Instructions

Wash and pat dry your pork belly. Lay on a flat surface, with the skin side up. If the butcher has not scored the skin you can try to do it yourself (it is rather hard) or else use a very sharp knife to poke a lot of holes in the skin.

Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until finely chopped.

Rub about half of the ingredients over the inside of the belly. Roll the roast up as tightly as you can, and using twine, secure it evenly along the entire length of the roast. If you've never done this before, you may need someone else to help hold it together.

When you have tied your roast, rub the rest of the seasoning all over the outside and both ends, as well as getting some into the slits on the skin.

Place the roast in a glass pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Take the roast out of the refrigerator 3 hours before you are ready to cook it.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place the porchetta on a V-shaped rack in a pan and place in the oven. Let cook, undisturbed for three and a half hours.

Take the porchetta out of the oven and let cool at least 2 hours before cutting and serving. In most parts of Italy (Abruzzo excepted) porchetta is served cool or at room temperature. So if you can let it cool off even more, or cool it and serve it the next day, even better.

To cut the porchetta use a slightly serrated knife, which will help you cut through the skin. I've actually used an electric knife, which works quite well or a bread knife. Cut into half inch slices.