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1
Peel the potatoes and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater. If using grated onion, combine it with the potato now. Transfer the mass to a clean cloth, gather the cloth tightly and wring with both hands, extracting as much liquid as possible. Repeat the wringing until the potato feels almost powdery in the cloth. The potato is ready when no further moisture can be pressed out.
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2
Turn the squeezed potato into a bowl. Season with salt. If the mass still feels damp, incorporate flour and work briefly with the hands to distribute. The mixture should just hold its shape when pressed into a ball.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies. Set a cast-iron or heavy steel pan over high heat. Add the lard and allow it to reach the point at which a single strand of grated potato dropped in sizzles fiercely on contact. Only at this moment, add the potato mixture, pressing it flat with a spatula to a uniform thickness of 1 cm. Do not move the cake. Cook undisturbed for 6–8 minutes; the underside is ready when the visible edge turns a deep, even gold and the cake releases cleanly from the pan.
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4
Slide the cake onto a plate or lid, invert it back into the pan, and press flat once more. Cook the second side for a further 6–8 minutes undisturbed. The tortel is done when both faces are uniformly deep golden and the cake sounds hollow when tapped on its surface.
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5
Transfer the tortel to a board and cut into portions. Arrange slices of Speck Alto Adige and shards of Vezzena or Casolet alongside. Add pickled gherkins to the plate; their acidity is structural, not decorative, cutting the fat of the lard and cheese.