Local Spotlight: Il Porcellino Salumi
Email written by Jessica Wolford Barnes released on 4/9/21 as part of the “Local Spotlight” series at Tony’s Meats & Market - featuring Il Porcellino Salumi. Click here to read the original article.
(Photo courtesy of ilporcellinodenver.com)
We all know city life can move pretty quickly, but sometimes the best things are worth a little work There's still one place out there that still loves to do everything by hand, the old-fashioned way; a place where they understand that to make high-quality, artisanal products, you can't cut corners. That place is Il Porcellino Salumi.
Founded in 2015 by Bill Miner (pictured below), Il Porcellino Salumi is a multi award-winning salumeria that takes great pride in curing meats "the natural way." You won't find any added hormones or antibiotics included in any of their products. Heritage pork, pasture-raised chickens, and grass-fed beef are the staples used in anything produced by Il Porcellino Salumi. And, quality of animal life is very important, too. All of the farms & ranches where Il Pocellino sources their meat are Certified Humane and Global Animal Partnership certified meaning the animals are healthy, happy, and fed a vegetarian diet of non-GMO, non-soy, and non-corn feed. Happy animals make tasty charcuterie.
(Photo courtesy of ilporcellinodenver.com)
While Bill and his team have relationships with a star-studded list of local brands like City Bakery, Infinite Harvest, Rosenberg's, and more, they still make their own condiments and dressings and pickle their own vegetables for their sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and catering. In-fact, if it can be made in-house, you can rest-assured that they're making it themselves to ensure that customers are receiving the best product in the end.
In order to showcase the high-quality meat and local ingredients used, Bill and his team of salumieres (artisan salami makers) still hand-tie, hand-package, and hand-label all of their salami after they've been slow fermented and slow dried in one of their climate-controlled drying rooms. This process can take anywhere from 5-8 weeks! There's something to be said about a business feeding the masses, but taking their time to ensure only the highest-quality product reaches your table.
If you're interested in learning more about cured meats, Bill publishes his own blog where he answers common questions about cured meat. Click here to check it out!
“THE MISSION OF IL PORCELLINO SALUMI IS TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY HAND CRAFTED AND ARTISANAL CHARCUTERIE IN AN ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE MANNER TO OUR CUSTOMERS IN COLORADO AND BEYOND. WE BELIEVE THAT THE BEST PRODUCTS COME FROM ANIMALS THAT LEAD A HEALTHY LIFE. WE HAVE DEVELOPED WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH RANCHERS OVER THE YEARS WHO PRACTICE [THOSE SAME] BELIEFS.”
You can find a variety of Il Porcellino products right here at Tony's from their NEW beer brats made with Breckenridge Brewery beer to their Peach Wood Smoked Maple Rub Uncured Bacon (both on sale at Tony's through the 14th!) to their artisanal salamis. Stop by Tony's this weekend to take home salami that has been hand-crafted locally and support one of our favorite local partners.
Fun Fact: Il Porcellino Salumi has won the following prestigious awards:
Grand Champion of Charcuterie Masters in New York City, 2018 + 2020
Good Food Awards, 2017, 2019, + 2021
Best Sandwich Shop in Denver, 2016
Best New Deli in Denver, 2015
AND they were featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives in 2020!
