I’m not sure what gave rise to this, but the past year or two has really seen the renaissance of pork or anything porcine in nature. When the magazine Time Out New York issued its annual “100 Best Things We Ate And Drank This Year” in December 2008, and this $9 sandwich from Porchetta came out at the VERY TOP of the list, of course I was curious and definitely wanted to try it…
Located in a tiny storefront in what must be considered the East Village, Porchetta serves up slow roasted pork with cracklings in a substantial bun. The tender and flavorful meat and juices together with chunky bits of crackling are heavenly and absolutely delicious. However, be forewarned that the cracklings can break weak teeth or crowns… :)
A tiny counter and a heated case displays the large pieces of roast pork, with the aroma of spices and fat lingering in the small space. One orders a porchetta sandwich or a porchetta sandwich (there isn’t much choice) and a bottled drink of some sort. At $9 per sandwich, it sounds a little pricey, but I thought it was worth it!
You can sit on benches outdoors or eat it at a stand up counter indoors. But the place tends to get really packed, so try and hit it at slightly off-peak hours. Definitely worth a visit for Pinoys in the area with a hankering for pork or a lechon substitute, though they might long for rice and Mang Tomas sarsa as well. Hmmm… maybe I should test a Zubuchon sandwich or a shredded paksiw sandwich instead. :)
Porchetta
110 East 7th Street
New York
212-777-2151
50 Responses
Mmmmm…glorious, glorious pork…..
oh my pork.
thank you MM, I will definitely visit this place very soon
MM, a Zubuchon Sandwich is exactly what came to mind when I saw the third and last picture above. My wheat ciabatta and herb focaccia would go well with the Zubuchon and paksiw. Hmmmm, I think I’ll call your crew to reserve a kilo for me this Sunday….hehehehe.
Nice post.
I discovered thru a recipe ( from the book “Umbria” by Julia della Croce) that the critical ingredient of porchetta (is it accurate to say that porchetta is the Italian lechon?) is wild fennel – in effect the Italian counterpart of our tanglad.
Is the fennel bulb all that is used here, or are all the leaves used as well in porchetta? The book did not specify. Is wild fennel very different from the fennel we usually find in specialty food stores?
Artisan, you were reading my mind…
How about lechon paksiw zubuchon sandwhich? :))
Right, Artisan! Wheat ciabatta with Zubuchon under panini grill. burp burp (“,)
I think sisig lechon con mayonesa with some greens and tomatoes would be great too! yum!!!
Gej, you are correct, the key herb/spice they use is fennel seed. If you are lucky enough to have fennel flowers that might make it even more special. The fennel adds a slightly licorice like flavor to the roast pork. Hershey et al, all of those are uner consideration, Zubuwich or Zubuchonwiches. Hahaha. :)
i saw this shop one time walking around the east village. ill go try it very soon…maybe tomorrow!
want to be there this sunday.
MM,
I thought the other choice was a platter… with some beans and veggies and pork.
When I visited, I ordered the platter and took two sandwiches to go.
Here is a pic of the platter….
https://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee233/Robsta12/Food%20for%20thought/platter2.jpg
Menu:
https://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee233/Robsta12/Food%20for%20thought/menu.jpg
Display Case:
https://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee233/Robsta12/Food%20for%20thought/porchetta.jpg
RoBStaR, cool, I am not sure if they had the platter option when I was there. Or maybe I wasn’t listening to the folks behind the counter. But the platter looks good as well!
Looks like rgw Cuban sandwich they serve in Las Vegas…..is it the same?
Hi! The resurgence of pork could be backlash from all that dieting and “suffering” from deprivation, hehehehehe.
…pancit con lechon, steamed bun con lechon, bhan mi con lechon…and the list goes on and on and on..pork is back, definitely, and on my humble opinion, it never really goes out of style, especially in Asia,of course, most specifically in the Philippines. i dont know if that no reservations episode in the phils. has got something to do with it, but it really does raise peoples awareness of the endless possibilities and full potential of pork, if done the right way. My hat is up to Marketman not only for representing Philippines to the world in such a positive way, but he also make a lot of Pinoys proud. Mabuhay po kayo Mr. Marketman. We Salute You! btw, Mr. Marketman, is it possible for you to apply for the Copyright of the Zubuchon? just like how they do it in Italy in most of their cheese? just curious.. Peace.
