In Castiglione del Lago, Umbria you can still find butchers who choose and butcher Italian animals from a local farm. Many animals we eat in Italy come from abroad, like pigs from Holland or cows from France. We often eat meat from another country, especially meat we buy at the supermarket.
But at Burico’s it is another story…
I often buy my meat here. The hams, salami’s and what you see in the vitrine are all home made, except the mortadella and the cooked ham. They make everything by themselves: the paté, porchetta, ragu di carne (meat sauce), meatballs and beef skewers.
The butchering of the pigs and the “chianina” cows doesn’t take place every day, as they explained to me. First they go to a local farm to pick up the pig or cow. Than they bring it to the slaughterhouse in Terontola, nearby Cortona, to butcher it themselves.
The animals come originally from Italy, they are born here. The Burico family only want animals from Italy, not from abroad. Why? “If we have them here, why buying them in Germany or Holland? No, no, absolutely not”.
You can taste the difference. They have high quality meat. Maybe it is a bit more expensive than when you buy a steak at the supermarket, but it’s delicious. If you love meat of course. It is worth a try, the meat from Burico Ottorino is excellent.
And isn’t this better for all of us? Eating and butchering our local animals? It is more biological, healthy and eco-friendly. And besides you create work for the locals! I am really not a vegetarian, I love eating all kinds of meat, but I prefer eating porchetta or a steak from a local farm and butcher. I like to know what I’m eating.
When you’re in the Castiglione del Lago area, you should really try their porchetta and meatballs. Or the pasta sauce (ragù). Amazingly delicious. You can find their shop just outside the city centre, close to the stairs to the city centre.
Their son has a restaurant in the historical centre of Castiglione del Lago. Restaurant Porta Senese. Here you can eat the (meat) products made by the Burico family. I have never eaten there, but they say it is a good restaurant. I have to try it soon!
Address butcher: Via Bruno Buozzi, 1, Castiglione del lago PG, Umbria
-post by Sylvia van der Male-
Back to the good old days. I love the WiFi sign. This place is in a time warp which sounds good to me
I’ll let you know as soon as I have had diner @ Porta Senese 🙂 sounds also good to me!
I so agree with you about eating local meat, and indeed all produce. In Corinaldo there is a butcher who kills and cures his own meat, using only salt & pepper. They are a bit expensive, but we try to support them as much as we can.
Yes, it maybe a bit more expensive, buying local meat, but it is worth it. For everybody! And it is much more delicious as well…
I do miss Italian butchers! Beautiful displays and usually spotlessly clean too!