’Ndocca ’ndocca

’Ndocca ’ndocca is the dish of the Val Vibrata, in the north of the province of Teramo, tied to the winter pig slaughter. It uses the humblest cuts: rind, trotters, ears, snout, ribs and pieces of the head.

Cut «piece by piece», they are blanched and then cooked for a long time with wine vinegar, pepper, garlic, rosemary and bay until very tender. It is served hot with country bread.

• 2 kg mixed pork cuts (rind, trotters, ears, snout, ribs)
• 1 glass of wine vinegar
• 2 dried sweet peppers or 1 tablespoon sweet pepper powder
• Chilli
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, 3 bay leaves
• Salt and peppercorns

1. Clean the pork pieces well, singe off any hairs and wash them.
2. Put them in a pot with cold water, bring to the boil and blanch for 10 minutes; drain and discard the water.
3. Cut the meat into pieces and return it to the pot with fresh water just to cover, the vinegar, garlic, rosemary, bay, pepper, chilli, salt and peppercorns.
4. Cook covered over low heat for 3–4 hours, stirring now and then, until the rind is soft and the sauce has reduced.
5. Let it rest for a few minutes and serve hot with country bread.

• It is even better the next day: once cold, the fat on top is easy to remove.
• Ask the butcher to prepare the pieces already cleaned.
• If the sauce is too sharp, add a little hot water and cook longer.

We do not have photos of this dish yet: the image is an illustration made for this page.

In the countryside of the Val Vibrata, near the border with the Marche, the pig slaughter was a winter ritual that brought together family and neighbours. The best cuts became cured meats; the rest went into ’ndocca ’ndocca, eaten straight away.

The dialect name means «in pieces, in pieces» and describes the way the meat is cut.