Pork is one of the most widely used meats in Italian cooking, although Italian consumers remain far more likely to buy cured meats (such as salami and prosciutto) than fresh. Preparations of cooked pork vary from region to region, with it popular in Calabria to grill chops flavoured with pepper and fennel (braciole di maiale) or roasted and stuffed with salt, herbs and garlic to make porchetta in central Italy. This collection of pork recipes contains a variety of different cuts and preparations, from ham and pancetta to pork ribs and suckling pig recipes.

Roberto Petza uses suckling pig in his pork terrine recipe, serving the neat cubes of meat with tangy orange compote and edible flowers in a beautifully presented starter dish. Emanuele Scarello uses pork mince in his ragù recipe, while Giorgio and Gian Pietro Damini serve succulent sous vide pork ribs with marinated asparagus and a stunning mustard crumb.