A family recipe
Porchetta
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A magnificent, slow-roasted Italian pork roast featuring crisp, crackling skin and a fragrant herb, pine nut, and cranberry filling. Perfect for a grand family feast.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 4 h 30 min
- Serves
- 12
- Updated
- Sep 27, 2026
Ingredients
12 items
- 4 kg pork belly or loin cut, skin-on, prepared and butterflied for porchetta
- 40–45 g salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1½ tbsp dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2–2½ tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed (optional)
- 2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed (optional)
- 1 Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 70–80 g pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 50–60 g dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
5 steps
Prepare the filling
In a bowl, combine the salt, black pepper, crushed rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, lemon zest, toasted pine nuts, and chopped cranberries. Stir in the olive oil until the mixture is evenly moistened and binds together.
Stuff, roast, and serve
Lay the prepared pork flat, meat-side up. Rub and distribute the filling mixture evenly across the exposed meat. Roll the pork tightly into a uniform cylinder and tie it firmly with butcher's twine at regular intervals.
Preheat your oven to 130°C on the convection/fan setting. Place the porchetta on a wire rack set inside a roasting pan. Roast for 3.5 to 4 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reaches an internal core temperature of 65–68°C.
Increase the oven temperature to 220–230°C. Continue to roast for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, watching closely, until the skin is blistered, bubbly, and completely crispy.
Remove the porchetta from the oven. Let it rest uncovered for a minimum of 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.