The 3rd picture is somewhat deceiving in terms of the size. If you compare it MM to local burger (Mc d* or J*llibee) in the country how many burgers do you think is the equivalent of this one? It looks tempting..
Lechon Sandwich would be nice! Thinly sliced lechon on pandesal with a helping of sarsa. Its an hour after lunch break and this post just made me hungry again. Thanks MM!
A banh mi styled sandwich with your zubuchon would be interesting! Or use tortillas to make a zubu-wrap lol, with atchara and greens to offset the meatiness.
MM, if you are ever in London, go try the Roast Pork with apple sauce sandwich at ROAST in Burrough Market. Lots of juicy roast pork with the crackling and homemade apple sauce. YUM (seriously all caps)!!! The long snaking line to the counter is an indication of how good it is!
The 8-hour porchetta recipe from the LA Times that you cook in a Dutch oven is fantastic although I have to make sure we have an extra tank of LPG before we start!
Thanks MM! But I remember the recipe mentioning “stuffing with fennel”. Could that mean using the bulb and leaves as well as the seeds and flowers kaya?
Surely, that Zubuchon sandwich version is going to be a big hit!
Mila, I was thinking of the Vietnamese pork roll when I saw the 4th photo. el_jefe’s suggestion is yummy, too.
Susie: re Borough Market and the Pork sandwich. You are so right!!
I’ve had porchetta in Tuscany; bought it by the grams from this porchetta seller at a weekend market in Cortona. It was good but it didn’t come with anything so it was nakaka-umay. (It would have gone better with some sauce like Mang Tomas or vinegar.) I still think our local Cebu lechon is better, and though I have not yet tasted Zubuchon, it follows that Zubuchon would be even better than Italian porchetta. :-)
This looks yummy! Thanks for the info. I will have to drop by on my next trip to NYC.
porchetta can be traditonally found all over the lazio region in italy…pig is gutted and then stuffed with various herbs (including fennel as above) roasted over a wooden fire pit. in weekend markets and country fairs one can usually find slices of the roast pork either sold on their own, or stuffed into sandwiches. if the pig is particularly “fresh”, its own sauce is enough as “saw-saw-an” ….later in the day the meat dries up. tuscany also does their version of porchetta, but with really too much pepper and lard in the center for my taste. the lazio version is the best !!
Pilar and Ante S…YES, I think we can come up a Philippine version of a Cuban Sandwich. Afterall, we have arroz ala cubana!!! hehehe
Hey MM, if you’re crew has paksiw available, I’ll scoot over with some wheat ciabatta and herb focaccia!!! And I’ll bring my panini press and some fresh mozarella (hand-made in Cebu) cheese!!! hehehehe
Artisan no paksiw at this point, but may be making some for this Sunday’s market at BTC…
Great!!! I’ll make several rustic bread that will go with the Zubuchon and paksiw…..hmmmm, how about some pan-de-sal for your sisig as well?!
hahahaha……I’m sooooo hungry thinking about them, I don’t think I can make it to Sunday!!
You guys are definitely over the top!!! This pairing of MM and Artisan can be a dangerous thing. But good and I love it! I think I will do a feasibility study on living in Cebu.
Oooooh, I am next to silly lolo, hahahahaha…Sir, I loved that comment about the lumpiang hubad by Artisan…I forgot what I am about to write, silly me!
I am still salivating just thinking of the Roli Roli porchetta sandwich at the Saturday Ferry Bldg. Market in SF. This one is on a ciabatta with combo pork tenderloin/pork butt with skin stuffed with herbs and served with caramelized onion, peppercress, and grey mediterranean sea salt. The chef/server makes sure that each ciabatta is drenched with the pork dripping. It’s huge and is about $8.00+. This would be nice also with the side order of roasted baby potatoes (with rosemary and sea salt, roasted under a chicken rotisserie). It’s amazing that after a 5 1/2 hr. flight back home, the pork skin was still crunchy. I think the difference between this porchetta and the NYC one is the skin. The SF one is thin; could it be that they use a suckling pig? MM, I am sure you can make a porchetta sandwich, Fil. style or MM style using your now world-famous Zubuchon. Is that available now for delivery to Manila?
