This is a worthy representative of the cuisine in Lazio and its neighboring regions, all of whom still debate who may lay claim to the origins of this ancient dish, which is rich in flavors that are at their best when the pork is served lukewarm. However, it is often eaten cold between two slices of rustic bread, with a glass of wine
Poor Animal, Rich Cuisine
Pigs were always bred easily in all farming families, because they were fed mainly leftovers from the kitchen and the garden—since they root by themselves in the fields—and all their parts could be used. A “poor” animal, but in some situations, it is the protagonist of a rich cuisine. In the Middle Ages, for example, in the celebrations of Nobles, it was often cooked whole and stuffed with the meat of other animals, typically game and poultry.
The Traditional Food of Rustic Taverns
In Lazio, where pork is a “national dish” of sorts, small farms and vineyards scattered throughout the countryside have not always been easy to reach. Thus, they needed stable places where vegetables, eggs, small animals, and wines could be sent and in turn attract buyers.
At first, these places were simple booths along the road, then little caves dug into the soft tuff rock, on which the small villages rested. Since there existed no neon signs or even written ones, a long branch with leaves was hung outside these premises as a distinctive indicator, which was called “frasca” in their vernacular. These caves or small rooms offered few products to buy but abounded in wine barrels, which came to be called "fraschette". Some exist even today, particularly southeast of Rome in Castelli Romani. They maintain the same rustic architecture but have been transformed mostly into well-organized taverns.
Among the customers who stopped to drink the wine in these fraschette were many carters that transported small pigs called “porchetti” (i.e., little pigs), which were spit roasted with a wooden skewer. After the guts and bones had been removed, they were filled with spices, salt, pepper, garlic, and plenty of wild fennel; they were then tied tight so as not to spill the condiments during cooking. They were small pigs because more could fit on the wagons and be sold more easily to passersby and owners of the fraschette.
The secret of porchetta’s success lies in the combination of flavors and cooking techniques, which had to take all parts of the small animal into consideration. For example, when the skin is shiny and very crispy, it is considered a delicacy even today.
Identified in the Artwork of Leonardo da Vinci
The origins of porchetta are remote, because cooking animals on a spit is a very ancient custom. A porchetta with the same characteristics of the ones today has been identified recently in a large painting by Leonardo da Vinci, who lived between 1452 and 1519. The painting is part of the private collection of Queen Elizabeth of England and, therefore, it has never been available to art scholars. This is the reason for the recent discovery.Leonardo da Vinci was a great artist and engineer, but also an unparalleled wine enthusiast and gastronome—a food expert and the inventor of several kitchen tools that we still use today.
The Right Wine
Dry Spumante is ideal since the effervescent bubbles contrast well with the taste of the fattiness of porchetta (the fatty and well-cooked parts of porchetta are highly valued).
The dish can also be accompanied by white wines from central Italy, such as Verdicchio and Trebbiano. Red wines of medium intensity can work well too, such as Nebbiolo and Cannonau from Sardinia, another region where roasting small pigs on a spit is tied to tradition.
