Cif e ciaf is a typical recipe from Abruzzo, a second course of the poor and peasant tradition and suitable for winter temperatures.
You can’t throw anything away from pork. And this is also true in Abruzzo, where what is left of the poor pig, once slaughtered, matured, cured, smoked and whatever else is left, is browned in a pan with oil, garlic and a few smells. And guess what noise it makes? That’s right, cif e ciaf, the sizzling onomatopoeic sound that gives this dish its name. Which, as often happens in the peasant tradition, is both poor and rich: poor because of the low quality of the ingredients, basically the animal waste; rich because it is a symbol of conviviality and because, let’s face it, what pork-based dish is not incredibly tasty? This dish makes your mouth water even before you taste it: all you have to do is stretch out your ear and let yourself be tempted by the unmistakable sound.
