Porchetta with roast potatoes and cavolo nero

Name: Porchetta with roast potatoes and cavolo nero
Prep time: 220 min
Cook time: 160 min
Total time: 380 min
Yield: 4 servings

Posted: 04/05/2026Updated: 04/05/2026

Pork loin wrapped in herb-seasoned belly, roasted with crackling, served with roasted potatoes and sautéed cavolo nero.

Active prep: 40 minutesPassive prep: 3 hoursActive cooking: 25 minutesPassive cooking: 2.3 hours

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Ingredients

Adjust servingsServings

Porchetta

1.2 kilograms Pork belly, skin on and boneless
300 grams Pork loin
3 cloves Garlic
1.5 tablespoons Fresh rosemary leaves
8 Fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon Fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 Lemon
1 tablespoon Olive oil

Potatoes

1 kilogram Floury potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward or Yukon Gold)
1 tablespoon Kosher salt

Cavolo nero

300 grams Cavolo nero
2 cloves Garlic
0.5 teaspoon Chilli flakes
1 tablespoon Olive oil
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Porchetta preparation

Create the herb rub by roughly chopping fresh rosemary, sage and garlic.
Add to a pestle and mortar along with fennel seeds, salt, black peppercorns, lemon zest and olive oil. Grind until a mostly smooth paste is formed.
Using a very sharp knife to lightly score the skin in parallel lines or a crosshatch pattern, cutting through the rind but minimally into the fat.
Lay the belly skin-side down and butterfly it by slicing horizontally into the belly about halfway up its thickness. Keep the blade parallel and stop about 2 cm before the opposite edge.
Fold the flap back so the belly doubles in length. Score the flesh side lightly in a crosshatch pattern.
Rub in the herb seasoning evenly all over. Place the loin lengthwise along the butterfly end of the belly.
Starting at the loin edge, roll the butterflied belly over the loin as tightly as possible, keeping the shape cylindrical, until the skin completely wraps around.
Tie at 1-inch intervals along the length. Ensure they are tight enough to hold its shape but not cutting into the meat.
Pat the outside dry with paper towels and salt the skin generously using kosher salt. Let it rest for 3–4 hours uncovered in the fridge.

Roasting porchetta and potatoes

Roast the porchetta at 135°C on a rack over a roasting pan to collect drippings.
Cook until the internal temperature in the centre is about 60°C. Start checking after 1.5 hours, every 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into equally sized pieces.
Parboil the potatoes for 8–10 minutes (or until just fork tender) in salted water before draining and shaking in the pot with the lid on.
Increase the oven’s temperature to 220°C.
Add the parboiled potatoes to the roasting pan so they sit in the drippings, tossing them to coat. Add some more olive oil if there aren’t enough drippings.
Roast together for 20 minutes to crisp the porchetta skin and starts the potato browning. The internal temperature of the loin in the centre should be 60-62°C.
After 20 minutes, remove the porchetta and rest uncovered for the remaining potato cook time (15-20 minutes).

Cavolo nero

Whilst the potatoes finish cooking, remove the stem from cavolo nero and roughly chop the leaves.

Helpful notes

Cooking tips

Pat the skin completely dry with paper towels. Salting the skin and leaving to rest uncovered in the fridge draws out even more moisture. It’s important to use large salt crystals, like kosher salt, on the skin as fine salt will be absorbed and make the skin very salty.
When scoring the skin, use a very sharp knife to lightly score the skin in parallel lines or a crosshatch. Don’t cut too deep and go into the fat.
Parboil and rough up the potatoes: After boiling, shake the potatoes in the pot with the lid on. This creates tiny rough edges that crisp in the oven.
Use hot fat: Toss potatoes in drippings or pre-heated oil before roasting for maximum browning.
Don’t overcrowd the potatoes: Give potatoes space in the pan so steam escapes and they crisp rather than steam.
Rest the porchetta: This is important to allow the juices within the meat to redistribute. If you don’t let it rest, the meat will be dry.

Alternative ingredients

Instead of fresh rosemary and sage, use about 1 tsp each of each herb dried.

Storage instructions

Refrigeration: Wrap the cooled porchetta tightly in foil or in an airtight container. It can keep for 3–4 days in the fridge. If possible, store the porchetta whole instead of sliced. Store cooled potatoes in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Store the cavolo nero in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

Freezing: Wrap slices tightly in cling film and foil or a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Don’t freeze the potatoes or cavolo nero.

Re-heating instructions

Allow the frozen porchetta to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Oven: Re-heat the porchetta gently in a low oven (150–160 °C) to warm through without drying out the loin; cook under the grill at the end if you want to restore the skin’s crispness. Re-heat the potatoes in a hot oven (200°C) for 10–15 minutes to crisp again.

Stove: Sauté the cavolo nero gently but don’t overcook or it will become mushy and lose colour. It is best to cook the cavolo nero fresh for each meal.

Microwave: Briefly warm the cavolo nero until just hot.

Nutrition and dietary facts

Dairy-free

Per serving:Calories: 760kcal (34%), Protein: 38g (63%), Fat: 49.8g (62%), Saturated fat: 15g (100%), Carbohydrates: 45g (16%), Sugars: 3.9g (16%), Fibre: 5.7g (19%)

NOTE: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.