Porchetta

Porchetta /por'ket:a/ is a savory, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition. The body of the pig is gutted, boned, arranged carefully with layers of stuffing, meat, fat, and skin, then rolled, spitted, and roasted, traditionally over wood. Porchetta is usually heavily salted in addition to being stuffed with garlic, rosemary, fennel, or other herbs, often wild. Porchetta has been selected by the Italian Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali as a "prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale" ("traditional agricultural-alimentary product", one of a list of traditional Italian foods held to have cultural relevance).

In Italy

Although popular in the whole country, porchetta originated in central Italy, with Ariccia (in the Province of Rome) being the town most closely associated with it. Elsewhere, it is considered a celebratory dish. Across Italy is usually sold by pitchmen with their typically white-painted vans, especially during public displays or holidays, and it can be served in a panino. It is also eaten as a meat dish in many households or as part of a picnic.

Porchetta is one of two iconic culinary products of the Lazio region, the other being the sheep cheese pecorino romano.

Abroad

Porchetta was introduced to the USA by Italian immigrants of the early 20th century, and is sometimes referred to as "Italian pulled pork". It is in many places served on a sandwich with greens (broccoli raab or spinach) and -- controversially -- provolone cheese. Porchetta is also very popular in Southern Ontario (in areas such as Toronto, Hamilton and St. Catharines) and the term "porchetta" is widely used by Italian-Canadians, instead of simply "roast pork". In Sudbury, Ontario, the slang expression for porchetta is "the greasy beast" referring to the high quantities of grease in the pork.

References

* [http://www.northernlife.ca/PDFedition/2004/January/07/1.pdf]