Suckling Pig Porchetta

It had me at first bite—that crackling skin shattering to reveal rich, succulent pork layered with creamy white fat, unlike any other meat I’ve ever tasted. Porchetta, made with suckling pig or porcelet, is something everyone should experience at least once. But here’s the catch. Porcelet, pronounced poor-seh-lay, isn’t your average pork. These young, milk-fed piglets are raised on a proprietary warm milk formula designed to mimic mother’s milk, which allows them to grow while preserving unmatched tenderness and delicate flavor.

Porcelet is a true delicacy, but one that’s nearly impossible to track down in the heartland, far from Italian strongholds like Chicago or New York. I know because I called every butcher within a hundred miles—most had never even heard of it. Sure, you can find pork belly, but let’s be honest: the gap between a mature hog and a milk-fed porcelet is as wide as the one between Kanye West and Beethoven.

Still, the heart wants what it wants, and mine wanted porcelet for a special dinner party. So I reached out to Gaspor, a small family farm in Quebec specializing in this rarity. Thanks to the magic of the internet, what once seemed impossible suddenly became possible. And from there, this porchetta came to life.

Developing the Recipe

When it came time to create my own porchetta, I discovered no shortage of recipes online. Most leaned heavily on pork belly, some even taking unexpected turns—Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame makes a fine one with apples. Tempting as these were, I wanted something that reflected my own palate, built from flavors I know and love.

My starting point was always going to be porcelet, ideally with the tenderloin still attached. But when sourcing proved impossible, I pivoted and picked up a top-shelf tenderloin from the market, carefully trimming and marinating it as the foundation. To bring in a bold, spicy note, I layered in hot and fiery pork breakfast sausage, which gave the roll some welcome chili heat. Because mushrooms are one of my favorite ingredients, a deeply seasoned duxelle found its way into the filling as well, adding earthy depth to balance the richness of the pork.

Of course, no porchetta is complete without generous seasoning—salt, herbs, and spices rubbed deep into the meat before everything is rolled into a neat, compact cylinder ready for roasting. What emerged was not just another porchetta, but a recipe entirely my own, reflecting both inspiration and personal taste.

A Cautionary Note

Whatever you do, don’t look at the photos of the piglets on the Gaspor website! Once seen, those furry white/brown beauties will captivate your heart and you will not be able to eat them without that image in your head!

Let’s Make a Suckling Pig Porchetta

Trim freshly butchered porcelet to remove any remaining bones, nipples and cartilage. Feel with your fingers carefully, because some are well hidden.

Use a sharp knife to score a diamond pattern in the meat, so you can rub in the salt and spices.

Finish layering on the herbs, then add the trimmed and marinated tenderloin at the top, followed by the breakfast sausage and the mushroom duxelle.

Have your butcher twine ready and roll it into a tight log, then secure the log with the twine using butchers knots and refrigerate.

Finishing the Suckling Pig Porchetta

Place the porcelet in the oven on a rack in a roasting pan and cook @445 for 45 minutes. Check the skin and if it’s not beginning to crisp roast another 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 285 and roast for about 2-1/2 hours until the internal temperature reaches 160. Check after 2 hours with a meat thermometer in the center of the porcelet. When it reaches 160, remove from oven and use a kitchen torch lightly to finish crisping the skin and make it bubble. Tent with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Slice with a serrated knife into 1-inch thick disks and serve immediately. Plate with potatoes and spring mix greens, drizzled with avocado salsa verde. Finish the garnish with demi-glace and a few small dollops of black garlic sauce. Print