What is Porchetta?|What is Porchetta? (2024)

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This was written with contributions by Dalila Ercolani.

During village festivals, fairs, markets, concerts or sporting events, the modern streets of Rome are often filled often with food trucks that include the famous porchettari (or porchetta men). These vans house a functional kitchen to display and distribute the heavenly delicacy we Romans call porchetta. To make porchetta, a pig is skinned, deboned and then carefully layered—stuffing, meat, fat and skin—and finally rolled up, spitted and roasted over a wood fire. The result is a triumph of aromas and flavors that central Italy claims proudly as one of its most typical dishes.

Porchetta was selected by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture as a “traditional agricultural-alimentary product”. And in other regions of Italy it is considered a delicacy and typically only consumed as a celebratory dish. While in Rome it is a common street food served on its own, as a filling to sandwiches or as part of a picnic.

This Roman roast must be consumed shortly after cooking. The meat is golden in color, with a characteristic odor of roasted aromatic spices; the taste is mouth-watering, savory and oh so tender. When eaten hot out of the oven, this marriage of flavors is at it’s best. The meat is delicious, but the fat is divine and the crust of the skin is perfectly crisp offering up a variety of textures as well as flavors.

The origin of this recipe is still uncertain. But the inhabitants of Ariccia (a small town in Rome’s Castelli—to the south of the city) claim porchetta’s paternity, because for 3,000 years the Prisci Latin Priests have prepared porchetta once a year to celebrate the birth of the Latin League. This meal of swine and wild boar was traditionally served up in Ancient Roman times as a sacrificial offering to the god Mars in the temple of Jupiter in Lazio near Monte Cavo. But porchetta was a very pleasing dish even in pre-Roman times and during with Emperor Nero and his court.

The modern reputation of Porchetta di Ariccia dates back to 1950 when the porchettari of Ariccia celebrated the Sagra della Porchetta di Ariccia, a festival led by the city’s mayor to promote this tasty product. Since then, every year this event has been held in Ariccia where porchetta is offered on festively decorated stalls by vendors dressed in traditional Ariccini clothes.

On non-festival days, Ariccia and its neighboring town of Frascati are the places to go for porchetta, specifically these towns’ fraschette—cozy home-style restaurants. One of the best ways to eat porchetta, and what we Romans love in any type of weather, is as a sandwich with no other ingredients than bread and meat: the famous panino con la porchetta… The simpler the better! The bread should be strictly homemade to perfectly absorb the fat and seasoning.

If you’re headed to Ariccia or Frascati, make sure to stop and try this roman street food that Romans rave about. Try the fraschetteria Mela Godo (Strada Pozo Comune, 12; fraschetteriamelagodo.it) in Ariccia, or the porchetta of the Cioli Brothers in Frascati, well-known for being one of the “founders” of porchetta in the area.

Where to eat porchetta in Rome

In Rome we can find fresh daily porchetta in many places (Join one of our food tours to try some with us!). Here are a few that I like:

Er Buchetto

Come to this tiny shop for the best porchetta in Roma since 1890. Er Buchetto is a small tavern famous for its homemade sandwiches stuffed with roast pork, ham and cheese.

Via del Viminale, 2F.

La Fraschetta di Castel Sant’Angelo

This place in the center of Rome has a pretty well sized menu, but the porchetta is the thing to try. Here, their panino can la porchetta is the answer to the Roman kebab

Via del Banco di Santo Spirito, 20

Aristocampo

This take-away place offers a huge selection of sandwiches always freshly prepared. And of course, they also have the famous porchetta of Ariccia.

Piazza Campo de ‘Fiori, 30

What wine to drink with porchetta

Now the question arises: what do we drink wine with porchetta? In the fraschette, a classic bottle of romanella is usually suggested. This sparkling wine, usually made “in house,” can be white or red. It is often low quality and not very interesting. It is a traditional pairing, but if you want something a little more, I suggest instead Perinelli – Gutturnio Frizzante Superiore Costa dei Salina.

Piacentini DOC wine is produced in Colli from Barbera grapes and Croatina. This wine was born in Roman times as a recipe invented by Lucius Calpurnius Piso, father of Julius Caesar, whose mother had origins in Piacenza. Its name derives from gutturnium, a large silver cup that was used at the end of dinner. Filled with wine, it was passed from hand to hand among the diners to drink from as a symbol of brotherhood and friendship.

This wine shows a beautiful, bright ruby ​​color. The nose is full of pleasant and intense aromas: cherries, raspberries, rhubarb and red flowers. On the palate it comes off as warm, soft and fruity with nice smooth tannins.

