Spiedini "Arrusti e Mangia"
Mangia e Bevi·(mahn-jah eh beh-vee)
Friday Night Street Food: Palermo in a Sheet Pan
In the smoke-choked alleys of Palermo's historic markets, arrusti e mangia—roast and eat—isn't just a phrase; it's a way of life. The undisputed king of this culture is mangia e bevi: fresh scallions wrapped violently tight in unsmoked pork belly, roasted until the fat blisters and the onion melts. In America, we tend to overcomplicate Italian food, but the secret to this profound, old-world flavor is simply good fat, high heat, and elevating the meat on a wire rack to mimic the unforgiving charcoal of a street-side brazier.
Before you start
Soak the skewers.
Submerge bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes so they don't incinerate under the broiler.
Preheat the oven.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Ingredients
- large scallions16
- thinly sliced raw pork belly1 lb
- coarse sea saltto taste
- freshly ground black pepperto taste
- large lemon1
Method
- 01
Trim and halve the scallions.
Cut the firm white and light-green stalks into four-inch pieces, halving them lengthwise if they are thicker than your thumb so they cook evenly.
- 02
Wrap the scallions in pork belly.
Lay a slice of pork flat, season aggressively with salt and pepper, and wrap it around a scallion on a tight diagonal. Wrap it as tightly as physically possible so the meat binds to the onion as it shrinks.
- 03
Skewer the rolls.
Thread the wrapped scallions onto the soaked bamboo skewers, placing two or three on each skewer for easier handling.
- 04
Set up the sheet pan.
Set a wire cooling rack inside the prepared baking sheet. Elevating the meat allows hot air to circulate and excess fat to drip away, preventing it from boiling in its own grease.
- 05
Roast the skewers.
Roast in the center of the oven for 15 to 18 minutes until the pork renders and turns golden, and the scallions soften.
- 06
Broil to finish.
Switch the oven to broil for 2 to 3 minutes, watching like a hawk until the edges of the pork blister and the exposed scallions catch a dark, street-cart char.
- 07
Serve screaming hot.
Pull them from the oven and serve immediately. Hit them with a heavy squeeze of fresh lemon juice—the acid cuts perfectly through the rich, salty pork fat.
Notes
Source raw, uncured pork belly.
Do not use standard American smoked bacon or cured Italian pancetta. The salt and smoke will completely ruin the delicate flavor of the dish. Thin-sliced raw pork belly is easily found at Asian markets or by asking a butcher for uncured side pork.