Recipes › Sandwich › Porchetta and Salsa Verde Sandwich Recipe

Porchetta and Salsa Verde Sandwich Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

This Italian sandwich combines succulent slow-roasted porchetta—a traditional pork belly preparation from central Italy—with vibrant, herbaceous salsa verde for a balanced and satisfying meal. The tender, crispy-skinned meat pairs perfectly with the bright green sauce and crusty bread, creating an authentic handheld experience that captures the essence of Italian charcuterie and condiment traditions.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) pork belly with skin, scored in a crosshatch pattern
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
• 15 g (1 tbsp) sea salt
• 5 g (1 tsp) black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 g (2 tsp) dried fennel seeds, crushed
• 5 g (1 tsp) dried rosemary
• 2 ml (½ tsp) cayenne pepper
• 250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
• 500 ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 ciabatta rolls or oval Italian rolls (about 150g each)
• 60 g (½ cup) fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 30 g (¼ cup) fresh basil
• 20 g (¼ cup) fresh mint
• 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil for salsa verde
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove for salsa verde
• 5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pat the pork belly skin completely dry with paper towels. Score the skin in a 1 cm (⅜ inch) crosshatch pattern, cutting through the fat layer but not into the meat. This allows heat to penetrate and helps create crispy crackling.

2. Mix together sea salt, black pepper, minced garlic, crushed fennel seeds, dried rosemary, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Rub this mixture evenly over the entire pork belly, working it into the scored skin and all sides.

3. Heat olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Place the pork belly skin-side down and sear for 4-5 minutes until the underside is golden brown, then flip skin-side up for another 3 minutes.

4. Pour white wine around the pork (not on top of the skin) and let it reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock around the pork, ensuring the liquid comes halfway up the sides.

5. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast at 160°C (320°F) for 2.5-3 hours until the pork is extremely tender and easily shreds. Remove foil in the last 30 minutes to allow skin to crisp and turn golden.

6. While pork roasts, prepare salsa verde: blanch parsley, basil, and mint in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, then shock in ice water. Squeeze dry and roughly chop. Blend with anchovy, garlic, mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil until chunky but cohesive. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Remove pork from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut into thick slices or coarse chunks, discarding excess fat if desired but preserving the crackling skin. Strain pan juices and reserve as optional drizzle.

8. Lightly toast or warm the ciabatta rolls. Spread each roll generously with salsa verde on both the top and bottom halves.

9. Layer warm porchetta pieces onto the bottom half of each roll, allowing some of the rendered fat and meat juices to soak into the bread.

10. Place the top half of the roll on the sandwich, press gently, and serve immediately while the meat is still warm. Optionally drizzle reserved pan juices over the assembled sandwich.

Substitutions

• Replace pork belly with boneless pork shoulder (butt); increase roasting time to 4 hours as meat is denser
• Substitute salsa verde with a bright chimichurri made from parsley, oregano, red wine vinegar, and garlic for a South American interpretation
• Use gluten-free ciabatta rolls or focaccia for gluten-free diets without affecting the sandwich's character
• Replace anchovies with 5 ml (1 tsp) capers and 5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce for a vegetarian-adjacent umami base

Tips

• Score the pork skin the day before and refrigerate uncovered; this allows the skin to dry further and become even crispier during roasting
• Make salsa verde fresh on the day of serving; if prepared ahead, store without the vinegar and add just before assembly to prevent darkening of herbs
• Reserve the pan drippings and reduce them into a glaze to spoon over the sandwich for enhanced flavor and richness
• If porchetta skin doesn't achieve deep crackling after roasting, finish it under a hot broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully

Porchetta is a traditional Roman and Tuscan delicacy dating back centuries, originally prepared whole and sold by street vendors as a major ceremonial dish. Salsa verde—a herbaceous sauce rooted in Renaissance Italian cuisine—became the classic accompaniment to rich pork preparations, the acidity and herbs cutting through fat and providing balance, making this combination a timeless pairing in central Italian cucina.

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