i am a food blog

Guys, it’s been an roller coaster week of firsts for me: first time holding my new baby nephew, first iphone dropped in a sink full of soapy water and…my first cookbook, Easy Gourmet, available for preorder!! I’ve been keeping my book on the down low because I’m not sure how to talk about it. I try to think of what to say and all that comes out is: maofeisao ioajoejaw oajfoewjafs YAS!!!!! So, instead, while I gather my thoughts, I’m going to give you this Porchetta Recipe Redux, which happens to be a sneak peek into the book.

Porchetta is truly one of the GREAT foods of Italy. They do porchetta right – in Italy, if you’re lucky, you’ll be walking along a random side street and see a glistening, deeply golden brown, whole pig that’s been deboned, stuffed with herbs and roasted. Italians like to tuck it into pillowy soft bread and call it a day. I call it delicious. Of course, most people aren’t going to source a whole pig, let alone debone it. So, I’ve made a porchetta recipe that’s a little more practical, but just as delicious. Instead of a whole pig, we’re going to go for the infinitely more manageable skin-on pork belly and loin. You can do a full belly porchetta, but I like the contrast between the super-marbled softness of belly and the slightly leaner, more textured loin.

The best thing about porchetta (aside from the crisp crackling and juicy, juicy meat) is the fact that it’s fairly simple to make. Dare I even say…it’s Easy Gourmet?! (Hahaha, please excuse me, I’m a little delirious) Seriously though, all you do is chop up some herbs, roll up pork belly around tenderloin, wrap it tightly in saran wrap, throw it in the fridge and call it a night. The next day, unwrap, pat dry and roast. Four hours of slow roasting later (and the most incredible smells), you turn up the heat to get some crispy crackling action and then it’s time for the hard part…waiting. Let your porky heaven rest for a little while before slicing in. It may be the longest 20 minutes of your life, but when you taste the results of your labour, you’ll be glad you waited.

Eat it as is, stuff it into a sandwich, make a porchetta carbonara, throw it on a pizza…the possibilities are as delicious as a Choose Your Own Adventure Book. Now that we’ve talked about porchetta, I guess it’s back to the book. I honestly can’t believe this is actually happening. It makes my heart race, my palms sweat and generally gives me the ill feeling of extreme anxiety. I still can’t believe you guys come to my site…and now that a real, live, physical book is going to be…gah. I can’t comprehend it.

If you’re so inclined to pre-order Easy Gourmet, I will forever be sending you virtual porchetta sandwiches and pictures of undeniably cute things. I’ll probably spend an inordinate amount of time trying to put my arms into my screen to give you a thank you squeeze. In all honesty, if you decide to buy my book, I will be truly humbled. I am a Food Blog and Easy Gourmet exist because of you, dear reader and that, is more than enough. But…if you do want to buy my book(!), you can preorder it here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and Indie Bound. A million xoxos to you. But seriously, guys, *hugs.* Thanks for making my dreams come true.

i am belly, i am loin: i am porchetta!

Porchetta Recipe
serves 6-8, generously

Salt Rub

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons toasted fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 teaspoons toasted fennel seed, crushed
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• zest of 1 lemon

Herb Rub

• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, needles only

Porchetta

• small pork tenderloin, around 3 inches in diameter, 1-2 pounds
• 12 inch slab of skin-on pork belly, 3-3 1/2 pounds
• oil
• string

Combine the ingredients for the salt rub in a small bowl. Place the belly skin side down on a cutting board and lightly score the meat. Sprinkle on half of the salt rub. Spread out all of the herb rub and place the tenderloin in the centre of the belly.

Tightly roll the belly around the tenderloin and tie together with kitchen twine. Rub the skin generously with oil and the remaining salt rub. Tightly wrap the porchetta in plastic wrap, place in a dish, and put in the fridge overnight.

The next day, heat the oven to 275°F. Unwrap the porchetta, pat dry with paper towels and place on a rack in a deep roasting pan. Roast on the centre rack of the oven for 4 hours. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 160°F.

Blast the heat up to 450°F and continue to roast for 20-25 minutes, keeping an eye on the skin. You want the crackling golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven, let rest for 15-20 minutes, slice and enjoy!

Oh, any my phone is totally fine. I did the bag o’rice thing and it WORKS! I’m so relieved.

bookpork