The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 817

Tracking down an intact single belly shouldn’t actually be too difficult What you want is a whole boneless, rind-on belly with the rib meat still attached It should weigh in at around 12 to 15 pounds or so Your butcher should be able to order one for you, or if you live near a Chinatown, take a stroll into one of the butcher shops there—most likely they’ve got pork bellies in stock Once you’ve got your belly, everything else is a piece of cake; just give yourself enough time to execute Assembling the porchetta itself should take no more than an hour, and once it’s assembled, you can wrap it in plastic and store it in the fridge for up to three days (so long as the belly was quite fresh when you got it) It’ll actually improve with age as the salt works its way through the meat ALL-BELLY PORCHETTA WITH PORK-FAT-ROASTED POTATOES NOTES: The herbs and aromatics can be varied according to taste I find it easiest to work with a whole belly, but if a smaller roast is desired, split it in half and freeze one half while still raw Wrapped tightly in foil and plastic wrap, it should keep for several months in the freezer Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and proceed as instructed The porchetta can be cooked without the potatoes But be sure to save the fat for roasting potatoes at another time SERVES 12 TO 15 1 whole boneless, rind-on pork belly, 12 to 15 pounds 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, toasted and ground (see here, steps 2 and 3) 3 tablespoons fennel seeds, toasted and ground 1 tablespoon peperoncini or red pepper flakes (optional) 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme 12 medium cloves garlic, minced or grated on a Microplane (about ¼ cup) ... months in the freezer Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and proceed as instructed The porchetta can be cooked without the potatoes But be sure to save the fat for roasting potatoes at another time... 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, toasted and ground (see here, steps 2 and 3) 3 tablespoons fennel seeds, toasted and ground 1 tablespoon peperoncini or red pepper flakes (optional) 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, sage, or...ALL-BELLY PORCHETTA WITH PORK-FAT-ROASTED POTATOES NOTES: The herbs and aromatics can be varied according to taste I find it easiest to work with a whole