Pugliese Bombette

Pugliese bombette are a typical dish of traditional Pugliese cuisine, particularly from the Foggia and Bari areas. They are delicious stuffed and rolled meat rolls, cooked on the grill. Here’s how to prepare them.

Ingredients

• 500 g of pork slices (loin or shoulder)
• 100 g of semi-hard cheese (such as caciocavallo or provola), cut into sticks
• Smoked pancetta in very thin slices, as needed to wrap the meat
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Some wooden or metal skewers

Preparation

1. Start by preparing the filling by cutting the cheese of your choice into sticks.
2. Take the slices of meat and pound them lightly if necessary, so that they are the right size to be rolled. If the slices are very large, you can cut them in half.
3. Place a stick of cheese on each slice of meat, along with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Roll the meat tightly and evenly around the cheese to form a roll.
5. Wrap each roll with a slice of smoked pancetta, which will help keep the meat moist during cooking and add flavor.
6. Thread the rolls onto the wooden skewers, making sure to pass through the meat and pancetta multiple times to hold them securely.
7. Heat the grill and, once it’s nice and hot, cook the bombette, turning them occasionally until they are golden and crispy on the outside and the cheese inside starts to melt.
8. Serve them hot, directly on the skewers or removed and placed on a serving platter.

Curiosities

Bombette are often accompanied by grilled vegetables or a fresh salad. In some variations, you can also add a piece of processed cheese or some slices of salami to the roll to further enrich the flavor. They are perfect for a barbecue and represent one of the many expressions of home-style Pugliese cuisine that wins you over at the first bite.