Porchetta recipe #TasteofThursday

Porchetta

Alex Chen, Executive Chef

 

Ingredients:

Skin on pork belly 1 side (3900g or 8lbs, 10oz)

Boneless pork shoulder (3800g or 8lbs, 6oz), brined for 4 hours in 1% brine

5 medium shallots brunoise (finely diced and cooked in butter)

8 cloves garlic brunoise (finely diced and cooked in butter)

1 whole zest of orange

1 tsp smoked parpika

2 tsp fennel seed (toasted)

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp chipotle powder

¼ tsp ground coriander

1/5 tsp fennel pollen

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp pork spice

5 Tbsp brown sugar

40g pickled mustard

1 tsp picked thyme leaves

6 tbsp kosher salt

Method:

Pierce the skin of the pork belly with meat tenderizer to pierce though as much surface area as possible, but not all the way through the skin.

Butterfly the pork belly to spread open as flat and as wide as possible without splitting it completely. The meat should still be attached.

Heavily season the pork with salt and pepper.

Score the pork shoulder so it can spread as wide as possible to cover the surface area of the pork belly.

Heavily season the pork belly with salt and pepper.

Mix together all the spices in a bowl to form a paste, making sure the brown sugar is fully incorporated.

Spread it evenly around the pork belly and shoulder.

Roll the pork belly and shoulder tightly to expose the skin side facing up.

Tie it tightly with butcher’s twine.

Heavily season the skin with salt and black pepper.

Cook in an oven preheated to 300F for 3 hours.

Take the meat out and raise the oven temperature to 550F.

Put the meat back in the oven for 2 minutes to crisp up the skin.

Remove the porchetta from the oven, letting rest for a few minutes. Slice as per your desired thickness and serve.

 

Alex Chen, Executive Chef, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

Twitter: @blvdyvr @ChefAlexChen
Instagram: @blvdyvr
Facebook: /blvdyvr  /chefalexchen
Website: boulevardvancouver.com

Alex Chen’s culinary vision is an inspired recipe of family tradition and classical technique and training, combined with creative hints of international influences. From his childhood roots in Malaysia to his time in both Vancouver and California, the Pacific Rim and West Coast regions have helped form the basis for Alex’s innovative signature style, as well as his love for seafood. So, too, has his emphasis on sourcing the best fresh, local and in-season ingredients.
Alex joined Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar as Executive Chef after charting a top-10 finish representing Canada at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or culinary competition in Lyon, France in 2013. Before spending six years as the Executive Chef of the legendary Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Alex apprenticed at Vancouver’s Wedgewood Hotel, and held the roles of Senior Sous Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago and Chef de Cuisine at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto.