Kosher salt, 1 C
Sugar, 1/2 C
Pork belly, 10- to 12-Lb 1 each
Olive oil, as needed
Italian sausage 4 Lb (Recipe Below)
Maple syrup (optional) as needed
Sea salt as needed
Eggs, as needed
Toast, as needed
Instructions:
1. Combine water, salt and sugar. Submerge belly in brine, top with a weight so it stays submerged and refrigerate 24 hours.
2. Remove belly from brine, pat dry, then halve belly crosswise. For each porchetta roast, turn belly skin-side down. Pack 2 pounds sausage down middle of each belly half lengthwise and roll up tightly to form a log. Tie with butcher’s twine. Sear porchetta in olive oil until brown on all sides. Roast in a rotisserie or 375-degree F oven until internal temperature registers 135 degrees F, about 2 hours. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight.
3. To serve, slice porchetta crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Heat olive oil in a cast-iron pan. Brown porchetta on both sides until crispy and thoroughly warmed through. Glaze with maple syrup (if using), season with sea salt, and serve with eggs and toast.
Hey, I want some!
ITALIAN SAUSAGE
Executive Chef Erin Williams
Olympic Provisions - Portland, Ore., USA
Yield: 2 kg
Pork shoulder, cubed, 1360 4/5 g
Pork fatback, cubed, 583 1/5 g
Sea salt, fine, 29 1/5 g
Freshly ground black pepper, 9.7 g
Fennel seed, ground, 5 4/5 g
Chili flakes, ground, 4.9 g
Garlic, minced, 3.9 g
Oregano, dried, 3.9 g
Coriander, ground, 9.7 g
Instructions:
1. Combine pork and fatback with salt and spices and marinate overnight. Grind mixture with a coarse-grind die, transfer to a mixer fitted with paddle attachment and mix for 1 to 2 minutes until mixture feels tacky. Refrigerate until needed.