At the recent Winter Fancy Food Show, it was my pleasure to sample a number of delectable pork products, among them various hams and porchettas. One of my absolute favorites at this year's show was Piacenti's porchetta, imported by The Rogers Collection based in Portland, Maine. The relatively large booth displayed a number of imported food items, but only a few were laid out on the tasting area at the front of the both. Someone at the booth had neatly arranged small hunks of porchetta on a large white plate for the benefit of curious passersby. I speared one on a toothpick and sampled the wares.
"Is it good?" asked a woman standing next to me. "I'm trying to ration how much food I taste today, so I only want to have some if it's really good."
"Mmm!" was all I could muster. I couldn't bear to disrupt my supremely happy palate by opening my mouth to talk. "Wow!" I said, as soon as I had swallowed the delectable morsel, "It's very good. You must try it."
And indeed it was. Some roast pork products fail by being cooked to the point of dryness. Worse yet, others are punctuated by an overwhelming brininess that masks the blandness of the meat from which they are made. In stark contrast, Piacenti's porchetta is slow-roasted yet moist, nearly melting on the tongue. It is a perfect balance of sweet and salty, with a woodsy, earthy undercurrent of flavor that can only be described as true porkiness. The beauty of Piacenit's porchetta, if one may describe pork as being beautiful, is that the roasting, spicing and brining accentuate and complement the complex flavors of the meat itself, which come through cleanly on the palate.
I sampled a second portion, if only to verify my initial impression, and took great pains to restrain myself from sampling a third. This was a food I had to eat again, and soon.
I spoke with Taylor Griffin of The Rogers Collection about Piacenti porchetta toscana and Piacenti Tuscan ham.
Can you tell me a bit about the raising of the pigs used to produce Piacenti porchetta and Tuscan ham?
The raw product is purchased from different farmers in the north and central regions of Italy. The uniqueness of Piacenti products is in the production. The Tuscan ham is cooked over 16 to 18 hours in a slow-roasting process. The meat is neither submerged nor injected with brine, rather the brine is entered through the capillary structure of the leg. This gives an even flavoring, and allows the seasoning to spread consistently and evenly throughout the meat. Water drains during brining so that the ham isn't overloaded with water. The seasoning blend is an old secret family recipe from the Piacenti family. The brining and slow-roasting gives the porchetta a wonderful flavor and texture.
Piacenti porchetta is made using pork loin, seasoned with garlic and classic Tuscan herbs: rosemary, pepper, laurel, sage and juniper. Rolled and bound in a layer of pork belly, our Tuscan porchetta is steamed for an hour to maintain moisture, and then slow-roasted in dry heat for an additional nine hours. This unique two-step cooking process produces irresistibly succulent pork, with an exceptionally flavorful taste.
Of the porchetta producers in Tuscany, why Piacenti?
Very few producers have the authority to export to the US. I met Piacenti through a prosciutto di Parma supplier. (We tend to work with very small family producers.) We met 15 years ago, and worked over a five year period to gain authority to export to the US. Piacenti is a small, family-run company and their products really speak for themselves. They did all the work required to export their products to the US. (Mr. Piacenti passed away five years ago, and his daughter took over the company briefly. Then Parma Cotto, run by the Rossi family in Italy, bought Piacenti. They've done a great job maintaining the the artisanal nature of the product.)
What is the USDA certification process like?
USDA's foreign inspection service reviews individual plants to conform to USDA production standards. They do a series of inspections of the plant to ensure conformity. Once the company performs to the guidelines, the USDA certifies the plant with inspectors sent overseas. Inspectors have to check the plant every nine months. This is a very expensive and long process for a company to go through. Producers must even source raw product from USDA approved farmers located overseas.
We put Piacenti in touch with the proper authorities, then USDA offices overseas helped Piacenti to gain proper authorization [for exporting to the United States]. I stayed in contact with them over the five year period it took to gain USDA approval.
Wow. It sounds like the USDA certification process overseas might be more thorough than that used domestically.
Standards enforced overseas are more intensive than those imposed domestically.
Do you feel you play a role in preserving traditional foods?
The mission of The Rogers Collection is to highlight and introduce traditional Mediterranean products to the American table. We try to preserve products through supporting local traditions. We feel it's important to support locally produced products on a global basis, as well as supporting our local community producers. If we didn't continue to support the tradition of these productions, we wouldn't be able to create the versions of these products in the US that are so popular today.
True. How are porchetta toscana and Tuscan ham traditionally served in Tuscany?
Porchetta is often warmed in a panini, or served plain on a platter with other antipasti, with vegetables, beans, salads. Tuscan ham is also served in a warm panini, or heated and sliced into a ham steak. It is also cubed and added to soups or bean salads.
Are there any restaurants or chefs we may have heard of who use Piacenti products?
Yes. Cesare Casella, founding chef of Maremma and Salumeria Rosi in New York. Ris Lacoste of Ris, in Washington, D.C. Terrance Brennan uses them in his bistros in New York and Seattle.
Where can one find Piacenti porchetta toscana and Tuscan ham in Oakland, and the San Francisco Bay Area?
Both should soon be available at Draeger's markets in the Bay Area. You can also order online from our website. The porchetta and ham are good for holiday dinners such as Easter or even Thanksgiving.
Piacenti porchetta is also available online from Salumeria Rosi.
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