< Back to Main Blog Posted: Aug 2024

Getting the most out of your Rosemary & Sage Porchetta: our essential tips for cooking and serving

How to guarantee some cracking crackling.

If you’re thinking of serving up a delicious Rosemary & Sage Porchetta from our range for Christmas dinner, we’ve got a few top tips to make sure it’s the very best it can be:

Most importantly, the porchetta needs defrosting for 48 hours before cooking. Take it out of all of its packaging and leave in the bottom of the fridge on a baking tray, loosely covered with some tin foil so the skin starts to dry out.
Just before you come to cook the porchetta, take it out of the fridge and pat the skin dry with some kitchen roll, and season liberally with sea salt as this really helps crisp up the crackling.
To get the best combination of tender meat and crispy crackling, heat low (170° / 150° fan) and slow for 2 hours, then whack up the temperature to 220° / 200° fan for a further 30 mins.
Leave the porchetta to rest uncovered for 15 minutes … sit on your hands if you’re tempted to dive straight in as this stage is important! Resting the meat means it’ll be lovely and succulent.
If you fancy making a jus: collect the pan juices (use a separator to remove the fat); add a splash of white wine; cook on a medium heat and stir until reduced to your liking. Season to taste.
To carve, first remove the butcher’s string using a sharp knife or scissors. Then use the lines that the string has left in the meat as guides for carving. You’ll get nice chunky slices this way, one will probably be enough for each person.
Italian meals have been served with Italian wines for generations, so there’s no need to break tradition. Go for a Northern Italian white, which will complement the pork and also cut through that golden crackling. A good Pinot Grigio or Orvieto would be ideal.
In the unlikely event of leftovers, this makes for a cracking sandwich the next day with some fresh watercress.