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This smoked porchetta is made with pork belly, fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon zest, rolled up into a log and cooked on the pellet grill. A classic Italian dish that gets an extra boost of wood-fired flavor, this porchetta recipe may be your new favorite way to cook pork belly on the grill!
Porchetta – A New Way to Cook Pork Belly
I’m a big fan of cooking pork belly at home, ever since I made these pork belly burnt ends on the smoker. And since I discovered that my local Costco often has whole pork belly cuts in their meat case for a good price.
So when I stumbled on some videos about making Italian-style porchetta using whole pork belly, I knew that I wanted to give it a try… and it turned out so much better than I ever could have imagined! Of course, what’s not to love about pork belly?!
My version is not an authentic recipe because it doesn’t include one of the most traditional and imperative ingredients – fennel pollen. My local grocery stores don’t carry this, and it’s fairly expensive to purchase online, so I omitted it – probably a sacrilegious choice in Italy.
Instead, my recipe features a flavor-packed herb blend with fresh rosemary, thyme, and garlic, complemented by zesty lemon for a bright, aromatic twist. Rolled in love, tied with skill, and smoked to perfection, this porchetta is wrapped up in crispy pork skin that crackles with each bite.
Sliced into medallions and served simply on a baguette, this masterpiece Italian sandwich is definitely worth a try!
Smoked Porchetta Video
More of a visual learner? Have fun with us, and watch me make this recipe on our YouTube channel:
What is Porchetta?
Porchetta is a traditional Italian dish that typically consists of a pork belly that gets seasoned and rolled up tightly into a log shape before being slow-roasted over an open flame. The skin of the pork belly crisps up beautifully while the extra fat keeps the inside of the roll tender and juicy.
For a leaner option, some people choose to make porchetta with a pork loin wrapped in pork belly, rather than preparing an all-belly roll.
The most common way to enjoy Italian porchetta is in a simple sandwich. Slices of porchetta, including the crispy skin, are stuffed into ciabatta or crusty Italian bread. The sandwich is typically served plain, without condiments or other toppings, though some areas of Italy serve it with a drizzle of olive oil or a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Ingredients Needed
- pork belly – We often find these at Costco.
- fresh herbs – We used a combination of fresh thyme and rosemary. I highly recommend using fresh herbs rather than dried for this recipe. The herbaceous notes compliment the zesty citrus and fattiness of the pork.
- fresh garlic – We used freshly minced garlic.
- lemon zest – The zest of a large lemon adds a delicious brightness to the dish which helps to offset the fatty meat.
- olive oil – Just a bit for drizzling on the outside of the skin before grilling. This helps to crisp up the skin, and it also helps the salt and pepper stick to the meat.
- salt and pepper – This simple mixture is used to season the meat before rolling.
- ciabatta or baguette – A good loaf-style bread for serving.
Prepping the Pork Belly
How you prepare the pork belly will really depend on the thickness and shape of your piece of meat. For a thicker belly, you’ll probably need to butterfly it open for better seasoning distribution and to make it easier to roll up.
Butterflying the pork belly:
To butterfly the pork belly, lay the belly out flat with the fat side down. Use a sharp knife and follow the natural rib line for precision, without cutting too deep to avoid separating the meat from the fat. You will make two main cuts, one on each side, so that the pork belly opens similarly to a tri-fold pamphlet.
Stop about 1 inch from the edge so that you don’t cut all the way through the belly, and so that you don’t accidentally tear the meat as you’re opening it up. As you gently unfold the pork belly, make small cuts as needed to even out the thickness.
When you’re done, the pork belly should look something like this:
Preparing the pork belly this way gives you extra surface area to season, so that you have more of that delicious herby lemon mixture layered in the pork. Cutting it this way also makes it easier to roll into a log shape.
How to Make Smoked Porchetta on the Grill
Here’s a look at the step-by-step process for making porchetta on the grill. Complete instructions are provided in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1: Make the seasoning mixture. Start by mincing fresh herbs and garlic together with lemon zest.
Step 2: Season the pork belly. Season the open pork belly with a liberal amount of salt and black pepper. Then evenly sprinkle on the herb, garlic, and lemon zest mixture. Close the two side “flaps” and season the tops of those with salt and pepper and the herb mixture.
