We slice, score, and puncture the flesh of half a pig. To impart flavor, we blend olive oil, parsley, fennel fronds, garlic, black pepper, lemon zest, salt, and crushed red pepper into a paste. We liberally massage the paste into the meat and cut more incisions as needed. We wrap the meat in plastic wrap and let it marinate for 2-3 days. When we remove the plastic wrap, we truss the giant pork roll. We roast the beast on a bed of onions in a 300°F oven for 4 hours. Then we turn the heat up to 450°F for an hour to finish the cooking and crisping of the skin. When the porchetta is cooked and the skin is like glass, we remove it from the oven and let it rest for an hour. It mostly rests. The ends of the meat and cracklings are ripped into as soon as they are cool enough to be devoured. To carve the rest of the creature, only one type of knife will do: electric.
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