Seeking Porchetta advice

Not a whole suckling pig but a rolled roast to do on the rotisserie. Any comments on cuts, seasonings, variations ?

Christina, I've often wanted to make porchetta--my husband raves about the porchetta an old Italian friend used to make. One of these days I'm going to get around to it...
I just googled it and this sounds about as close as you can get to the real thing. I've always imagined using a pork shoulder (Boston butt) since it will get fall apart tender when cooked for a long time.


http://recipecircus.com/recipes/robswift/Pork/Mock_Porchetta.html

Thanks Carrie- I plan on doing this Sun or Monday - depending on what else looks good at the farmer's market.

A Minnesota Iron Range favorite. Basically a boneless rolled Pork roast ..usually from the shoulder, that is seasoned with a rub made of a combination of herbs and spices. Everyone makes it a little different. Some key herbs and spices seem to be fennel, along with garlic and Italian crushed hot pepper. Some use a "green rub" using a combination of green herbs...flat leafed parsley, oregano etc. Others use a "red" rub consisting of garlic, onion powder,fennel, crushed Italian red pepper, black pepper and paprika.

I make my own using what ever array of herbs I have a whim for ...always including fennel. I mix the herbs in a bowl, Add red wine vinegar to make a paste. Then rub it on the roast. I then wrap the roast in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for a day or two. I try to remember to turn it once a day.

How do you cook it - bake it? Ever do it on the grill?

If I were to do it on the grill it would be "slow and low" so it wouldn't dry out. In the oven I have usually placed it on a rack or elevated it off of the bottom of a roaster or other pan I can cover. I bake it at no higher than 350 degrees. I keep liquid in the bottom to keep up the humidity. If you wish a crisp outside (I don't), take the cover off a bit at the end to moderately crisp the outside.

When I have been someplace that I didn't have a covered pan I used a rack on a cookie sheet with raised edges. I laid foil over the top of the meat and placed a baking dish on the rack below with hot water. I reduced the oven temperature and lengthened the cooking time.
The foil was grreased so that it wouldn't stick.

Years ago I showed a the owner of a meat locker how to make them and not only did he do pork but he also offered the option to his customers for their venison he processed. With venison he removed all the fat and added pork fat through out the rolled product. They were pretty good.