Chef Graziella
Arista alla Fiorentina
The roast pork of Florence: bone-in loin studded with rosemary and garlic, nothing more. This is the dish that earned its name from a Byzantine bishop who declared it aristos, the best.
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Braciole di Maiale alla Brace
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Thick pork chops rubbed with salamoia bolognese and grilled over live fire. This is how we eat in summer in Emilia-Romagna: simply, outdoors, with family.
Main Dishes
Italian, Emilian
BBQ
Outdoor Dining
30 min
Active Time
15 min cook•45 min total
Yield4 servings
In Emilia-Romagna, pork is not merely food. It is heritage. We cure it into prosciutto that hangs for years in the hills of Parma. We grind it into mortadella studded with fat and pistachios. We stuff it into cotechino and serve it at midnight on New Year's Eve. But in summer, when the air is warm and the evening light stretches long, we do something simpler. We rub thick chops with salamoia and cook them over fire.
Salamoia bolognese is nothing more than herbs, garlic, and rendered lard pounded together in a mortar. Rosemary and sage from the garden. A whisper of garlic, not the heavy hand Americans use. Good lard from a pig raised properly. You pound it together until the paste is fragrant and flecked with green. Then you rub it on the meat and let the fire do its work.
This is not barbecue as Americans understand it. There is no smoke ring, no twelve-hour cook, no sweet glaze. There is pork, herbs, fire, and the company of people you love. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in.
Salamoia, from the Latin for salt brine, evolved in Bologna and the surrounding countryside as a method for seasoning meat before cooking. The combination of rendered lard with pounded herbs allowed the fat to carry flavor deep into the meat while the grill's heat rendered it into the surface. Farm families across Emilia-Romagna have passed down their particular proportions for generations, each insisting theirs is correct.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
bone-in pork loin chops
Quantity
4, 1 inch thick (about 10 ounces each)
rendered lard (strutto)
Quantity
3 tablespoons
softened
fresh rosemary leaves
Quantity
2 tablespoons
fresh sage leaves
Quantity
1 tablespoon (about 8 leaves)
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground
coarse sea salt
Quantity
for finishing
lemon wedges
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| bone-in pork loin chops | 4, 1 inch thick (about 10 ounces each) |
| rendered lard (strutto)softened | 3 tablespoons |
| fresh rosemary leaves | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh sage leaves | 1 tablespoon (about 8 leaves) |
| garlic cloves | 2 |
| fine sea salt | 1 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/2 teaspoon |
| coarse sea salt | for finishing |
| lemon wedges | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Mortar and pestle
- •Charcoal or gas grill
- •Instant-read thermometer
- •Long-handled tongs
Instructions
- 1
Pound the salamoia
In a mortar, combine the rosemary, sage, garlic, fine sea salt, and black pepper. Pound with the pestle until you have a rough paste, crushing the garlic completely and releasing the oils from the herbs. The kitchen should smell of the hills above Bologna. Add the softened lard and work it into the herb paste until you have a cohesive green-flecked mixture. This is salamoia bolognese, and it has seasoned pork in Emilia-Romagna for centuries.
A mortar and pestle creates the proper texture. A food processor makes paste. Salamoia should have texture, with visible herb fragments that char slightly on the grill. - 2
Prepare the chops
Remove the pork chops from refrigeration one hour before cooking. Cold meat on a hot grill creates uneven cooking. Pat the chops completely dry with paper towels. Rub the salamoia generously over both sides of each chop, working it into any crevices around the bone. Let them sit at room temperature while you prepare the fire.
- 3
Build a proper fire
If using charcoal, let the coals burn until covered with gray ash and glowing red beneath. Spread them in an even layer for direct heat. If using gas, preheat to high for at least 15 minutes with the lid closed. The grate should be hot enough that you cannot hold your hand three inches above it for more than two seconds. Clean the grate with a wire brush.
Wood charcoal or hardwood adds flavor that gas cannot replicate. Oak, cherry, or grape vine cuttings are traditional in Emilia. If you have access to them, use them. - 4
Grill the chops
Place the chops on the hottest part of the grill. Do not move them. Let them sear undisturbed for 4 minutes. The salamoia will sizzle and the herbs will char slightly at the edges. This is correct. Flip once and cook another 4 minutes. For thick chops, move them to a cooler part of the grill, close the lid, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 140°F.
- 5
Rest before serving
Transfer the chops to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes. The temperature will rise to 145°F as the juices redistribute. Cutting into them immediately wastes the juices on the board instead of in your mouth. Patience here is not optional.
- 6
Serve simply
Arrange the chops on a warm platter. Scatter a few grains of coarse sea salt over the top. Serve with lemon wedges alongside. The lemon is squeezed at the table by each diner according to taste. Nothing more is needed. No sauce, no garnish, no distraction from the pork and the herbs.
Chef Tips
- •Seek out heritage breed pork if you can find it. Berkshire, Duroc, or the Italian Cinta Senese have fat marbling that modern commodity pork lacks. The salamoia needs that fat to cling to.
- •Strutto, rendered pork fat, is traditional and superior for this paste. Lard from a good butcher will do. Do not substitute butter or olive oil. They behave differently under high heat and lack the affinity that pork fat has for pork meat.
- •The chops must be thick. Thin chops overcook before the salamoia can properly season them. One inch at minimum. Ask your butcher to cut them fresh.
- •If you have no mortar, you may chop the herbs and garlic very fine and mash them with the flat of your knife, then work in the lard with a fork. The result is acceptable. A mortar is better.
Advance Preparation
- •The salamoia can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before using so it spreads easily.
- •The chops can be rubbed with salamoia up to four hours ahead and refrigerated. Remove them one hour before grilling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 230g)
Calories
495 calories
Total Fat
31 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
18 g
Cholesterol
165 mg
Sodium
700 mg
Total Carbohydrates
1 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
45 g
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