porchetta

/pohr-KEHT-tah/
[Italian]

Roast suckling pig stuffed with offal (US: organ meat), herbs and garlic. The ideal size is said to be about 70 kg (150 lbs), when the pig is about six to ten months old. It is often served at celebrations and feasts and may be sliced and served in crusty white rolls called panino so people can walk about, talk and eat at the same time. It is also served from roadside stalls. It originated in Norcia but is now found across Italy. In different regions of Italy the traditional stuffings differ. It will usually contain the offal of the pig, but, in Umbria the herbs will predominantly be wild fennel and rosemary; in Tuscany these are likely to be sage and rosemary (and sometimes the offal is left out); in Le Marche only rosemary is used, in Lazio only wild fennel. In Sardinia you may find that the pig, here called porceddu, is much smaller and is seasoned only with salt and pepper. Maybe served cold.

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