Prep Time:  15 mins
Cook Time:  120 mins
Total Time:  135 mins
Servings:  12

“Porchetta” is a gorgeous Italian word — but the way it looks might be even more beautiful. Just see for yourself with this stuffed pork belly recipe from Grill Master Randy, who elevated the dish with the sweetness of apples used in the stuffing, aromatics, and wood chunks. Of course, the juiciness of melted pork belly fat alone is enough to earn our seal of approval on this recipe.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Pork Belly

  • 2½–3 lb pork belly
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp sage (minced)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Granny Smith apple (sliced)
  • 3–5 whole garlic cloves
  • A few sage leaves

Ingredients for Stuffing

  • 1 medium red onion (small-chopped)
  • 3 Granny Smith apples (peeled and small-chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp leftover bacon grease or olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh sage (minced)
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)

Items You'll Need

Instructions

Instructions for Pork Belly Porchetta

  1. Start the stuffing by sautéing the onion and 2 of the apples in olive oil until golden brown (the leftover apple will be used for aromatics when smoking).
  2. Toss in the sage and half the minced garlic, then let sauté for another 1–2 minutes before adding the apple cider vinegar.
    3. Adding apple cider vinegar to the stuffing mixture
  3. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside while you prepare the pork belly.
  4. Score the pork belly skin both vertically and horizontally, making cuts about ½ an inch apart. Don’t go too deep with your cuts — you’re trying to cut through only the skin layer, not the meat itself.
  5. Once the skin is scored, flip the pork over to turn the meat side up. Score this side in a diagonal pattern, cutting just a bit deeper than the skin side. These cuts help the herbs and seasonings reach deep into the meat.
  6. Next, sprinkle a thin layer of salt and pepper over the meat side, followed by a thin layer of minced sage. Rub the seasonings in well.
    7. Scored and seasoned pork belly
  7. Place the stuffing on one edge of the pork belly and pack it down lightly. Begin carefully rolling the belly, starting with the stuffing side. If any stuffing falls out while rolling, just try to pack it in through the sides.
  8. Once the pork is rolled, secure it by wrapping it in kitchen twine. Space your twine wraps about 1–1 ½ inches apart, using as many wraps as needed (ours took 4 strings).
  9. Place your pork, uncovered, in the fridge overnight to help the skin dry out.
  10. Preheat your kamado smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, using natural lump charcoal as your fuel.
    11. Lump charcoal in a kamado being lit
  11. Remove your pork from the fridge, then brush a thin layer of olive oil all over the belly. Follow that up with another small sprinkle of salt and pepper.
  12. Add apple cider, apple slices, garlic cloves, and sage leaves to a pan deep enough to hold them. Top the pan with the roasting rack, then place the pork on the rack above the aromatics.
  13. Arrange an indirect cooking method in your kamado, then toss in 3 or 4 wood chunks around the bed of the coals to add flavorful smoke.
  14. Place the pork in the center of your indirect setup and let it cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees at the thickest part of the roll. This should take about 3 hours depending on the size of your pork belly.
    15. Porchetta after hitting temperature, but before final sear
  15. Once temperature is reached, crank up the heat to 400-450 degrees and let the skin crisp for about 15–25 minutes. A small amount of stuffing oozing from the sides of the pork belly may burn in the high heat, but you can just discard that and still enjoy the beautiful stuffing underneath.
  16. Remove your pork from the kamado and let it rest for 20 minutes.
  17. Slice the porchetta as thin or thick as you’d like, and enjoy!
    18. Finished and sliced Pork Belly Porchetta