Traditional Umbrian Porchetta
- 45m Prep Time
- 8h Cook Time
- 8h Ready In
A classic Umbrian porchetta made from a whole pork shoulder, slow-roasted with garlic, fennel, rosemary, and pig's liver. Served on hard rolls with meat, fat, and skin.
Ingredients
- 1 whole pork picnic shoulder (with bone and skin)
- 237 ml olive oil
- 1 head garlic cloves separated and peeled but left whole
- 1 fresh fennel bulb
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 pig's liver
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 7 of 8 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 35.3 mg
- Iron: 0.53 mg
- Magnesium: 6.4 mg
- Phosphorus: 32.3 mg
- Potassium: 113 mg
- Zinc: 0.27 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 1 whole pork picnic shoulder (with bone and skin)
- 237 ml olive oil
- 1 fresh fennel bulb
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 pig's liver
Prepare
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled but left whole
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Preheat the oven to its lowest possible setting (around 200°F or 95°C), or preheat a covered gas grill for indirect low heat (about 225°F). Place a drip pan on the rack below the roast if using the oven.
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Step 2.
On a large cutting board, use a sharp knife to cut directly toward the shoulder bone of the pork picnic shoulder. Butterfly the meat on both sides of the bone, keeping the meat about 1 inch thick. It's better to have it too thick than to cut a piece off completely, but don't worry if you do.
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Step 3.
Cover the splayed-out meat with a sheet of plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel. Whack the meat with a mallet until it is all of equal thickness (this tenderizes it). Remove the plastic and towel, then rub about 1/4 cup of olive oil onto the meat.
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Step 4.
Place some of the garlic cloves, the fennel stalks (reserve the leaves), some of the rosemary, salt, a generous amount of black pepper, and the pig's liver (if using) on the meat. Roll up the roast tightly and tie it securely with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals.
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Step 5.
Finely chop the remaining garlic cloves. In a bowl, combine the chopped garlic with about 3/4 cup olive oil, the reserved fennel leaves, the remaining rosemary, salt, and pepper to make a paste. Generously rub the paste all over the outside of the tied roast.
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Step 6.
Place the roast in the oven (with a drip pan below) or on the gas grill. If grilling, position the meat off to the side, not directly above the flame. Rotate the roast 90 degrees every couple of hours. Cook for at least 7 to 8 hours, until the meat falls apart when you cut it. Serve on hard Italian rolls with a little bit of meat, fat, and skin.