Porchetta [porˈketːa] (or sometimes "porketta") is a savory, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition. The body of the pig is gutted, deboned, 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).[1]
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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 porchetta 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.
Porchetta from Umbria is stuffed with the pig's chopped entrails mixed with lard, garlic, salt and plenty of pepper and wild fennel.
Porchetta trevigiana (from Treviso) was born in 1919. In it, pig is slaughtered when one year old, then its meat is stuffed with salt, pepper, wild fennel, garlic and white wine. It is then roasted inside a oven for seven hours at 200 °C.[2] The porchetta is today a popular dish in Venetian cuisine.
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[1] with greens (broccoli raab or spinach) and—controversially—provolone cheese.
Porchetta is celebrated in the form of a Sagra every July in Austin, Texas.
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". Porchetta (porketta) is also popular in the upper Midwest having been brought to the Michigan and Minnesota Iron ranges by Italian immigrants.
Porketta Bingo is a popular Saturday afternoon activity at establishments in Sudbury, Ontario. Players typically donate $2 per round and receive a laminated set of three regular playing cards. Cards are drawn until a player matches their three cards. Game winners receive 1 pound of porketta roast and a sourdough bun. Each round lasts six games and there are usually between four to seven rounds depending on the establishment. Proceeds of Porketta Bingo usually go to a local charity or are donated to local hockey associations.
In Australia and New Zealand La Porchetta is an Italian restaurant chain that specialises is pizzas and pastas[3].