This porchetta sandwich is sponsored by the National Pork Board!
Today we’re spicing things up with a perfect porchetta roast made into an unforgettable sandwich.
This melt-in-your-mouth porchetta is transformed into an incredible sandwich with a bright garlic-herb mayo — rich, savory, and surprisingly straightforward to make at home.
I’m excited to partner with the National Pork Board again to share this porchetta sandwich. As part of their United States of Pork campaign, we’re celebrating favorite pork dishes from across the country — starting with a hometown-inspired twist on the Italian hoagie.
A survey of consumers in every state showed Pennsylvania’s most-loved pork dish is the Italian hoagie. While I grew up enjoying hoagies, I wanted to take a different route and make a sandwich with porchetta instead — bold, fragrant, and far from ordinary.
Porchetta can feel intimidating, but once you try this method you’ll find it very doable. It takes some time, mostly inactive, so plan ahead and you’ll be rewarded with an incredible roast and sandwiches to share.
Oh yes.
Porchetta is a boneless pork roast stuffed with garlic and fresh herbs, traditionally made with pork belly. It’s tender, juicy and decadently flavored. If pork belly is hard to find where you live, pork butt works beautifully with the same approach — I even combined the two for extra richness.
The secret is a vibrant herb paste: garlic, lemon zest, fresh herbs, fennel and olive oil. Rub it into the meat and into slits cut throughout the roast so every bite has layers of flavor.
A key step is letting the wrapped, seasoned roast rest in the fridge overnight. This helps dry the exterior so you get that signature ultra-crispy skin when roasted. After a slow roast to render the fat and develop flavor, a final blast of high heat crisps the outside to golden perfection.
The result: a roast that’s juicy inside with an irresistible crunchy crust. Slice it very thin — almost shaved — for sandwiches.
Assembling the porchetta sandwiches
Because porchetta is rich, I skip cheese and let the meat and herbs shine. Start with a crusty baguette, spread with a simple garlic-herb mayo (mayo, fresh garlic and chopped herbs), add peppery greens like arugula or microgreens, then pile on thin slices of porchetta.
The bright mayo and crisp greens balance the richness of the pork, giving each bite a perfect mix of textures and flavors. Once you’ve roasted porchetta once, the workflow becomes easy and repeatable — and you’ll want to make it again and again.
We love it.
Porchetta Sandwiches
Porchetta Sandwiches with Garlic Herb Mayo
Ingredients
- 4 pound boneless pork butt, trimmed
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
- 1/4 cup minced garlic (about 12 cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
For the sandwiches
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup chopped assorted herbs (basil, parsley, chives)
- Baguettes, sliced for serving
- Microgreens or arugula, for serving
Instructions
- Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.
- Cut the pork butt lengthwise with the grain into two equal roasts. Slice several slits in the fat cap and 1-inch slits on the sides to hold the herb paste.
- Sprinkle both roasts with kosher salt.
- In a bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon zest, fennel seed, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in olive oil to form a spreadable paste.
- Rub the paste all over the pork and into the slits. Tie each roast into a compact cylinder with kitchen twine. Place on the wire rack uncovered and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Transfer the pork to a baking dish, cover with foil and roast for about 2.5 hours, until internal temperature reaches 180°F.
- Remove foil, increase oven to 500°F. Transfer pork to a clean baking sheet, remove twine, and roast uncovered 20–30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches about 190°F and the exterior is very crisp. Let rest 30 minutes before slicing.
- Slice the porchetta very thinly, almost shaving it with the knife.
- To assemble sandwiches, mix mayonnaise with minced garlic and chopped herbs for the garlic-herb mayo. Spread on baguette, top with greens, add thin slices of porchetta and serve.
- Note: You can use pork belly with the same method and temperatures; 3–4 pounds works well. Score, spread paste, roll, tie, chill, roast low and finish at high heat, then rest and slice.
Did you make this recipe?
Share your porchetta sandwich and tag your photos so others can see your creation. Enjoy!
My kind of sandwich.