The first thing you have to understand is the cut. It is a rectangular cut from the back down to the belly. On one side is the pork loin, and on the other end is the belly. The skin is left on, evenly scored so you end up with a crispy crackle. The cut is then rolled up with seasoning mixture rubbed on the inside, tied together and rub again.

Chop all the ingredients up and add it all together in a pesto mortar and pound it up into a mash or put into a food processor for a minute. The results will be the same.

Using a very sharp knife or razor cut the skin into very thin sections. Do not cut into the meat. Lay the porchetta belly down and rub the mixture all other the meat. Then roll it up tight so the bacon meets the loin and tie it up tight. Take the remaining mixture and rub the outside of the roast getting into the cuts and crevasses. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning (early) remove it from the fridge and allow to stand at room temperature while you get your smoker up and running. Using hickory bisquettes for the whole period start your smoker at 200ºF, after 2 hours, increase your smoker temperature to 220ºF. Increase again in another 2 hours to 240ºF.

The whole smoking/cooking process should be no more than 8 hours and you want to stop it before the roast gets to 180ºF internally. Finally when you think it is about ready, remove from the smoker wrap it with foil, cover with a towel and let it rest. It could rest for up to 2 hours like this. This gives you plenty of time to prepare the rest of your meal.

The crackle: This is the actual skin of the pig and is a fan favorite. For best results, when you are checking on the roast every 2 hours, quickly remove the roast and give the skin a torching. Also torch at the very end. This is how you make the crackle.