Welcome to my world - a blend of passion, taste, and old-world traditions.

Benvenuti nel mio mondo - un mischio di passione, gusto e vecchie tradizioni.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

PORCHETTA all'Abruzzese

What is PORCHETTA?

In Italy, porchetta is produced using a whole pig that is completely boned and seasoned with various spices according to local traditions. After joining the two edges of the carcass, it is bound with string and placed in a wood-burning oven for cooking.  It is usually prepared for important celebrations and feasts.

There are two basic types of seasonings dictated by tradition. In southern Tuscany, it is flavored with rosemary. In Abruzzo, it is seasoned with wild fennel which gives it a fragrance and taste absolutely unmistakable.

I do not have access to a whole pig nor do I have a wood-burning oven, but throughout the winter months, my family feasts with a porchetta made from a pork shoulder. I pair the pork roast with oven roasted potatoes, fried peppers and an orange-fennel salad and we make our own celebration! 

Ingredients

1 - 5 1/2 to 6 lb. pork shoulder with skin on and boned
5 whole cloves of garlic - cracked and skin on
2 tablespoons of wild fennel pollen
2 dry red peppers chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper




Procedure
Preheat oven to 450°F.  Place roast in a baking pan.  Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons of oil. Roast pork 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.  Roast pork until very tender and thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 190°F, about 3 hours 15 minutes longer. Let pork rest 15 minutes.  Best served warm.

All photos - Copyright - ©2010 - La Casa e Il Giardino - picasaweb
The inviting and distinctive scent released from the cooked porchetta is mouth-watering.  I especially love the crackling skin.

Paired with:




Fried peppers
Oven roasted potatoes

Orange and fennel salad



 Semplicemente squisita!





7 comments:

  1. The foods you cook are beautiful. I want to prepare some of them. Taylor1945

    ReplyDelete
  2. Taylor1945 - Thank you for commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Elisa:
    Not sure where you are located BUT here in Utah I have found that whole pigs ready for roasting are available from multiple sources by checking the Livestock pages of the classified ads on line. Now for the wood burning oven....that I don't know.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Novice here, but I am a heritage pork farmer and want to try. (I fell in love with the description, pictures, and stories of Italian porchetta, and think it's actually why I started raising pigs!) Please tell me more about these peppers so I get this right--- Can I get them at the grocery store, like, are they just red and green and yellow bell peppers, or some other type?
    Thanks for your help, I want to do you and my pigs proud!
    CissyVaughn@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-peppers-grow-few-and-heat-things-up.html

      Delete
  5. Elisa: Thank you for the recipe. I bought the only pork shoulder in the store (weighing at 20 pounds, including the bone). And I have a (new) wood fire oven! Wondered if you have any idea at what temperature should I cook the pork? I still haven't decided whether to make 2 servings, after deboning, or trying to cook it as one serving. Appreciate the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sharlene - I would definetly make it into 2 servings. Frankly, I never used a wood-fire oven. Temperature should be around 350F. Roast pork until very tender and thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 190°F. Good Luck and Happy Holidays.

      Delete