Porchetta is a meat product, a savory 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 is cooked it in its entirety slowly over a wood fire for many hours. The meat is then sliced thinly and often served in a sandwich (panino).
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).
Although popular in the whole country, porchetta originated in central Italy, with Valle San Giovanni (in the Province of Teramo) being the town most closely associated with it. The chefs in this village are known throughout the world for manner in which they produce this dish. Each year in this town a gathering is held at Casale to celebrate the making of a porchetta. 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 also popular in other parts of Italy. It is one of two iconic culinary products of Lazio.
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 Italian-American communities such as Penns Grove located in Southern New Jersey. A festival held on Pitman Street in this town features this savory dish. .
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