The best Arrosticini in Italy are made inside a Fiat 500

It takes imagination to look at a yellow Fiat 500 and see it as a barbecue, or rather, a grilling channel. Agnese Volpone and Maurizio Cutropia from San Giovanni Teatino certainly have that imagination – and the talent. For over fifteen years, these two Abruzzese have traveled the length and breadth of Italy to spread the word about arrosticini, a symbol of Abruzzese cuisine.

The quest for the perfect Arrosticino

Bracevia is a project, launched in 2005, that showcases the highest quality sheep meat. Sheep meat is deeply rooted in Abruzzese cuisine but often undervalued by mass production and lack of attention to the raw material. Here, care is taken from A to Z, from selecting the animals – mostly from organic farms in L'Aquila and Abruzzo – to the cooking process. The arrosticini, made from sheep or castrato (mature sheep), are offered in different weights, handmade (superb) or machine-made, traditional, and in a variant with liver, onion, and chili pepper. "Always fresh and grilled using only cannellini charcoal, as tradition dictates," emphasize the two artisans from Teatino.

Agnese and Maurizio use almost every cut. "At first, we only used some parts of the animal, about 60% or a little more. Since 2015, we use the whole sheep, achieving an 85% yield: belly and muscles for hamburgers, entrecôte for sliced steak, neck for broth, then chops, ribs, and stew for 'pecora alla callara', an ancient Abruzzese recipe linked to transhumance." The final result and the quality of the preparations are determined by the aging process, which makes the meat tender and allows the development of flavors and aromas, and the hand-boning and skewering of the arrosticini.

From the Yellow Fiat 500 to the Osteria

Since 2008, Bracevia A tutta pecora, a registered trademark, has been present at the most important Italian food and street food events, from the International Street Food Festival in Cesena to the Salone del Gusto in Turin, even crossing national borders. The brand travels with a special vehicle, a vintage bright yellow Fiat 500 transformed into a cooking station. The project does not stop with the itinerant activity; following the pandemic, an e-commerce service was launched, delivering fresh meat directly to consumers' homes within 24/48 hours. Moreover, Agnese and Maurizio have opened an osteria in Francavilla al Mare (CH) at Piazza Sirena 9. The menu? Of course, arrosticini reign supreme, but there are also platters of Abruzzese cured meats and cheeses, crispy Pianella bread with Pera d’Abruzzo tomatoes, sliced steak, and hamburgers.