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Brined & cooked recipeOrigin Recipe

Porchetta di Ariccia

Herb-scented roast pork with crisp crackling, savoury and aromatic, best in a plain bread roll.

Draft

This recipe is a draft, pending verification by The Curesmith. Treat the salt, cure and timing figures as provisional and confirm them against your own judgement before curing.

Introduction

Porchetta di Ariccia is seasoned pork rolled or prepared as a whole carcass and roasted until the rind becomes brittle and crisp. Rosemary, garlic and black pepper perfume the meat, but it is cooking, not curing, that makes the product safe and defines its texture.

The Curesmith home method

Use 1,000 g boned pork loin and belly or whole-pig section, with 20 g salt, 4 g pepper, 4 g rosemary, 4 g garlic and 3 g wild fennel. No curing salt is required. Tie tightly, roast to at least 70–72°C at the thickest point and cool rapidly if not served immediately. Roast until the thickest centre reaches at least 72°C, then rest and protect the crisp rind from steam.

Where it comes from

Pork cut chart with the Loin highlighted
Pork · Loin
Ariccia, Italy

Before you begin

Purpose and scope

The recipes published on The Curesmith are intended for educational and informational purposes only. Meat curing, fermentation and smoking involve processes that, if carried out incorrectly, can result in products that are unsafe to eat. By using any recipe on this website you acknowledge that you do so entirely at your own risk, and you agree that The Curesmith and its authors cannot be held liable for any outcome arising from its use.

Limitation of liability

The Curesmith and its authors accept no responsibility or liability for any illness, injury, loss or damage arising from the use of these recipes, including but not limited to illness caused by improperly cured, handled or cooked meat products, errors in measurement or technique, equipment failure, or deviation from the stated method or quantities.

Nitrite and cure safety

Meat curing involves the use of nitrite salts, which must be measured accurately and used strictly according to the quantities specified. Nitrite in excessive quantities is toxic. Please ensure you understand the following before proceeding:

  • Always use a calibrated digital scale accurate to at least one gram. For smaller batches, a scale accurate to 0.1g is strongly recommended.
  • Never exceed the stated cure amounts. Never substitute cure types without recalculating.
  • Store all curing salts clearly labelled, separately from regular salt, and out of reach of children.
  • Different cure products have different nitrite concentrations. Always check your manufacturer's label and adjust quantities accordingly.

Food hygiene and cross-contamination

Raw and cured meat products must be stored, handled and prepared in a clean environment using food-safe equipment. Hands, surfaces, tools and containers must be thoroughly cleaned and where appropriate sanitised before use. Cross-contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat products must be avoided at all times.

Temperature control

Temperature control is critical throughout all curing and smoking processes. Inadequate temperature management can allow the growth of dangerous pathogens including Clostridium botulinum, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E. coli. A reliable refrigerator thermometer and a calibrated probe thermometer are essential pieces of equipment for anyone producing cured or smoked meat at home.

Uncooked cured products

Whole muscle products that are eaten without cooking, such as air-dried bresaola, coppa or prosciutto, must reach their target weight loss before consumption. Products that have not been cured and dried to the correct specification may not be safe to eat uncooked. Pancetta and guanciale cured to less than 38% weight loss must not be consumed uncooked.

Bacon and other uncooked cured products

Bacon and other uncooked cured products must be cooked thoroughly before eating. Cold smoking adds flavour and colour but does not cook the product. A cold-smoked bacon or sausage remains a raw product and must reach a safe internal temperature before it is safe to consume. For pork and beef this is 72°C / 162°F. For poultry this is 74°C / 165°F.

When in doubt, seek professional guidance

If you are unsure about any aspect of the curing, smoking or fermentation process, we strongly encourage you to seek formal training or guidance from a qualified food safety professional before proceeding. The information on this website is not a substitute for proper food safety education and training.

Commercial production

These recipes are produced for home and small-scale producers. They are not intended for commercial food production. Commercial meat processing is subject to regulatory requirements that vary by country and jurisdiction. If you intend to produce cured or smoked products for sale, you must ensure full compliance with all applicable food safety regulations in your region.

The recipe

StyleCooked
MeatsWhole boned pig / pork loin and belly
Salt2%
Cook to72 C / 162 F

New to curing, or want step-by-step guidance?

The Recipe Wizard walks you through this recipe one step at a time, with explanations at every stage.

Ingredients

gAdjust to
scale the recipe
Meat
Whole boned pig / pork loin and bellyReference1000 g
Seasoning
Salt2%20 g
Black pepper0.4%4.0 g
Rosemary0.4%4.0 g
Garlic0.4%4.0 g
Wild fennel0.3%3.0 g

Production

GrindAs the style requires
Rest1 hour, ideally overnight
Cook to72 C / 162 F internal

Method

1
Bone and prepare. Prepare the whole female pig or pork trunk, retaining rind and an even meat-and-fat layer.
2
Season. Apply salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic and optional wild fennel evenly across the interior.
3
Roll and tie. Roll tightly, align the rind and tie at close intervals so the roast holds its form.
4
Roast. Roast until the rind is crisp and the thickest part reaches at least 70–72°C. (Core ≥70 to 72 °C. Endpoint: Crisp rind and safe cooked centre.)
5
Rest or cool. Rest before hot service, or cool rapidly and refrigerate if it will be sold or served cold.
Key tipsThis is the house version of a cooked product; the Atlas entry carries the traditional detail. Keep everything cold, cook to a measured core temperature, and cool quickly.
ImportantThis is a cooked product. Cook thoroughly to a safe internal temperature of 72 C / 162 F before eating, cool promptly and keep refrigerated.

Recipe by The Curesmith — thecuresmith.com