Porchetta - Italian Marketplace Smoked Pulled Pork w/ Q-view

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

sqwib

Smoking Guru
Original poster
OTBS Member
Sep 25, 2007
5,962
1,034
Philadelphia
Updated, fixed links.

I haven't been on in a while, redoing our kitchen and been in a rutt lately nuff said.

This is from mid December but just got around to posting, I haven't really been into it much lately but felt this deserved a posting.
[h1]Porchetta - Italian Market Place Pit Cooked Pulled Pork[/h1]

This was a recipe that peaked my interest and I have tweaked the recipe for the smoker.
I did a bit of research on doubling and tripling recipes and the following is what I have come up with.

This recipe paid off...big time, It was extremely moist and very flavorful.

I really can not decide which I like better the Italian pulled pork or my traditional pulled pork, this has its own unique flavor and it would be unfair to compare one with the other.

Now when I smoke Pulled Pork, I will also be smoking an Italian Pulled Pork along side it.


Ingredients
  • 8-10 lb pork shoulder/ Butt, boned, trimmed of fat and Roll cut
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 large Red onions, peeled and finely diced
  • 12 garlic cloves, peeled and finely mince or (1/4 cup fresh minced)
  • 1/4 cup fennel seeds
  • 1/3 cup fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped or (Dry - 2 Tablespoons)
  • 8 fresh bay leaves chopped (Dry - 2 teaspoons)
  • 2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2.5 teaspoon Sea salt
  • 4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • ciabatta rolls (chyah-BAH-tah)
  •  
* TIP:  try to find fennel seeds in bulk, they are way too expensive in the little spice containers

Preparation
  • With a sharp knife remove as much surface fat as possible, (fat cap and false cap), try to butterfly the butt about 1" -1-1/2" thick, this is easier said than done, you can see from the pictures that I sliced into the meat best I could, don't sweat it... its gonna be pulled anyhow.
  • Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium high. Add all of the chopped onion, half the minced garlic, half the fennel seeds, all of the rosemary and bay, half of the ground cloves, salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until all the fragrance has been released from the herbs and spices. Transfer to a plate to cool.
  • Spread and rub this mixture over and into the pork, then roll the meat up as tightly and neatly as you can. Tie with kitchen string at intervals.
  • Mix the remaining ingredients (minced garlic, fennel seeds, ground cloves, a bit of olive oil) and rub it over the outside of the pork. Cover it with cling film and refrigerate 24 hours, or at least overnight.
  • Remove the meat 40 minutes before Smoking to allow it to return to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the smoker to 300°F , Take the cling film off the pork place in a shallow pan, fat side down, then place in the smoker, slowly bringing the temp down to 250°, another option is to place the pan under the grates to catch the drippings in any case you will need these drippings.
  *TIP: You can use a turkey baster and use the drippings as a mop during the smoke.
  • Smoke the pork to an internal temp of 150°, place in foil, add some juices from the pan, wrap the foil tightly and place back in the roasting pan.
  • Cook to an internal temp of 205°.
  • Remove Pork from the smoker wrap in towels and place in cooler and rest for at least 1 hour, meanwhile place the drippings in the refrigerator.
  • Pull or shred the meat separate the grease from the drippings, [color= rgb(0, 0, 0)]add the reserved drippings, [/color]serve in warmed ciabatta rolls.
  • Two Boneless butts, picked up at Jetro
8076872364_416891257b_z.jpg





  • Two Boneless butts, 1 for my traditional Pulled Pork and the other for an Italian style Pulled Pork.
8076881433_3d212d4d40_z.jpg





  • With a sharp knife remove as much surface fat as possible, (fat cap and false cap), Fat Removed.
8076874392_550e6bea43_z.jpg




  •  Ingredients ready to go
8076882761_a3aaf3438e_z.jpg



  • Pan prepped
8076874630_79f3be5912_z.jpg



  • Try to butterfly the butt about 1" -1-1/2" thick, this is easier said than done, you can see from the pictures that I sliced into the meat best I could, don't sweat it... its gonna be pulled anyhow.
8076874868_fda0df2b0f_z.jpg





  • Chopped onion
8076880679_cd1816518a_z.jpg




Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium high. Add all of the chopped onion, half the minced garlic, half the fennel seeds, all of the rosemary and bay, half of the ground cloves, salt and pepper
 
  • Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until all the fragrance has been released from the herbs and spices. Transfer to a plate to cool
8076875350_abb1fe094d_z.jpg


 

  • Cooked spices, dry spices and meat prepped.

