Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Porchetta & Lampredotto

The most typical food at markets, fairs and festivals is the “porchetta” or roasted suckling pig, originally from Lazio, but now considered a national dish. It is even found in Italian neighborhoods in the States, where it is called pulled pork.Sant'Antonino food fair, LivornoFollowing the traditional recipe, “porchetta” is made by deboning a little piglet, dousing it in salt, stuffing it with its own liver, garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds and other herbs. It is then rolled up and slowly roasted whole, usually over a wood fire. The meat is then sliced thinly and served cold on unsalted bread.Sant'Antonino food fair, LivornoAlthough widespread throughout Tuscany, “lampredotto” is a traditional Florentine tripe dish, made of the stomach and intestine parts of baby calves. Served with vegetables and a green parsley sauce, it is traditionally eaten with Tuscan unsalted bread. Before cooking, the meat is sliced and fried in a big saucepan along with all the other ingredients, so that the beef soaks in all the different flavours.Sant'Antonino food fair, LivornoAnyway if you don't feel like eating sliced pigs or tripe, cold cuts, cheeses and generous servings of “patatine” (french fries) are easily found almost everywhere.

17 comments:

stromsjo said...

Doesn't sound like the kind of place where one has to go hungry. Maybe even some vegetarian dish for me?

joo said...

Well,like Per Stromsjo said - anything vegetarian apart from french fries?
I like the first photo, the parrot is funny:)

Stefan Jansson said...

I do love Italian food, but I'm not sure about the lampredotto!

VP said...

@ Steffe - I'm pretty sure: I'll never eat something like that!

Hilda said...

Both sound delicious! I think you already guess that we use almost all parts of a pig in various dishes, but nothing quite like the way you described porchetta and lampredotto. Though for health reasons, I generally try to avoid all meats now, I'd still love to try them.

Antjas said...

Your porchetta sounds delicious. Pulled pork in the States seems to be slathered in too much sweet barbeque sauce. Maybe it's different in Italian markets. Does it smell good when they are cooking it?

brattcat said...

I could make a meal out of the olives in that first excellent shot.

Lowell said...

Boy, you sure got rid of my vegetarian sweetie! And after your descriptions, I think I, too, shall stick with the french fries!

Unknown said...

This sounds and looks mouthwatering, except for the lampredotto. Great series on food and markets.

B SQUARED said...

I was with you till you said liver. We don't get along with each other.

cieldequimper said...

Oh please, not French fries with ketchup... Give me porchetta and lampredotto any time!

Halcyon said...

I don't eat pork, but I think in the US pulled pork is any type of slow cooked pork - not only the young baby ones.

I'll have the fries, but hold the ketchup and mayo. I'm a purist. :)

Saretta said...

Of all those foods, I think I'll have just the fries, no mayo!

amatamari© said...

Porelli maialini!!!
Viva le patate fritte!!!
:-)

Kate said...

Ah, c'mon folks! French fries are SO pedestrian. Try something different. I love the top photo particularly.

Indro Neri said...

Lampredotto is indeed one of the four stomachs of the cow, the one known as abomasum or reed tripe, and not a "tripe dish, made of the stomach and intestine parts of baby calves".

Copenhagen said...

I'm drooling over your potatoes...