This Porketta Roast is seasoned with a savory blend of fennel, rosemary, garlic, and spices before being slow roasted until it’s fall-apart tender. Whether you serve it with potatoes for Sunday dinner or pile it onto a crusty roll for sandwiches, this flavorful pork roast is always a crowd-pleaser.

Shredded porketta on a wooden cutting board with two forks.

I grew up on Minnesota’s Iron Range in the northeastern part of the state. While the region is best known for its rich iron ore deposits and mining history, it’s also home to a unique blend of cultures and traditions.

One of my favorite things about the Iron Range is its history. Generations of immigrants came here looking for work in the mines, bringing with them family recipes and food traditions that are still enjoyed today.

When I mention dishes I grew up eating like potica, sarmas, pasties, and porketta people often look at me like I’m speaking another language.

What Is Porketta?

Porketta is believed to have been inspired by traditional Italian porchetta, but over time it became a beloved Iron Range specialty. Much like barbecue pulled pork is a staple throughout the South, porketta has become a staple across Minnesota’s Iron Range.

Unlike the Italian classic porchetta, which is typically made by rolling pork loin inside pork belly, Iron Range porketta is most often made with a pork butt or pork shoulder. The roast is generously seasoned with a savory blend of fennel, rosemary, garlic, and other herbs before being slow roasted until it’s tender enough to shred.

Quick Look at This Porketta Recipe

Ready In: About 3 hours
Serves: 8–10
Flavors: Savory herbs, garlic, fennel
Equipment: Dutch oven or roasting pan (slow cooker version below!)
Great For: Sunday dinners, sandwiches, potlucks

What you’ll need for this recipe:

Pork roast: A pork butt (also called a Boston butt) is the best cut for this recipe. Despite its name, it comes from the upper part of the shoulder and has plenty of fat marbling, which keeps the meat flavorful and juicy as it cooks. You’ll typically find it wrapped in butcher’s twine to hold it together. If you can’t find a pork butt, a pork shoulder is an excellent substitute. Both cuts become fall-apart tender when cooked low and slow.
Herbs & spices: Fennel seeds are the signature ingredient that gives porketta its distinctive flavor. Combined with rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, and black pepper, they create the savory herb crust that makes this roast so memorable.

Pork butt on plate alongside spices on square plate and whole onion on countertop.

How to Make Porketta

This roast is so easy to put together! Here’s how you do it:

Step 1: Make the spice rub. – I do not have a spice grinder, but if you do it works great for crushing the fennel seeds. Instead I just add the all the spices to a small plastic zipper bag and roll over them with a rolling pin. You could also use a mortar and pestle.

Step 2: Season the pork. – Once you have made your spice mixture, sprinkle it over the roast and rub it in to coat evenly.

Herbs and spice in zip top bag with a wooden rolling pin on top.

Step 3: Roast. – Place a quartered onion in the bottom of a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Place the seasoned roast on top of the onions fat side up and place is a 325 degree oven. Slow roast the Porketta for 2 1/2-3 hours until the meat is starting to fall apart. I uncover the roast during the last 20-30 minutes to help crisp up the outside.

While pork is safe to eat at 145 degrees, the meat needs to reach 200 degrees to shred easily. The roast should take no more than 2 forks to shred it. Be sure to let the roast rest for 10-15 minutes on cutting board before shredding. After shredding, I like to place the meat back in the pan juices and keep warm for serving.

Seasoned pork butt in dutch oven on top of onion.

How to Serve Porketta

Porketta is just as versatile as pulled pork and can be served several ways.

With your favorite sides: Serve Porketta alongside coleslaw, cucumber salad, pasta salad, or roasted vegetables for a complete meal.

Sandwiches: Pile the shredded pork onto a crusty roll for a simple sandwich. It doesn’t need barbecue sauce, but a little mustard is a popular topping.

Classic pork roast dinner: Before roasting, surround the pork with chunks of potatoes, carrots, and onion. As everything cooks together, the vegetables become tender and soak up the flavorful pan juices for an easy one-pan meal.

hand holding a porketta sandwich on a small brioche bun.

Slow Cooker Porketta

Because Porketta becomes its most tender when cooked low and slow, it’s easy to make in the slow cooker. Season the roast as directed, then cook on Low for 7–8 hours, or until it’s fork-tender. You can also add potatoes, carrots, and onions to the slow cooker for an easy one-pot meal.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Add a little of the cooking juices before freezing to help keep the meat moist. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating

Stovetop: Place the shredded pork in a saucepan with a splash of water or chicken broth. Cover and heat over medium-low heat until warmed through.

Oven: For larger portions, spread the pork in a 9×13-inch baking dish and add a splash of water or chicken broth. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 325°F for 20–30 minutes, or until heated through. The exact cooking time will vary depending on the amount of pork.

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4.75 from 4 votes

Porketta Roast

Author: Ashley Leonard

This Porketta Roast is seasoned with a savory blend of fennel, rosemary, garlic, and spices before being slow roasted until it's fall-apart tender. Whether you serve it with potatoes for Sunday dinner or pile it onto a crusty roll for sandwiches, this flavorful pork roast is always a crowd-pleaser.

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Prep Time:10

Cook Time:3

Total Time:3 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pork roast, porketta, porketta roast

Servings: servings

Ingredients

4 # boneless pork butt
1 tbsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 onion quartered

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Pulse the herbs and spices in a spice grinder or food processor a few times to lightly crush the fennel seeds and rosemary. No grinder? Place the spices in a zip-top bag and gently crush them with a rolling pin, or use a mortar and pestle. Rub the spice mixture over the entire pork butt.
1 tbsp. Kosher salt, 2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. fennel seeds, 1 tsp. dried rosemary, 4 # boneless pork butt
Place the quartered onion in the bottom of a Dutch oven or roasting pan, then set the seasoned pork butt on top. Cover and roast for 2½–3 hours, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of about 200°F and is fork-tender. Remove the lid during the final 20 minutes of cooking to crisp the outside.
1 onion
Remove porketta from the oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before shredding.

Notes

Use a pork butt. Its fat marbling keeps the meat juicy and tender.
Don’t skip the fennel. It’s the signature flavor that makes porketta unique.
Cook low and slow. The roast is ready when it’s fork-tender and shreds easily. Should reach an internal temperature of about 200 degrees.
Rest before shredding. Let the roast rest for 10–15 minutes to keep the juices in the meat.
Shred with the juices. Toss the shredded pork with the pan juices for the best flavor and moisture.

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4.75 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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