1 piece around 4-pound skinless pork belly. I started out with a 5.29 pound belly, cut off the thicker end for another use, so that left a fairly equal thickness of pork belly.
Kosher salt
1 Tbsp black peppercorns
1-1/2 Tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
4-5 garlic cloves, microplaned
Microplaned zest from a large lemon, make sure not to get the white pith.
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
Score the outside fat of the pork belly fairly lightly, trying not to cut through to the meat, flip over and score the meat side a little more deeply, but not all the way through.
Make up a cure by toasting the fennel seed and black peppercorns just untl fragrant, cool, then coarsely grind in a spice grinder, along with the dried thyme and rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Mix with the microplaned lemon zest and microplaned garlic cloves. Make sure everything is well mixed together, making sure to break up the garlic. Liberally salt the meat side of the pork belly, then rub the cure in, making sure to get down into the cuts. Tightly roll and tie. Mix the baking powder and salt together, then rub the outside. Sit on a rack in a roasting pan, cover lightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at least overnight up to 2 days. Take the plastic off the morning you are going to cook so outside will dry some.
Take the porchetta out of the refrigerator. Set up a 2-zone fire with charcoal and a couple of chunks of apple or whatever other wood you want. Place a drip pan in the middle between the coals. Set the fire up to keep temps between 325 and 350. Place the porchetta on the rotisserie and cook for about 3 hours to an.internal of 170 to 175.
About 30 minutes before the porchetta is done, spoon off most of the grease into a heavy glass measuring cup then put in some parcooked fingerling potatoes or small new potatoes to finish cooking. Keep the drippings to use like bacon fat.
The meat should be moist and tender, and the fat rendered and crisped very nicely.