You liked the sandwich? I thought it was pretty dry and flavorless. Compared to say a roast pork sandwich that you would get in Philadelphia, it was pretty underwhelmed. Maybe I got them on an off night.
MM, did the sandwich have any sort of sauce or gravy or was it just pork and bread?
The best porchetta I had was at Salumi’s in Seattle. The place is run/owned by Armandino Batali, father of Mario Batali.
Here’s the Wiki entry for Porchetta:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porchetta
and here’s another link re Queen of Porchetta in Frascati:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2008/05/frascati-italy-isabella-the-queen-of-porchetta-sandwiches.html
From what I can gather, they originally deboned the whole pig, then stuffed it w the herbs & roasted the whole – skin on!
It’s funny cuz North Americans are just catching up with the whole pork belly craze. What used to be a strange ingredient is all of a sudden in vogue. People are becoming more educated and less squeamish. I got no problem with it except that prices on the cheaper or less popular cuts (that we know are best in terms of flavor) will all of a sudden be more expensive, unless supply keeps up.
Beth, beef belly is pretty good too. Vicky, yes, the whole pig is typically used, but if you want to try a shortcut version, see this version I made with just pork belly. Linda, that sounds like a nice place to have porchetta. zena, it had the pan juices and lots of herbs, but nothing else. Anonymous Frustrated Lawyer, I could see how you might get a dry one. You have to make sure they add pan juices or you get a fresh piece which is still juicy. The juices soak into the bread, that is a pretty substantial roll. I happen to like rolls of that sort, but it may not be to everyone’s liking. I think many Filipinos would happily take the roast pork filling home, add sarsa and rice… but the fennel seed might still be an odd flavor hit for some. Nina, I like the concept of added caramelized onions (they make nearly everything fantastic) and some greens, will definitely have to seek that sandwich out.
Finally pork is getting the recognition it deserves! hmm.
This blog is a good thing—what with the svine flu scare all over the world? Unfair sa mga baboy, ‘no?
More pork heaven! Another favorite in our household whenever we have leftover lechon.
MM…inspired by the Kogi truck that roams in LA…I think you can do this at the market…tortilla, Heat it up for a few seconds on Artisan’s panini press, then scoop a spoonful of garlic sinangag, then topped with shredded Zubuchon (with sauce if you have it) or Paksiw, then topped with cucumber/ carrot slaw and cilantro and for zip…chili sauce! and roll it up like a big FAT LUMPIA and wrap in foil like a sausage.
My oh my Betty Q! Zubuwrap! i wish Marketman has a Zubuchon branch here in Manila.
Ate there last year when they were rated by Time Out NY. It’s a forgettable meal; we were puzzled why the magazine raved about it. There are other pork dishes out there, and this one’s just doesn’t cut it for a Filipino. In fact the next day, we bought some pork belly from Chinatown, baked it in the oven and broiled it to get that crunchy skin and had a great meal!
quite right, Dave. porchetta doesn’t compare with the original street delicacy in florence. much less when compared to pinoy or chinese lechon. i found this dry and flavorless. but gotta say, the display certainly looked delectable. ok for photo-op.
Marketman: Good suggestion there by BettyQ. If I only had the resources, I would do that here in LA and have a Filipino version of the Kogi truck. Who knows, a Filipino taco truck might just be as successful as the Kogi truck. It’s a big hit here and I still can’t believe I lined up for 2 hours to have my fill of the famous Korean BBQ taco and it was soooo delish!
Lilibeth: Go ask SILLY LOLO to be your INDUSTRIAL PARTNER…Pipilahan din kayo with Silly Lolo at the front counter and I bet he will have a ball pero baka kayo malugi lalo na if a gorgeous customer bats her eyelash at Silly Lolo!….I am just kidding, Silly Lolo!
>Lilibeth, did you know the proprietor of the Kogi Trucks is a
Filipino? Have yet to try Kogi’s; I’ve
read nothing but fave reviews.