Le Cochon Caché: Porchetta

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Simplicity at its Finest

7901 Avenue Henri Julien, Montreal, Quebec H2R 2B9

3 ingredients: Porchetta, Rapini, and Potatoes. That is what you will find on the menu (in several variations) at Le Cochon Caché in Villeray. And 3 is all they need. Have your Porchetta on a plate, in a sandwich, on a pizza, or atop an out-of-this-world poutine.

Marco Barone, the passionate chef behind the small joint in Villeray, has cooked at some of Montreal’s finest restaurants. But in a time when restaurants try to wow with gimmicks, I can really appreciate when a restaurant decides to take things back to basics. At Le Cochon Caché there are no fireworks, no gimmicks, just two guys behind a counter serving up food that stands on its own based on quality ingredients.

The small orange space is easily identifiable from the outside- a quaint round window emblazoned with a pig that reads “Porchetta” will greet you on this fairly deserted side street. Enter and the aroma of rosemary, and roasted Porchetta will get your stomach grumbling (and also probably entice you to order way more than you can handle…I’m speaking from experience here). The chalkboard menu lists their short selection. All you have to do is order, and watch chef Marco work his magic.

The poutine can only be summed up as an Italian/Quebec Thanksgiving meal. Instead of french fries, they use roasted potatoes, and the gravy is also homemade. The rosemary used in their spice rub (which you could buy on-site) adds a certain warmth and “cooked by nonna” feel to the dish. Don’t miss it.

Porchetta Poutine

The sandwich, also filled with sliced Porchetta, packs tons of flavour and crunch. I got mine with a side of rapini, one of my absolute favourite vegetables. If you’re unfamiliar with rapini, it is a bitter green vegetable, that when cooked right makes the perfect side-dish! Next time I stop by, I will be sure to try their pizza topped with…take a wild guess……PORCHETTA and rapini!