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Urgiada con orzo e maiale is a thick Italian soup of pork shoulder and pearl barley, built on a soffritto and cooked in one pot in about 90 minutes. It feeds four and needs roughly 30 minutes of hands-on work.
A quick note on the name: orzo here means pearl barley (orzo perlato), not the rice-shaped pasta. The barley gives a nutty chew and thickens the broth without cream or flour.
Keep the pot at a bare simmer, with a bubble or two breaking the surface every second or so. A hard boil tightens the pork and leaves it dry in the middle, no matter how long it cooks.
The texture, not any added fat, defines the result: tender pork, plush barley, and a broth that coats the spoon.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot with about 30 minutes of hands-on work
- Barley thickens the broth with no cream or flour
- Pork shoulder is cheap and stays juicy when simmered
- Reheats well and tastes better on day two
Ingredient Notes
- Pearl barley (orzo perlato): Pearl barley has the outer bran polished off, so it cooks in about 35 minutes. Hulled barley needs over an hour and more liquid, so don’t swap it in without adjusting.
- Pork shoulder (spalla di maiale): The marbling keeps the cubes moist through a long simmer. Pork loin dries out and turns stringy here, so I don’t use it. Boneless country-style ribs also work.
- Stock: Use low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock so you control the salt at the end. A Parmigiano rind in the pot adds more salt, so season late.
- Tomato paste: One tablespoon adds depth and a pale rust color. It shouldn’t make the soup taste of tomato, so don’t add more.
Simmered Urgiada con Orzo e Maiale (Pork and Barley)
Ingredients
Method
- Pat the pork cubes dry with paper towels and season with 1 tsp of the salt and the pepper. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery to about 5 mm so they melt into the broth.
- Heat the olive oil in a 28 cm / 11-inch Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in two batches, 5 to 6 minutes per batch, turning until most sides are deep brown. Move each batch to a bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables are soft and pale gold. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot. Return the pork and its juices, then add the rosemary, bay leaves, Parmigiano rind, and 1 L of the stock. Bring to a boil, lower to a bare simmer, partly cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the rinsed barley and the remaining 500 ml stock. Simmer partly covered for 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the barley is tender with a slight chew and the pork breaks apart with a fork. If the pot looks dry, add a splash of water.
- Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary, bay leaves, and rind. Cover and rest for 10 minutes so the broth thickens. Stir in the parsley, taste, and add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt if needed. Ladle into bowls with olive oil and grated Parmigiano.
Notes
- Trim large fat caps from the pork but leave the thin marbling for flavor.
- Keep the pot at a bare simmer so the pork stays tender, not tight.
- Add salt in stages and taste at the end, especially if you use a Parmigiano rind.
- Rest the soup covered for 10 minutes before serving so the broth settles and thickens slightly.
Tips for Success
- Pat the pork cubes dry with paper towels before browning, because wet meat steams and never builds the brown crust that flavors the broth.
- Brown the pork in two batches so the cubes sit in a single layer with space between them and sear instead of stew.
- Rinse the pearl barley under cold water for 30 seconds to wash off surface starch and keep the broth from turning gluey.
- Taste a few grains of barley at the 30-minute mark of its simmer and stop when it’s tender with a slight chew.
- Save Parmigiano rinds in the freezer and drop one into the pot, since it adds savory depth for almost no cost.
Variations
- Swap the pork for 400 g sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, browned for 6 minutes, then add the barley and all the stock right after the wine.
- Stir in 200 g cooked cannellini beans and a handful of chopped cavolo nero for the last 10 minutes for a more Tuscan, greens-forward bowl.
- Use pearl farro in place of barley for a nuttier flavor and a slightly firmer bite, with the same 35-minute simmer.
Storage and Reheating
Urgiada con orzo e maiale keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. Cool it for no more than 2 hours at room temperature before it goes in the fridge.
The barley keeps absorbing liquid as it sits, so the soup will set almost like a stew. Reheat a portion in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes with 100 to 150 ml of stock or water, stirring until it’s steaming hot throughout.
For the microwave, cover a bowl and heat for 2 to 3 minutes at 70 percent power, stirring halfway and adding a splash of liquid. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Ladle urgiada into warm bowls and finish each one with a thread of extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of chopped parsley, and freshly grated Parmigiano. The oil should go on at the table, not in the pot, so it tastes fresh.
Serve it with sliced crusty country bread for the broth. A bitter salad of radicchio or escarole dressed with lemon and olive oil cuts through the richness of the pork.
A glass of medium-bodied red like Sangiovese or Barbera suits it well. For a lighter dinner, serve smaller bowls as a primo before a simple roasted vegetable dish.
FAQ
Why is my urgiada con orzo e maiale thick and gluey?
The barley kept absorbing liquid, which happens when the heat runs too high or the pot sits off the burner. Stir in 100 to 250 ml of hot stock or water until it loosens to a spoonable stew. Rinsing the barley before cooking also removes surface starch that makes the broth gluey.
Can I use orzo pasta instead of pearl barley in urgiada?
Not as a straight swap, because orzo pasta cooks in 9 to 10 minutes and turns soft in a long simmer. Skip the barley, simmer the pork with 1.5 L stock for 55 minutes, then add 150 g orzo pasta for the last 9 to 10 minutes. Pearl farro is the closer 1:1 swap.
Can I freeze urgiada with the barley already in it?
Yes, it freezes well for up to 3 months with the barley in. Cool it fully, portion it into containers with 2 cm of headspace, and thaw overnight in the fridge. The barley firms up as it sits, so reheat with a splash of stock to bring back the soup texture.
What do you serve with urgiada con orzo e maiale?
Crusty country bread and a bitter green salad are the best fit. Radicchio or escarole with lemon and olive oil cuts through the pork, and the bread soaks up the thick broth. A glass of Sangiovese or Barbera rounds out the table without competing with the soup.
Is urgiada con orzo e maiale gluten free?
No, pearl barley contains gluten, so this soup isn’t suitable for celiac diets or gluten-free eating. For a gluten-free version, replace the barley with 200 g short-grain brown rice and simmer 35 to 40 minutes. The broth will be a little less thick, and you should check the stock label.
What is the difference between urgiada and orzotto?
Orzotto is barley cooked risotto-style, stirred with ladles of stock until creamy. This urgiada is a brothier one-pot soup where the pork simmers alongside the barley and you only stir every 10 minutes. Both use pearl barley, but urgiada ends up chunkier and more stew-like.