Roasted Porchetta Sliders **

                                          

Roasted Porchetta Sliders 

Directions:

Prep time: 30 Minutes

*Once prepped and assembled, allow the porchetta to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
*Ask your butcher to debone the pork rump and butterfly it. You will need butcher twine to tie and hold the porchetta roll together.
*If you choose to debone and butterfly it yourself, be sure to keep all the fat intact.

Cook time: 3 Hours
Ingredients:
4 lbs. pork butt meat with fat and skin on (remove the bone and butterfly) 
6 to 7 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 cup of fresh sage leaves
1 cup of fresh parsley 
3/4 cup fresh thyme
3 tbsp fennel seeds
8 cloves garlic 
3 tbsp salt
2 tbsp black pepper 
Extra-virgin olive oil 
15 slices of pancetta, thinly sliced 
1 bushel of fresh poultry blend herbs (for the stock at the bottom of the roaster pan) 
3 large carrots
3 celery ribs
1/2 large vidalia onion 
3 cups of chicken stock

Directions:                                                                In a food processor, add all the fresh herbs and dry seasonings (thyme, fennel, rosemary, sage, garlic, salt and pepper) Add 2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and blend together until a paste consistency is reached; place in bowl and set aside.                                                         With a knife, draw criss-cross lines on the meat side (not on the fatty skin side).                                                                                   With a cooking brush, spread the blended herb mixture evenly over the cut side of the meat, brushing generously. (If you do not have a cooking brush handy, you can make a brush using the fresh rosemary sprigs.)              Lay the pancetta slices over the flattened pork & herbs like a blanket, covering the meat.                                  Roll the pork all together (from the longer side) like a snug sleeping bag; tie the porchetta together tightly with butcher's twine so it forms a log. (Be sure to tie the twine evenly around the ends and middle of the porchetta log to hold it all together.)                                     Place the porchetta log in a sealed zip-lock plastic bag or wrap with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight for at least 24 hours, allowing the pork to seal in all the flavor.                       *Once the porchetta has marinated overnight, remove it and let it sit at room temperature before roasting it in the oven.

Directions:                                                                                                     Preheat the oven to 450°F.  Add the carrots, celery, onion, a bushel of fresh poultry herbs, 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 cups of chicken stock to the bottom of a large roasting pan.Place the porchetta in the middle of the roasting rack.                                                                                            Season the top with salt, pepper and olive oil, massaging the seasoning all over the surface.                                              Roast in the oven at 450°F for the first 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature. Cook for 3 hours, basting the top of the meat with the pan juices every 30 minutes until golden brown and crisp on the outside.                                                        Once the porchetta is cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes on a cutting board, allowing all the juices to distribute evenly throughout the porchetta. Remove the butcher’s twine, cutting it with kitchen scissors and discard. With a serrated knife, cut 1/4 inch-thick round slices.                                                                             To assemble the porchetta sliders, lightly toast the ciabatta rolls, lay a slice of provolone cheese on both the top and bottom of the roll, lay 2 slices of porchetta in the middle with a forkful of broccoli rabe.                                                              Cut each slider in half, stick a decorative toothpick through each half and serve on a platter just in time for kick-off time!