Il Buco's Perfectly Porky Sagra del Maiale

A few weeks ago when we learned that Noho eatery Il Buco would be roasting Ossabaw hogs for its fourth annual "Sagra del Maiale," or outdoor pig roast, we knew there was no way in hell that Gothamist could stay away from the cobblestone block that is Bond Street. The Ossabaw is the very pig that Peter Kaminsky sang the praises of in his book Pig Perfect. And it is indeed quite a special piggy, for it is descended from Spain's legendary black-footed pigs, which are the source of the mindshatteringly luscious Jamon Iberico.

Normally we're more than ready for an afternoon of pig pickin', but last Thursday posed a special challenge. We'd be coming directly from Bouley after a luncheon of buttery French food and red wine. After finishing the last few crumbs of cheese, we quickly decided it would calorically prudent to hoof it over to Il Buco. Upon rounding the corner of Bond Street, a wonderful scent redolent of charcoal, roast pig and garlic was immediately apparent.

Despite the all the porcine aroma floating about there was very little pig left, although there was certainly enough succulent Ossabaw left for us to stuff in our maw. After chatting with Beverley P. Eggleston IV of EcoFriendly Foods we learned that the Ossabaws his company raise are fed a diet of acorns, supplemented with peanuts, rendering their fat high in oleic acid, which is what makes olive oil so healthy. While this was good news for arteries, we were unable to polish off the plate that Chef Ignacio Mattos lovingly assembled for us. Less carnivorous readers may wish to avert their eyes from the next photo, a closeup of what the gal in the background of the photo above is shooting.

The roast Ossabaw itself was moist and delicious and had a wonderful crispy skin thanks to a cooking method known as infernillo, which translates to "little hell." Essentially the pig is slow roasted between two large iron griddles with an intense wood fire above and below. The panzanella was a wonderful bright side for what turned out to be quite a summery afternoon. The housemade sausage was also quite good. As you can see from the above photo, the rest of the patrons that day had little problem polishing off the pig. Guess we'll have to skip the French food before next year's Sagra del Maiale.

Il Buco, 47 Bond St., 212-533-1932