Costa dei Salina is a young, red wine that is fragrant, lively, sparkling and always moving. It is like the people who bite into porchetta sandwiches and continue to stroll down the streets of Rome.

“La bella porca de l’Ariccia co un bosco de rosmarino in de la panza!”

“The beautiful swine of l’Ariccia with a forest of rosemary in its belly!”

Carlo Emilio Gadda

What is Porchetta?|What is Porchetta? (2024)

FAQs

What is porchetta made of? ›

Porchetta is a traditional Italian dish that features boneless, slow-roasted pork belly. It is traditionally made with a whole pig, but these days it is most common to see it just with pork belly. It is seasoned and stuffed with herbs, then wrapped and tied tightly to roast.

What is another name for porchetta? ›

Porchetta was introduced to the United States by Italian immigrants of the early 20th century, especially immigrants from Abruzzo, and is sometimes referred to as "Italian pulled pork", "roast pork", or "Italian roast pork".

What is a good substitute for porchetta? ›

Porchetta Substitutes:

The reason a porchetta is so good is that the fat of the pork belly keeps everything moist, but again a pork loin done right can definitely be a nice substitute. Another good option is a pork butt with the bone removed.

What's the difference between pork and porchetta? ›

Usually a porchetta is a pork loin seasoned with garlic, rosemary, fennel, citrus and other herbs, then (get this) wrapped in a pork belly. There it was…”pork belly”…that is the difference between a regular, wonderful stuffed pork roast and a porchetta!

What is the best way to eat porchetta? ›

You want to slice the porchetta super thin. Think of it as shaving the pieces from the porchetta roast. Then you need a crusty delicious baguette. Top it with a garlic herb mayo, which I make at home and is as easy as it sounds: mayo, garlic cloves, fresh herbs from the garden.

Is porchetta a deli meat? ›

Porchetta, an extra lean oven roasted ham, is prepared with carefully selected boneless pork loin and is enhanced with special spices, rolled in pepper, slowly roasted and gently wrapped to preserve its authentic flavour. Enjoy this treat in panini or on appetizer trays. Find this product in the bulk deli counter.

How do Italians eat porchetta? ›

It is frequently eaten on the bread of preference and with provolone cheese. You will often find Italian Fair and Celebration goers eating porchetta sandwiches hot out of the oven.

What part of the animal is porchetta? ›

Cuts for Traditional Porchetta: Belly and Loin

Traditional porchetta is made by butchering a hog such that the boned out loin is still attached to the boned out belly.

What nationality is porchetta? ›

Porchetta has historically been associated with the central block of Italy, with Lazio, Abruzzo, and Umbria each laying claim to the glorious roasted pork dish.

What is traditionally served with porchetta? ›

These warm, lemony potatoes and chard are the perfect accompaniment for the porchetta. I find them equally delicious warm or cold. If you like, swap the chard for spinach or other hardy greens.

What does porchetta mean in English? ›

Meaning of porchetta in English

in Italian cooking, a whole young pig that has been filled with herbs, then roasted and eaten sliced in bread: My favorite sandwich filling is porchetta, suckling pig flavored with herbs and roasted outdoors.

Why is my porchetta not crispy? ›

The skin wasn't dry enough. Make sure to pat the pork completely dry before rubbing in the salt and oil as excess moisture will stop it from crisping up. It's important to score the skin if you want it really crisp. You'll need a sharp knife for this, or ask your butcher to do it for you.

Can you eat raw porchetta? ›

Both uncooked or raw pork and undercooked pork are unsafe to eat. Meat sometimes has bacteria and parasites that can make you sick. Thorough cooking kills any germs that might be present.

What does porchetta taste like? ›

It's a prerequisite of any trip to Rome to ensure you try porchetta from a street vendor served piping hot and in a panino (bread roll). It is truly a flavour explosion with impossibly juicy meat combined with an aromatic fennel and garlic filling and a shattering crackling.

Do you cook porchetta fat side up or down? ›

Place fat-side up on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Roast for one hour, until the fat is crisp. Reduce heat down to 325º F (160°C) and cook until the internal temperature reaches 168° F (75°C), about 60 to 80 minutes longer; test in several spots to be sure of your measurement.

What's the difference between pancetta and porchetta? ›

Both names sound similar, but pancetta (another Italian delight) derives from cured pork belly, whereas porchetta comes from pork roast!

What does porchetta mean in Italian? ›

Meaning of porchetta in English

in Italian cooking, a whole young pig that has been filled with herbs, then roasted and eaten sliced in bread: My favourite sandwich filling is porchetta, suckling pig flavoured with herbs and roasted outdoors.

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