Step 3: Roll the pork belly into a tight log shape. Tightly roll the pork belly into a log shape. Use butcher twine to secure the roll every few inches. *A two-person job makes this step simpler, but skewers can help if you’re working alone. Before placing the roll on the grill, apply a light touch of olive oil over the skin, and season with salt and pepper. This helps the skin to crisp up.
Step 4: Smoke the porchetta on the grill or smoker. Place the porchetta on the grill and close the lid. Cook at 375°F for about 3 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches about 180°F. *When there was about 30 minutes of cook time left, we cranked up the grill temperature to 400°F to help crisp up the skin more.
Step 5: Crisp up the skin. This step is optional, but I love using a mini creme brûlée torch to crisp up the skin even more. However, even if you don’t have a mini propane torch, the skin should still be super crispy after 30 minutes at 400°F on the grill.
Step 6: Rest and serve the smoked porchetta. Remove the smoked porchetta from the grill, and allow it to rest briefly. Then use a serrated knife to cut into slices. Serve the porchetta slices on warm bread for a fantastic sandwich, or serve as a main dish with sides like roasted potatoes or grilled vegetables.
Pork Belly Porchetta on the Grill
Equipment
- butcher's twine
Ingredients
- 1 whole pork belly, about 9-10 pounds
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 lemons, zest (juice optional for serving)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons salt
- 1-2 tablespoons black pepper
- soft baguette or ciabatta, for serving
Instructions
- Butterfly the pork belly. Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels, and lay the belly out flat with the fat side down. Use a sharp knife to make two main cuts, starting from the middle and following the natural rib line outward so that the pork belly opens like a tri-fold project board. Stop about 1 inch from the edge so that you don’t cut all the way through the belly, and so that you don’t accidentally tear the meat as you’re opening it up. As you gently unfold the pork belly, make small cuts as needed to even out the thickness.
- Make the seasoning mixture. Add minced garlic, finely chopped rosemary and thyme, and the zest of 2 lemons to a small bowl. Mix together well.
- Preheat the grill. Heat pellet grill or smoker to 375℉ with your choice of wood or pellets.
- Season the pork belly. Season the open pork belly with a liberal amount of salt and black pepper. Then evenly sprinkle on about ⅔ of the herb, garlic, and lemon zest mixture. Close the two side “flaps” and season the tops of those with salt and pepper and the remaining herb mixture.
- Roll the seasoned pork belly. Tightly roll the pork belly into a log shape with the skin on the outside. Use butcher twine to secure the roll every 1-2 inches so that the porchetta holds its shape as it cooks. *TIP – It's easier to have two people for the rolling and tying process – one person holds the pork belly in the rolled shape while the other ties the knots with the twine.
- Oil and season the outside. After tied, rub about 2 tablespoons of olive oil all around the pork belly log. Sprinkle evenly with about 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Cook the porchetta on the grill or smoker. Place the rolled pork belly on a wire rack, and transfer to the grill grates. Cook at 375℉ until the internal temperature of the pork belly reaches about 175℉. *This took about 2½ hours at 375℉, but cooking times may vary.
- Crisp up the skin. Adjust the grill temperature up to 400℉. Cook the pork belly an additional 20-30 minutes, until the internal temperature is about 185-190℉ as read by an internal meat thermometer. *Optional – You can also use a mini propane torch to crisp up the skin even more.
- Rest and slice the porchetta. Remove the porchetta from the grill and allow to rest until the internal temperature comes down to about 150℉, about 30 minutes. Cut into thin slices if serving on a sandwich or thicker slices for plating as a main dish. *For a sandwich, serve plain on soft warmed baguette. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top of the sliced porchetta if you wish.
Video
Notes
- Cooking Times – Different grills maintain heat differently, and the grill temperature can vary drastically (by 50 degrees or more) from where your grill’s thermometer is versus where you place the meat on the grill grates – top or bottom grate, middle or end of the grill, etc. The times in the recipe are a guide only. You should always cook your meats to the proper internal temperature, not to a specific time.
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