8076876076_1eae1f0f52_z.jpg


  • Closeup of ingredients.

8076875532_724f6981d1_z.jpg





  • Spread and rub this mixture over and into the pork, then roll the meat up as tightly and neatly as you can. Tie with kitchen string at intervals.
8076883875_eb8973a28d_z.jpg




  • Mix the remaining ingredients (minced garlic, fennel seeds, ground cloves, a bit of olive oil) and rub it over the outside of the pork.

8076884149_263cfc4fef_z.jpg



 

  • Cover the butt with cling film and refrigerate 24 hours, or at least overnight.
8076876926_ede7ab18ee_z.jpg


Preheat the Pit to 300°F , Take the cling film off the pork place in a shallow pan, fat side down, then place in the Pit , slowly bringing the temp down to 250°, another option is to place the pan under the grates to catch the drippings in any case you will need these drippings.



Cook the pork to an internal temp of 150°, place in foil add some juices from the pan, wrap the foil tightly and place back in the roasting pan.
Sorry no picture
.



 
 
  • Cook to an internal temp of 205°.
8076878330_075708b697_z.jpg





  • A little something to spice up my coffee.
8076877356_4066d43b56_z.jpg



  • Something to keep warm
8076877672_7b0fa9793b_z.jpg






Goodnight all, I'm beat, an 18+ hour cook  wipes me out these days.
I had a lot going on this day so I missed a few money shots, My brother come over around 3:00 and helped me prep and from 7:00 to 9:00 I had him babysit Frank while I was at a Cub Scout Christmas party, I couldn't have taken any pics after the party anyhow because my camera died.

We had a fire going in the Fire pit all day and night and my neighbor came over late and we hung out a bit, I think I finally got to bed around 1:30




8076880965_7e6bb334d3_z.jpg
 
Last edited:
Looks great! I'll have to give that a try!

I wonder though, have you tried your recipe with fresh garlic instead of that stuff in a jar? Don't get me wrong, the Spice World "Minced Garlic" is great in a pinch. But honestly finely dicing some fresh cloves has an incredibly great impact on flavor with anything I cook. Same with a "garlic press" those things just don't have the right effect on such a tasty ingredient as fresh thinly sliced garlic! Just like the movie "Goodfellas" slice it paper thin and dice the crap out of it! Sure it's a sticky pain in the butt, but worth it in the long run!
 
Looks great! I'll have to give that a try!

I wonder though, have you tried your recipe with fresh garlic instead of that stuff in a jar? Don't get me wrong, the Spice World "Minced Garlic" is great in a pinch. But honestly finely dicing some fresh cloves has an incredibly great impact on flavor with anything I cook. Same with a "garlic press" those things just don't have the right effect on such a tasty ingredient as fresh thinly sliced garlic! Just like the movie "Goodfellas" slice it paper thin and dice the crap out of it! Sure it's a sticky pain in the butt, but worth it in the long run!
I couldn't agree more, but I am a stickler for using up what I have on hand.

However I feel this recipe is deserving of only fresh ingredients and will use only fresh in the future.
 
icon_cool.gif


Now this thread should make a bee-line staight to Wiki. 
 
Wow. Just wow. Thanks for all the details. That is super helpful for Newbies like me. They look like they turned out amazing.
 
I haven't posted in forever and don't have pics (I know, boo) but I have to thank you for this porchetta recipe.  I followed it to a tee and cooked one up yesterday for the Super Bowl.  I love regular pulled pork but this was amazing.  I'm not sure if I can even go back to regular pulled pork now. 

If you looked at this recipe and are thinking about making it, DO IT!  It's delicious and a great addition to the website.  Thanks again.
 
I haven't posted in forever and don't have pics (I know, boo) but I have to thank you for this porchetta recipe.  I followed it to a tee and cooked one up yesterday for the Super Bowl.  I love regular pulled pork but this was amazing.  I'm not sure if I can even go back to regular pulled pork now. 

If you looked at this recipe and are thinking about making it, DO IT!  It's delicious and a great addition to the website.  Thanks again.


I'm glad you liked it, I see in your signature you have a GOSM did you do use the GOSM for the Porchetta?
 
Sure did.  The GOSM Big Block is the only smoker I own so it gets a lot of work.  I actually cooked at fairly high temps (avg. of 275 or so) as it was an 8 lb. butt that had to be done by 2:30 or so Pacific time.  Set the alarm for 5:30 am, got her on the smoker at 6 and things worked out perfectly.  Smoked with a mix of apple and cherry chunks and kept it in the pan the whole time.  Great stuff all around.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky