This dish is inspired by a bingo hall in Sudbury which gives away pork roasts to its winners. The secret to the crisp skin, says Chef Randy Feltis, is air drying the meat in your fridge for two days.

Sudbury-style porchetta roast

Prep time: 2 days
Cook time: 2 hours
Serves 8-10
Special tools: roasting pan and wire tray

Ingredients:

5-6 lb pork belly, skin on (same length as a pork tenderloin)
1 pork tenderloin
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp fennel seed
1 tbsp butcher pepper
1 tsp chili flakes
1 handful dill weed, chopped
1 handful fine sea salt

Method:

1. Air dry your pork belly for 2 days in your refrigerator. Remove and keep at room temperature for 2 hours before preparing.

2. Preheat oven to 500 F. Make sure it’s clean or the smoke will come. Open your windows.

3. Place paper towel on a cutting board and lay belly skin side down. Toast fennel seed, chili flakes and pepper in a pan lightly for a minute then give them a pounding in a pestle mortar. Let cool.

4. Score meat side of belly in 1-inch diamond pattern. Do not go too deep and do not cut through skin. Rub all herbs and aromatics into the flesh. Season with salt and top with pork tenderloin.

5. On the countertop or separate cutting board, throw down a handful of salt. Place unwrapped porchetta skin down on salt and press down forcefully getting as much salt onto the skin as possible.

6. Roll up porchetta and tie with butcher’s twine. Place seam on a wire tray in a roasting pan.

7. Place in oven, and roast for 30 minutes for 5 pounds; 36 minutes for 6 pounds; and 42 minutes for 7 pounds.

8. After cooking time has expired, turn oven off and DO NOT OPEN DOOR for 1.5 hours.

9. Internal temperature of the meat should be 145-155 F when you finally open door.

10. Let rest for 20 minutes. Brush off excess salt. Skin will be so crispy you will need a bread knife to carve!

11. Serve with roasted veggies and potatoes.