A little bite of Italy from Kentucky

Porchetta Primata's high-end pork product gets national acclaim

By WARREN BEELER, Kentucky Agricultural News

A unique Kentucky Proud pork product with its roots in ancient Rome received kudos in August from The New York Times, where they know a thing or two about fine Italian food.

Porchetta Primata is the result of a partnership between a specialty food marketing expert, a Todd County hog producer, a Christian County slaughterhouse and two Louisville processors. The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board chipped in with a zero-interest loan for cooking equipment.

Nathan Marcus, a specialty food marketing expert from Birmingham, Ala., guided the project from the research stage through selection of producers and processors and finally marketing. Family farmer Allen Franks of Todd County raises the pigs without treating them with hormones and delivers them to Hampton Meats of Hopkinsville for harvest. The animals are deboned at Irish Hill in Louisville, and the meat is hand-seasoned, rolled, tied together and cooked by Custom Food Solutions, also of Louisville, using a special oven from Italy designed specifically for porchetta.

The process produces four porchetta products. Tronchetto is a product from the center of the hog starting just behind the shoulder to just in front of the ham. Prosciutto porchetta uses the ham. Pancetta porchetta is a smaller product produced from the belly. Classic porchetta utilizes the entire animal, including the head.

Porchetta Primata products have been sold at Disney Properties, Pebble Beach, on cruise ships and in luxury boxes at sports arenas. For more information, call (205) 297-913-3474 or go to www.porchettaprimata.com.