How to Cook Perfect Porchetta

With Burnt Apple Purée and Cider Jus - A Grand Hotel Signature

At The Grand Hotel St Annes, we celebrate timeless cooking with a touch of luxury and layers of bold flavour. Our chefs’ Porchetta is rich, tender and always a guest favourite, served on our Sunday roast menus and as a standout dish at dinner.

Below, you’ll find our step-by-step recipe, so you can bring a taste of The Grand to your own table.

Ingredients: 

• 6kg pork belly, bone removed
• Butchers’ twine (for tying)

‍‍

For the Stuffing:‍

• 1kg sausage meat
• 500g onion, finely diced
• 100g handful of fresh sage, chopped
• A handful of parsley, chopped
• 200g dried apricots, finely chopped *need to remove chicken stock from description
• 200g panko breadcrumbs

‍

For the Burnt Apple Purée:

• 6 Bramley apples
• 200g Dark brown sugar
• 10g Maldon sea salt

‍

For the Cider Jus:

• 300g shallots, thinly sliced
• 20g garlic clove
• 1 bay leaf
• A sprig of sage
• 1bottle of Aspalls apple cider
• 250ml apple juice
• 10ml apple vinegar
• 50g redcurrant jelly
• 2.5 ltr of pork stock
• 1 ltr Beef stock

‍

‍Method

1. Make the Stuffing

Sauté the diced onion gently on a low heat for around 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped apricots, sage, parsley, breadcrumbs and chicken stock. Combine with the sausage meat until the mixture is well integrated. Let it cool completely, then chill in the fridge while you prepare the pork.

2. Prepare the Pork

Pat the pork belly skin dry with kitchen paper, this helps achieve crisp crackling. Score the skin in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife.

Flip the pork so the skin faces down. Butterfly the meat by carefully slicing down the centre lengthwise and opening it up like a book, being careful not to cut all the way through.

Spread the chilled stuffing evenly over the butterflied pork on one side, pressing it firmly into place. Roll the pork tightly from one end to the other, ensuring the stuffing is sealed inside. Use butcher’s twine to tie the roll at intervals, securing the shape.

Leave the prepared porchetta uncovered in the fridge overnight, this dries out the skin and helps it crisp during cooking.

3. Slow Roast

Preheat your oven to 85°C. Bring the porchetta to room temperature and season the skin generously with sea salt.

In a roasting tray, create a bed of aromatics roughly chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Place the porchetta on top and slow roast for 10 hours.

4. Crisp the Skin

After 10 hours, remove the porchetta from the oven and transfer it to a clean tray with a wire rack. Increase the oven temperature to 230°C and roast for a further 5–12 minutes (depending on your oven) or until the skin is puffed and crispy.

Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. This step is essential as it allows the juices to settle and ensures each slice is succulent and tender.

Burnt Apple Purée

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place halved and cored Bramley apples in a deep roasting tray, cover with foil and bake for 1 hour until soft.

Remove the foil, sprinkle with dark brown sugar and a pinch of sea salt then return to the oven for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelised.

Blend the roasted apples in a high-speed blender until silky smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and chill until ready to serve.

Cider Jus

Sauté the shallots and garlic gently with the bay leaf and sage until softened. Add half the cider and reduce until syrupy. Stir in the apple juice, vinegar and redcurrant jelly.

Add the stock and reduce over low heat until the sauce reaches a rich, glossy consistency. Finish with the remaining cider for brightness, then strain for a smooth finish.

To Serve

Slice the porchetta thickly and warm under the grill to crisp the edges. Serve with seasonal greens, we love charred hispi cabbage, tenderstem broccoli or roasted leeks, alongside the burnt apple purée and a drizzle of cider jus.

Chef’s Tip

Porchetta is a celebration dish, give it the time and love it deserves and you’ll be rewarded with melt in the mouth pork, sweet and savoury layers and crackling that sings.

Want Us To Do The Cooking? Join Us For A Sunday Roast

Every Sunday we serve up this fabulous Roast Porchetta with all the usual trimming: Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and hoemade gravy. Make sure to book your table in advance as Sunday's At The Grand are always a busy one. Book Your Table Here

‍

Tag us in your creations on Instagram & Facebook! 📸🎥

‍