Looking for an alternative to that Christmas ham or prime rib? It might not be your nonna’s recipe, but Trader Joe’s makes it super simple to put a reasonably sized porchetta on your holiday table.
An Italian Christmas tradition, porchetta is typically made with pork loin and/or pork belly with the rind on to give it that finished look. It’s slathered with garlic and herbs, then rolled and oven-roasted. Trader Joe’s wraps their version in bacon to give you that same feel. It runs $6.99/lb.
I grabbed a smaller porchetta since it was a test run designed to just feed a a few people. At 2.45 lbs., it cooked in the time described on the package. You throw it in the oven at 500F for about 15 minutes to get the bacon crisping and then roast it at 325F for 40-50 minutes. It’s all pretty hands off, which makes it nice for a weekend supper, too. You need a thermometer to check the temperature as it cooks, but unless you really forget about it, it’s gonna be hard to overdo it.
Typically porchetta would have some fennel seeds in the mix, but it looks like they went with garlic, sage, rosemary, and oregano. I honestly couldn’t have told you what the herbs were just based on taste. But no worries, it’s tasty.
Once roasted, it rests for about 10 minutes, then you can get slicing. I did 3/4 to one inch slices and I’d guesstimate this 2.45 lb.-er would feed four to six.
It’s juicy and fatty and herby and delicious. While you don’t get the crispy skin you would from a legit porchetta, I can’t complain. Plan on sandwiches the next day with the leftovers. It’s easy to get really thin slices once it’s been refrigerated overnight. And it’s so flavorful I ate it on Italian bread, no need for mustard or mayo or anything else! Though, the hazelnut gremolata Saveur suggests sounds pretty fantastic, too.
I served it with a riff on Nancy’s Chopped Salad (minus the salami and cheese). The red wine vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the porchetta beautifully. I think Trader Joe’s got a winner on its hands with this one. Look for it in the meat section.
Check out our other recent We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Chocolate Peppermint Loaf and Baking Mix
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