79 It’s Not a Party Without a Porchetta From:   drwo@woteki.com Subject: It’s not a party without a porchetta.... Date: December 14, 2004 7:55:52 PM EST To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info Reply-To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info and other tales of roasting: You may remember last time about this year Leslie and I were trading one-ups about roasting suckling pigs. I took another turn at it this year for our holiday open house and it turned out great. Last year I used a Julia Child recipe that Leslie found somewhere that called for a soy and honey glaze for basting the pig. The flesh turned out great, but the skin was soft, not crispy, in those places where the sugar in the honey had not charred. I should have known better about the honey, or at least suspected that would happen, and so should’ve Julia. This year I found a great recipe in a book called “Celebrating Italy” by Carol Field, a cookbook organized around the feasts and holidays of Italy - of which there are several. (She is also author of “The Italian Baker”, an excellent book.) She tells the story of the feast and the village where they roast pigs, which then magically become porchettas.  The village offers the admonition loosely translated as “It ain’t a party without a porchetta”. I’m now a believer. Here is the simple recipe: Mix together 1 cup chopped fresh rosemary, 2 T salt, 2 T fresh pepper, 4 - 5 cloves garlic minced, 2 T fennel seeds. (Amounts approx. Bruise the seeds in a mortar if you can.) Wash and pat dry the pig. Rub the seasonings throughout the pig’s cavity. Stuff the pig with some small whole onions or any other aromatic vegetables such as fennel, carrots, etc or maybe apples. Tuck the piggies legs under it and truss the creature. Paint with olive oil all over, cover ears and tail with foil. Roast at 450 for 45 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 and roast until thigh temperature reaches about 165. Baste every so often with more oil. After roasting, let sit for about 20 or 30 minutes before carving. Make a sauce from pan drippings. Everyone raved. The porchetta was succulent and tender with a crispy skin and very, very  delicious. And very, very easy to do. However, see note just below. I was lucky to get a 15 lb pig from Union Meats at Eastern Mkt, source for all my meats. It was done in about 2 hours, I don’t remember exactly how long. (Details, details...) The author says that her 20 lb pigs are thoroughly cooked in under 3-1/2 hours. Sounds right based on what I did. Kids, if you try this at home: A 15 lb pig is not the same as a 15 lb turkey. Such a turkey will fit into any home oven. Pigs arrange their weight lengthwise compared to turkeys, so you need a pretty wide oven to accommodate even a small 15 pounder. Last year I had about a 22 pounder and it barely, barely fit into my wide “professional” oven. The 15 pounder was much more comfortable. Bring a tape measure with you to the butcher. Remember: It ain’t a party without a porchetta! Tom From:   leslie.borden@comcast.net Subject: Re: It’s not a party without a porchetta.... Date: December 15, 2004 11:50:48 AM EST To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info Reply-To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info . . . and it was a terrific party.  The piggy was tender and tasty and moist and delicious.  Thanks, Tom.  It’ll be Roast Beef of Olde England and Yorkshire pudding chez Borden-Veeder this year, but I can see that I’ll have to try my hand at the pig again soon, if only to keep with up Dr. Wo - “anything you can cook. . . . ” Oh, and Tom’s right about dimensions.  The first time Rob and I did a suckling pig, we had a really small oven, and the guy we got it from, Cesare Lanfranconi who, at the time was at Galileo - this is BR, Before Roy - obligingly cut Porky in half on the equator, and we did the “northbound” end in the oven and the “southbound” end in the Weber.  It was several years ago, but I recall it being rather good. Non è una festa senza la porchetta, indeed! lb From:   Mkingston9@aol.com Subject: Re: It’s not a party without a porchetta.... Date: December 15, 2004 5:24:15 PM EST To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info Reply-To:   aroundthekitchen@aroundthekitchen.info The porchetta was indeed yummy as was everything else at this delightful party.  I mentioned to Tom that the porchetta reminded me of the cochinillo asado served in little villages in the hills outside of Madrid that have several restaurants devoted to the piggy feast.  Cochinillo are roasted in wood burning ovens that can be viewed in the restaurant and are part of the show.  And all is washed down with good Spanish reds, of course. Thank you Tom and Cathie and thanks for the tips on roasting beef, as the family has requested the beef along with Yorkshire pudding for Christmas dinner. Margo