What is Ariccia porchetta?
Ariccia porchetta is a pork-based food ( Sus scrofa domesticus ) traditionally roasted, which is prepared throughout the territory of the municipality of Ariccia (province of Rome).
Despite having unequivocal origins, with a production area and a well-defined historical period, later the Ariccia porchetta recipe spread like wildfire in most of central Italy.
To protect its uniqueness, on June 14, 2011 the European Union decided to attribute the recognition of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) to Ariccia roast pork. Today, its sale and distribution extend, in compliance with specific regulations, throughout the Lazio region.
Nutrition
Nutritional properties of Ariccia porchetta
Ariccia porchetta belongs to the first fundamental food group; it contains above all proteins with a high biological value and fats, most of which are saturated.
It has a high caloric intake, due to the considerable percentage of lipids, and provides significant amounts of cholesterol.
Vitamins and minerals are valuable, especially thiamine (B1), niacin (PP), iron, sodium, phosphorus and potassium.
Ariccia porchetta is not considered a food suitable for clinical nutrition in the case of overweight or metabolic disorders in general, with particular reference to hypercholesterolemia and primary sodium sensitive hypertension (some porchetta contain a lot of salt).
It is not a particularly allergenic food; it is a poor source of histamine and does not contain lactose or gluten. On the other hand, Ariccia porchetta is unsuitable for vegetarian and vegan philosophies, and for kosher, Muslim and Hindu religious constraints.
The average portion of porchetta is 100-150 g maximum.
Features
Characteristics of Ariccia porchetta
The Ariccia porchetta looks like a rolled roast, tied with string, traditionally still provided with the pig's head.
It is characterized by the presence of an external crispy and delicious rind, which tends to soften, losing its pleasantness during storage.
When cut, the meat is tender but totally cooked and naturally fatty. The color is layered, pink, with speckles of spice-based dressing (salt, rosemary, black pepper and garlic).
The flavor is extremely characteristic, of roast pork, garlic, pepper and rosemary; conquers all palates, refined or accustomed to decisive sopor.
Production
Production of Ariccia porchetta
The traditional production of Ariccia porchetta involves the choice of female pigs of 27-45 kg, gutted, bone removed but left whole. The final weight of the "log", estimated without head (which can also remain on the roast) is 7-13 kg.
In addition to choosing the raw material, mastery in the boning process acquires fundamental importance. This technique, refined over the generations, is made from the inside (belly) without damaging the pulp or, worse, cutting the rind. This is followed by the dressing, which is based on the perfect balance between spices (based on fresh rosemary and garlic, and dry black pepper) and salting.
It is therefore essential to "close" the roast, which is rolled up on itself, tied tightly to compact the meat being cooked and make it firm when cut.
The recipe ends with the phase of cooking on the spit in stone ovens fed wood (recently also with gas), in which a constant fire burns for many hours; alternatively it can also be done in large fireplaces.
A fundamental aspect for the success of Ariccia porchetta is the collection of cooking liquids inside a metal plate placed under the spit. These will be used to systematically wet the pork rind so as not to burn it or cook it too soon, leaving the inside raw.
Sometimes, instead of the spit, a very common oven plate is used.
Cooking is monitored with a probe or by carrying out multiple weighings compared to the initial raw; instead it is absolutely not advisable to cut the pork during cooking.
use
Culinary uses of Ariccia porchetta
Ariccia porchetta can be enjoyed alone, hot or even cold, as a dish. In the filling of sandwiches it is the typical Italian traditional street food par excellence.
There are different recipes with Ariccia porchetta, but these are simple formulas, not at all elaborated. These are mainly canapés, sandwiches and some pasta dishes based on sauteed pasta. However, there are several variations of the Ariccia porchetta such as, for example, the Umbrian-Marche one, which also contains fresh wild fennel among the spices.
The wines that are best suited to accompany Ariccia porchetta are red: Cerveteri red, Cesanese del Piglio, Rosso Piceno, Velletri rosso, Dolcetto di Ovada, Oltrepò Pavese, Barbera and Vino Novello Toscano.
History
Historical notes on the porchetta of Ariccia
For thousands of years the municipality of Ariccia has been associated with the preparation of porchetta. Historians attribute this recipe to the monks of Ariccia. Efficient custodians of the formula, however, it seems that they were not the first to invent the dish. The porchetta of Ariccia has rather pagan origins, linked to the polytheistic culture of ancient Rome (Greek thread).
The recipe was commonly used as a gift to Zeus, Jupiter for the Romans, and was offered regularly to the deity in the temple that stood on Mount Cavo.
Many noble Roman families, who spent the summer in Ariccia consolidating the typicality of the recipe also promoting it in the capital, also contributed to perpetuating the conservation of porchetta.
In all ages to come the pig breeding in Ariccia was of great importance: in 1802, the German Johann Gottfried Seume, author of "L'Italie à pied", passing through Ariccia declared his disappointment to Prince Chigi, guilty to have destroyed the ancient oaks of his park to better grow pigs.
The porchetta of Ariccia owes its contemporary popularity to the "butchers of Ariccia" who, in 1950, decided to organize the first official celebration with the aim of promoting food. Since then, every year for four days, in a street over one kilometer long, this popular festival takes place in Ariccia, during which producers and restaurateurs serve porchetta attracting tens of thousands of visitors.
In one of his works published in 1957, the writer Carlo Emilio Gadda witnessed the already excellent reputation of the recipe only 7 years after the first feast of the porchetta of Ariccia.
