This is not one of the foods of my childhood (I don’t want to reimagine my childhood). This sandwich pre-dates LA’s invention of the food truck. Porchetta originated in Umbria where typically you will see a whole suckling pig (or part of one) spitted in back. The meat is sliced right off of the pig and handed to you on a crusty roll. I first tasted this in chilly, morning market squares and also outside of football stadiums in third division towns prior to going to sit or stand on a cold, concrete bench and watch two anemic teams kick a ball past their own players for 90 minutes with stoppage time added. I can’t tell you how much I love Rome or how much I miss it every day, but the origin is Umbria and not Lazio although on the outskirts of Rome you can find really great porchetta. Like Alberto Sordi I will be interred with an AS Roma scarf.
It literally took me years of work to get it right, but I finally figured out a good way to duplicate it at home without the entire Piggly Wiggly (who you might see smiling at you from the window of a butcher shop in Rome or Gubbio). One of the things I like about this preparation is that you get a toothsome bit of crispy skin with almost every slice. I’ve seen other recipes using pork loin and found them to be totally unsatisfactory. But a picnic shoulder works just mighty fine because you really need that crispy skin and unctuous pig fat.
Typically this is served without condiments (depending on where you happen to be). But I like to offer it to my guests with some salsa verde on the side. This is my “go to” dish when I have to cook for ten or twenty guests. - pierino
—pierino
When you want to make a spot-on porchetta sandwich look no further: Pierino has a winning rendition. The rosemary, fennel, garlic, and shallot rub make a perfect seasoning for the porky goodness of the picnic shoulder. I got my roast nicely oiled, rubbed, and tied, then popped it into the oven. It didn't take long for my kitchen to be filled with the delectable aroma of the herbs and meat. It took about an hour and a quarter for my roast to be perfectly cooked, the skin brown and crispy, and the meat juicy and unctuous. I allowed it to rest while I made the salsa verde, which was a perfect bright and zesty foil to the rich and fatty pork. Not being a fish lover I was reluctant to incorporate the anchovies, but Pierino convinced me to do so, and I'm glad I did. They did not add fishiness; they just made the salsa verde more tasty. The only change I will make next time I make this (and there most definitely will be a next time) is to trim some of the fat from the pork as it was a bit excessive for my taste. - hardlikearmour —hardlikearmour
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