A rustic Italian roast with crisp crackling and rich herby depth

MAKE THE STUFFING

In a large bowl, combine the pork mince, salt, and crushed black peppercorns. Add the chopped garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, breadcrumbs, parmesan, and chopped parsley. Mix well by hand until evenly combined, then set aside.

PREPARE THE PORK

Lay the pork belly skin-side down and butterfly if needed. Season generously with salt and pepper. Finely chop the rosemary, sage leaves, and garlic together, then spread evenly across the pork. Scatter over a layer of parmesan.

ADD THE STUFFING

Spread the prepared stuffing down the centre of the pork belly. Fold the sides towards the middle to encase the mixture. Season again with salt and pepper, then scatter over whole parsley. Press down firmly and roll tightly into a cylinder, securing with butcher’s string.

BUILD THE BASE

Arrange the whole carrots, parsnips, fennel, onions, and garlic in the Paella Pan or large oven dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly. Place the rolled porchetta on top of the vegetables, skin-side up. Rub the skin generously with salt to help create crisp crackling.

ADD LIQUIDS AND COVER

Pour in roughly 500ml of stock and a large glass of red wine into the pan, allowing the liquid to settle beneath the vegetables. Cover the porchetta with tin foil.

COOK UNDER THE LID

Place the pan under the Kadai Lid. Cook at around 250°C for 35 minutes to start the crackling, then reduce the temperature to around 180°C and continue cooking for approximately 3 hours.

FINISH AND REST

For the final 20 minutes, remove the foil to allow the skin to crisp and brown. Once cooked, transfer the porchetta to a board and rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

SERVE

Serve thick slices of porchetta alongside the roasted vegetables. Use the pan juices to make a rich gravy, perfect for pouring straight over at the table.