On the Table: Porchetta

There’s something about porchetta that feels like it belongs on a farm table.

It’s generous. It’s unfussy. And when it comes out of the oven – golden, crisp, and fragrant with herbs – it tends to gather people without much effort.

At Klein Joostenberg, porchetta often makes its way onto the menu as a Sunday main. Served hot, with roast vegetables and potato gratin, it’s the kind of dish that calls for a slower meal. The kind where plates are filled generously and conversations linger a little longer.

But it’s just as good the next day – sliced thin, at room temperature, with a simple salad or tucked into a sandwich.

Ingredients

• 1 whole belly loin, deboned, with the skin scored into strips (±3 kg)
• 100 ml fennel seeds
• 100 ml chopped rosemary leaves (stalks removed)
• 25 ml chopped sage
• 25 ml thyme
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Kitchen string
• Oil for cooking

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

In a bowl, mix the fennel seeds, rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic.

Place the meat skin-side down on a clean surface. Spread the herb mixture evenly over the meat, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Roll the meat up tightly into a log and secure it with kitchen string.

Season the skin with salt and drizzle with a little oil.

Place the porchetta into a roasting tray (cut in half if needed to fit) and roast for 90 minutes at 180°C.

Increase the oven temperature to 220°C and roast for a further 30 minutes, until the skin is crisp and golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10–15 minutes before carving into thin slices.

To Serve

Serves 10–15 people

Serve hot with roast vegetables and potato gratin for a proper Sunday meal, or enjoy it cold – sliced thin with a salad or on fresh bread.

A Few Notes from the Kitchen

Good porchetta doesn’t need much – just time, good seasoning, and the right balance of herbs.

Fennel and rosemary do most of the work here, bringing that unmistakable aroma as it roasts. The rest is about letting the meat cook slowly, then finishing it at a higher heat to get that crisp skin.

It’s a dish that rewards patience, but not complexity.

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Orders:

orders@kleinjoostenberg.co.za

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