Porchetta

[kanoer54]

Re: Porchetta

Gulf,
thanks for the information in post #36. I will try this for sure. We've tried many recipes but yours sounds delicious. Got the cast iron dutch oven.....will give it a try.
thanks...jon

[Gulf]

Re: Porchetta

Over here, brisket used to be the go to for family gatherings. It was cheap, and if it was done right, delicious. But, with some other factors and the popularizing of it by the dmn Food Channel,........... it is now high as a cat's back.

[GrahamG]

Re: Porchetta

Sorry Gulf, I didn't explain properly. The temp was the internal temperature of the oven. Just got in to the internal temps of the things cooked 4 weeks back! I will give your suggestion a go and see what happens.

[Gulf]

Re: Porchetta

Thanks Gulf, I have tried 180 for 10 hours in a falling oven and it was as hard as satans chair. I guess I got it wrong some where.q

Was 180 the starting temp for your oven or the finished internal temp of the brisket? Even cooking at 225+ the meat will reach a stall at about 150 degrees for hours. If you don't get to a 180 internal temp the meat is not done, even for slicing. To get to a (fork tender, melt in your mouth, gift from heaven) you will have to get the internal temp up too at least 200.

I've tried two methods in the oven and both turned out great! Both methods involved a large (cheap) granite ware roaster pan with a lid. I think this pic is of a pork shoulder roast in the same pan.



One was to sear the brisket over a wood fire in my offset grill. I had a few live coals under the brisket and was producing smoke from the off set for about 30 minutes. I then placed the brisket in the the oven over night in the covered pan on a bed of onions.

The other was done completely in the WFO. (Like the above pic of the pork shoulder) I placed it in the oven uncovered, on a bed of onions. I generated smoke using a mix of wood chips in a repurposed device that was inspired by a similar one that I saw on the net. This is a pic of it while I was cooking some chicken. The pan on the front right is a very much sanitized SS doggie bowl. It has in it the left over onion cuttings over some lump charcoal. The lump was sifted from some earlier morning after firings of the WFO . It doesn't take much to relight them, the onions add alot of flavor to the cook and the smell,............ will make your neighbors very friendly



In this case, I smoked for an hour then covered the pan for all but the last hour of the cook.

[GrahamG]

Re: Porchetta

Thanks Gulf, I have tried 180 for 10 hours in a falling oven and it was as hard as satans chair. I guess I got it wrong some where.q

[Gulf]

Re: Porchetta

Versachi,

My problem too, done the same thing with brisket and pulled pork, that tough I could have used it as a car chock! I will try 300 at 3 hrs and let you know

Graham,
"Low and slow" will help yield a more tender beef brisket. There is too much connective tissue in brisket for high temp cooks. At high temps the meat will be overdone well before the connective tissue breaks down into gelatin. For the connective tissue to do that, it needs to get above 140 and stay below about 160 for hours. If you like your brisket sliced, it will be done when the internal temp hits about 185. If you like pulled, let it get to about 200. I like to start the brisket out at about 230 to 250 in the WFO. I've never tried this in a conventional oven, but I would set one of those at 225. For a 10 to 12lb. brisket, 8 to 10 hours is a very fast cook for me.

Just sayin' .

[GrahamG]

Re: Porchetta

Versachi,

My problem too, done the same thing with brisket and pulled pork, that tough I could have used it as a car chock! I will try 300 at 3 hrs and let you know

[Brad English]

Re: Porchetta

I'm just announcing I'm in on this as my next roast in the WFO! Pics and a story to follow the feast - assuming the first go turns out.

Found these two recipes I want to play with making up my "own":

Porchetta - Bon App?tit
Stuffed Porchetta | Pork Recipes | Jamie Oliver Recipes

[Versachi]

Re: Porchetta

Tried the Porchetta recipe with a smaller pork shoulder (4-5 pounds). I put all of the ingredients into a small blender with some oil and made a paste. I filled the bottom of the roast pan with water and also put another tray in the oven with water as a moisture backup.The oven floor was at 300 and the ceiling was at 350. left it in for 3 hours and had internal temps of 170F. Let it rest for 20 minutes and it turned out really nice and tender.

This is my second attempt at this roast. I tried leaving too small a roast in the oven overnight. The water evaporated it dried out so bad it could be taken up in the space shuttle to be a rehydrated roast.

Bottom line is lots of fun!

Cheers, John

[Dannyboyblue]

Re: Porchetta

Thanks,
cool idea. I'll give it a try one of these days.

[BrianShaw]

Re: Porchetta

The baguette keeps the pork tenderloin from cooking too fast and drying out. I serve it sliced about 2 inches thick and leave the bread attached. It is crispy. The "guts" of the bread are pulled out so it is just the crust.

[Dannyboyblue]

Re: Porchetta

What was the idea of roasting the loin in the bagguette? Did it end up being part of the dish? Was it crispy or soggy? I've never heard of this?

[BrianShaw]

Re: Porchetta

I recently adapted Paul's daughter's recipe to do a porchetta-style pork tenderloin. (I wouldn't normally use a tenderloin but it was all that I had available at the time.) For the fennel (didn't have anny fennel bulb, frond, or pollen available either) I used freshly-ground fennel seed. My theory was that grinding the seed would make it more of a background flavor. The spice/herb mixture was rubbed on the tenderloin and then it was wrapped and tied in a hollowed out bagguette that was drizzled with olive oil -then roasted to 160 deg F. After a rest, slice and serve. Perhaps not terribly traditional, but yummy.

[barbarian]

Re: Porchetta Recipe Amendment

correct .. no fennel seeds way to strong .
In tuscany we have finocchiona in the US this similar to dill but the stuff you find in the food stores is not fully grown you need the flowering part if you can grow it you got it ..
Porchetta is really really simple what really makes a big difference is the pig you use. At the farm I used to live near pisa we made it on a fire pit
once a month more or less...

Although the original recipe did not include fennel seeds, my daughter has just pointed out that a teaspoon of fennel seeds were included in the stuffing at the demonstration she attended, and make it even nicer!

I've amended the recipe in the previous post, should you wish to include some.

Cheers, Paul.

[BrianShaw]

Re: Porchetta Recipe Amendment

Although the original recipe did not include fennel seeds...

I've amended the recipe in the previous post, should you wish to include some.

Great idea! There are plenty of porchetta recipes that include sliced fennel, but I think the seeds are both easier and maybe even more tasty. Great idea (if I didn't say that already).