Groppone di Ficulle
What it is
Groppone di Ficulle is a characteristic cold cut from Ficulle, obtained from the pork loin (better if it comes from breeds suitable for the lard development like Cinta senese).
It is the loin used to prepare tasty chops, including lard and rind.
In order to obtain a good final product, the lard must not be less than 3 cm thick, while the total diameter of the trimmed loin must not be less than eight centimeters, for a total length of 80 cm of fresh product.
How to prepare it
The loin is processed after one or two days from butchering, is deboned, and trimmed trying to give it a cylindrical shape.
The subsequent stage consists of the application of an ointment made with minced garlic and pepper, after sprinkling it with Orvieto red wine.
After this stage, salting begins: Groppone is put into a pot, sprinkled with a thin stratum of black pepper, and covered with fine salt.
The pot is put into the fridge at a temperature of approximately 0°C for a period varying from 4 to 6 days according to the diameter of the product. After this period, it will be cleaned from the salt and washed with a mixture or water, wine, and a small quantity of vinegar, and then left to dry in the fridge for about twenty days, at the end of which it will be covered with lard and pepper and put into caves characterized by a constant temperature and humidity for a period going from 7 to 10 months, during which it will be periodically controlled, moved, and aired before being sold when the maturation process is complete.
Uses
The best combinations: as far as wines are concerned, local pure
Ciliegiolo or Lambrusco di Sorbara, or also a pure Sangiovese or a fine red Orvieto.
It is very good to eat with insipid bread or the classical Torta al testo (or salty pizza).
It is very good also to taste alone, to appreciate the combination between the lean part, tasty and scented, and the fat part, silky and sweet at the same time.
