Oven-roasted pork capocollo with buttery potatoes or extra-tender capocollo roast, the recipe for an economical and tasty roast that always remains very tender and succulent. The oven-roasted pork capocollo is a traditional Italian roast, a main course from the poor peasant tradition, made from the rear part of the pig’s neck — a fatty cut usually used for charcuterie. The capocollo’s long cooking time allows the fat to melt and the connective tissue to turn into a tasty gelatin, which softens the meat, making it particularly tender and succulent without the need to measure the internal temperature with a thermometer. Despite being an economical dish, capocollo roast can also be a rich and flavorful meat main course to serve at Christmas, New Year’s or Easter, just like the Orange Pork Tenderloin. Let’s head to the kitchen: I’ll explain how to prepare a delicious roast on a budget and how to accompany it with a side of golden, fragrant potatoes. Remember that if you want to stay updated on new recipes you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.
Also take a look:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make oven-roasted pork capocollo
- 3.3 lb pork capocollo (pork neck) (in one piece – capocollo)
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cup red wine
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 8 leaves bay leaves
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (level)
- 2 3/4 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp butter
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1.5 lb new potatoes, cooked, boiled
- to taste salt
Tools
- Oven
- Baking dish
- Pot
- Skillet
Preparation
For this roast I recommend using capocollo (pork neck) in a single piece suitable for roasting. This cut is always tender and succulent even without using a thermometer and if you err on the side of longer (not shorter) cooking time.
Tie the capocollo with kitchen twine to prevent it from falling apart during cooking. Tuck sprigs of rosemary and bay leaves under the twine, both on top and underneath. Season with salt and pepper and massage the meat, then place it in a baking dish.
Drizzle it with the wine and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning it occasionally. Put it in the oven and roast at 356°F, conventional mode, for just under 2 hours (ideally a little over 1 hour per kg of meat). During cooking, turn the roast occasionally without ever piercing it. After the time has passed, remove the piece of meat.
Wrap it in parchment paper and then in foil and let it rest, kept warm. Meanwhile, strain the cooking juices and set them aside for a few minutes. Dissolve the flour in the water without forming lumps, then add that mixture to the reserved juices.
Let the sauce thicken on the stove, add the butter and whisk quickly until you obtain a glossy sauce. Now prepare the side dish. You will need boiled potatoes — if you don’t know how to cook them, simply immerse them in water and boil for 30–35 minutes or until a skewer goes through them easily.
Melt the butter in a skillet and add a sprig of rosemary. Halve the potatoes (preferably leaving the skin on) and place them cut-side down in the butter. Cook over high heat, letting them become nicely golden.
Season with salt and keep warm. Unwrap the roast, slice it into pieces slightly less than 3/8 in thick and arrange them on a serving platter. Drizzle with the brown sauce and bring to the table with the freshly cooked potatoes. Alternatively, portion directly onto plates.
Add a little of the sauce and serve with the potato side dish.
Storage and tips
Roast is normally served hot after a few minutes of resting, so I don’t recommend preparing it too far in advance. Using capocollo, you can get ahead by 2–3 hours and keep it warm covered with plastic wrap; avoid letting it cool down and then reheating.
Store any leftover meat in the refrigerator in an airtight container and consume within 24 hours after reheating — it will still be less good than freshly made roast.
I do not recommend preparing the roast more than 1 hour ahead; if you must, keep it warm in the pot or inside the oven.
If you want to stay updated on my recipes, follow me on:
Pinterest, YouTube, X and TikTok.
From here, you can return to the HOME and discover new recipes!
