How to Make Homemade Strutto and “Ciccioli”

Learn how to make homemade Strutto, a fat perfect for frying and cooking. The procedure is very simple, anyone can prepare it at home.

Strutto is made from pork fat and is indispensable for some typical Italian recipes because it has the ability to perfectly rise the dough and gives it flavor and aroma. In addition, having a high smoke temperature, is also indicated for frying. Today, you will learn how to cook homemade Strutto in a simple and very old way.

How to Make Homemade Strutto

To make homemade strutto, you need excellent quality fat with a thin stream of meat. The best fat is from the belly of the pig.

Cut about 1 kg of pork fat into small pieces. Place it in a bowl and cover it with several glasses of cold water. Let stand for a few hours, then drain the fat, place it in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and add about 1 cup of water (the water should not cover completely the fat).

Simmer over low heat, stirring from time to time, for at least 2 hours.

When it starts to sizzle (Grandma’s trick to check if the strutto is done is to dip a cotton wick into the cooking liquid and try to light it, if it catches fire, the lard is cooked in the right place). Properly cooking the fat is very important to get the perfect homemade strutto, otherwise it won’t store well.

In a steel bowl, place a narrow mesh strainer and drain the strutto. The resulting liquid should be filtered again and poured into sterilized glass jars. Let cool at room temperature and close tightly. Store glass jars in the refrigerator.

The part left in the colander is the famous “greaves” (Ciccioli). Add these pieces to a frying pan, with salt and flavorings to taste, for example chili, pepper, and bay leaf. Fry until brown and crunchy. Sometimes they should be crushed with a potato masher so that they lose the remaining fat. Store in tightly closed jars in the refrigerator.