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Porchetta Ham

By: Pedro Martinez

This recipe is Inspired by a trip I took to Rome. Porchetta is an Italian pork roast that is slathered with fennel-scented rub and slow cooked. It’s usually made from pork loin or pork belly, but ham is also a great foil for this herbaceous rub. 

In Rome, I came across a huge antique store with a stand serving sandwiches in the middle. The staff was hacking off portions of flavorful porchetta and placing on slices of focaccia bread and provolone picante cheese. The setting and flavor made this an unreal experience.

If you live in Boise, the village loaf from Zeppole Bakery is a close second to the Italian focaccia. 

Ingredients

PORCHETTA PASTE

  • 2 teaspoons sage
  • 1 tablespoons thyme
  • 1 tablespoons oregano
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ground fennel seed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoons chili paste/oil
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

PORCHETTA HAM

  • 1 SRF Kurobuta ham, I used a half bone-in ham but the works with any SRF ham. Buy Now
  • Porchetta paste

PORCHETTA PASTE

Mix all ingredients to form a paste

PORCHETTA HAM

Thaw ham completely. A large bone-in ham can take 3 to 4 days to thaw, so plan in advance.
The day before you plan to cook the ham: Score (make shallow cuts) the ham with a sharp knife to create a diamond pattern, about 1” apart. Liberally brush the scored ham with porchetta paste and let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator. Allow 12 to 24 hours for the paste to rest on the ham.
To prepare the ham, heat oven to 325°F.
Place ham, fat side up in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. If cooking a half ham, place the flat side down.
Bake the ham until its internal temperature reaches 140°F. Pull from the oven. For a half bone-in ham, it took about two hours. Don’t overcook!
See Ham Cook Chart for approximate cook times. Remove ham and allow to rest 15 to 30 minutes.
Slice and serve with extra al pastor sauce. Place sliced ham on a platter. Garnish with fresh bay thin slices of pineapple, if desired.