Pennypacker’s Food Truck: Porchetta Perfection

In all my years of food truck blogging, I’ve seen the Pennypacker’s food truck in name only. I never seemed to catch it at festivals, and it always remained elusive at lunch time where I wandered.

Considering it was one of the first food trucks in Boston, I’ve always felt ashamed that I’ve never visited them thus far. In my defense, I now know why I managed to miss Pennypacker’s truck so often – it’s quite easy to walk past.

Pennypacker’s: The Mystery Food Truck

The Pennypacker’s truck is plain, stark white with no adorning whatsoever. Visually, it’s not incredibly inviting and doesn’t draw an eater in.

However, on a sunny day in Dewey Sq, with ever other truck packing a snaking line, I was very pleased to find Pennypacker’s with a short wait.

After looking over their menu, I decided to go with the porchetta.

Pennypacker’s Porchetta: A Secret Foodie Solace

I haven’t had porchetta since I was in Italy a couple years ago.

At the time, my friend Ivano, owner of the Olive Tree Hill Bed & Breakfast (also serving as my local guide), explained to me that porchetta was a dish native to Italy, originating in Ariccia, where we were visiting at the time.

What Is Porchetta?

Porchetta is a type of pork preparation, in which the pig is gutted, deboned, and then arranged in layers, between meat, fat, skin, and stuffing (which includes garlic, rosemary, and other herbs).

The porchetta in native Ariccia was incredible, as is to be expected.

I have some inciredible news though – you don’t need to travel all the way to Italy to get great porchetta. In fact, you will find yourself nomming delicious porchetta from a local Boston food truck (now if that doesn’t improve the reputation of food trucks, I’m not sure what will.)

The Pennypacker food truck may not look like much, but I can testify first hand to the quality of their porchetta.

The porchetta was moist, succulent, and extremely flavorful. I ordered it on a salad, rather than in the standard sandwich. At first I was doubtful when I saw the pile of porchetta placed on a bed of greens, with nothing else in the salad. Wouldn’t I need dressing? More salad fixings? Nope. The porchetta was plenty moist (and greasy) to make me happy to have just the plain salad to accompany it.

My only warning is that the thick slabs of pig skin may be off-putting to some. To be sure, their presence is a testament to the legitimacy of the porchetta, but those not accustomed to chomping down on pig skin might want to push aside the skin (or bite in with vigor – whatever floats your boat).

If you’ve never had porchetta and are a big meat eater, do yourself a favor and try Pennypacker’s.

Pennypacker’s Is Packed With Taste!

Good things come in mysterious packages – don’t let Pennypacker’s lackluster exterior keep you away.

Now that I’ve had their porchetta, I’m excited to try their other dishes. Let’s hope my second visit doesn’t take as long to happen as my first!