Preserved Citrus Porchetta with Apple Salsa Verde(ish)

Yields 4-6 servings

Not feeling turkey for Thanksgiving this year? Porchetta is a great substitute that’s just as impressive and still gives you perfect leftovers for sandwiches. Be warned: our version of porchetta is super untraditional. We used some classic Thanksgiving ingredients, such as cranberries, orange, sage, and warm baking spices, and included homemade salt-preserved citrus. A few years ago, we preserved Buddha’s hand and blood orange, and we’re still reaping the delicious benefits to this day. We’ve paired it with a tangy apple salsa verde(ish) to provide a crisp and refreshing contrast to the fatty pork belly.

Note: The pork belly and tenderloin used in this recipe are quite small, relative to what’s typically used for porchetta. To adjust cooking times, you can keep the initial high temperature cook the same, but your lower temperature cook will take longer. We recommend using an internal probe so that you aren’t constantly opening the oven and checking the temperature.

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Assembly

Step 1
Prepare pork belly by poking the skin with the tip of a sharp knife or Jaccard. Score the meat side with diagonal hatch marks. Season the meat side and pork tenderloin with salt and black pepper, using slightly less salt than the amount you’d normally use, since the preserved citrus will provide salinity.

Step 2
Combine nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly onto the meat side of the belly and the tenderloin. Rub into the meat and set aside.

Step 3
In a small bowl, mix fresh herbs, preserved citrus, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, cranberries, and Hot Deli Mustard. Spread this mixture evenly onto the meat side of the pork belly and tenderloin.

Step 4
Place tenderloin onto the middle of the belly (cut in half and lay both pieces side-by-side, if necessary). Roll up the belly and tie it tightly. Place onto a tray with a wire rack, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 24 hours to dry out the skin.

Step 5
Preheat oven to 500ºF. Roast belly for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Step 6
Lower oven temperature to 350ºF and roast until pork reaches internal temperature of 140ºF, basting every 30 minutes or so. This should take around 1.5-2 hours, depending on size of your belly/tenderloin. Once finished, let rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Step 7
Meanwhile, prepare apple salsa verde by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Prepare this early in the roasting process so that it has time for flavour to develop. Serve with sliced porchetta.

Step 8 (optional)
After letting the porchetta rest, you can pop it back in the oven (500ºF) for about 5-10 minutes to crisp up the skin again.

Note:
We used homemade salt-preserved blood orange and Buddha’s hand for this recipe, but if you do not preserve your own citrus, you can use store-bought preserved lemons, as this will be more readily available.

Ingredients

2.5 lb Pork belly slab, skin on, boneless

½ lb Pork tenderloin, whole

1 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated

½ tsp Ground cloves

1.5 tsp Ground cinnamon

Salt and black pepper

1.5 tsp Fresh sage (~6 leaves)

1.5 tbsp Fresh rosemary (~3 sprigs)

2 tsp Fresh thyme (5-6 sprigs)

1.5 tbsp Preserved citrus, flesh removed, minced

1 heaping tbsp Garlic, grated (~3-4 cloves)

Zest of 1 orange

Juice of ½ orange

¼ cup Dried cranberries, chopped

1.5 tsp Hot Deli Mustard

Apple Salsa Verde-ish:

¾ cup Parsley, finely chopped

½ cup Gala or Honeycrisp apple, small dice

2 tbsp Shallot, finely chopped

1  Garlic clove, grated

3 tbsp Strawberry Rosé Living Vinegar

¼ cup EVOO

1 tsp Hot honey

Salt and pepper, to taste

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