Substitute a boned and rolled breast of veal for the pork. The cooking time will remain the same.It was in an outdoor market in Umbria that I first discovered this meltingly tender aromatic and flavorful pork called porchetta (pronounced poor-KHET-ah). The key to the success of this dish is using fresh herbs, and it’s even better if you season it the night before you’re cooking it.
Makes 6 to 8 servings | Prep time: 15 minutes | Minimum cook time: 6 hours in a medium slow cooker
1 (2-pound) boneless pork roast, preferably shoulder
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 celery ribs, cut into 4-inch lengths
1/3 cup Chicken Stock or purchased stock
1. Rinse pork and pat dry with paper towels. Combine garlic, rosemary, parsley, sage, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Make slits deep into pork, and stuff half of mixture into the slits. Rub remaining mixture on the outside of pork. Arrange celery in the bottom of the slow cooker to form a trivet.
2. Preheat the oven broiler, and line a broiler pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Broil pork for 3 minutes per side, or until browned. Transfer pork to the slow cooker, and pour in any juices that have collected in the pan. Pour stock over pork.
3. Cook on High for 2 hours, then reduce the heat to Low and cook for 4 hours, or until pork is fork tender. Carve pork into slices, and moisten with pan juices from the slow cooker. Serve hot.
Note: The dish can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it, covered, in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot.
Variation:
Substitute a boned and rolled breast of veal for the pork. The cooking time will remain the same.