Coppa Salume

[thebartrainer]

Hi there

I am doing some research into a new menu and have been unable to find any information on Copa Salami, well other than its Itailian. Can any one fill me on with more information, on taste, orgins, uses?

[davecap]

i think what you talking about is capicola ham,which comes in spicy and sweet versions. The hot version is great if you like hot meats. Great sliced thin and eaten as is. Here is brief description from one of my local italian markets:

Dry-cured butt capicola with a thin spicy red-pepper coating. Imported from Italy. Sliced thin for a sandwich with fresh mozzarella and olive oil. Antipasta trays

[Kent Wang]

I would also be interested in more information. I know my deli carries a copa and a hot copa. Some Googling shows that there is also a sweet copa.

[SWISS_CHEF]

Huh?

Could you be talking about coppa.?? Look for Coppa di Parma (salt, pepper garlic and wine), Coppa di testa (from the head), Coppa mantovana (salt and pepper only) and Coppa piacentina Dop (salt, pepper and nitrates).

As far as I can tell...the hot and sweet versions seem to be an American thing.

Edited May 24, 2006 by SWISS_CHEF (log)

[maremosso]

Coppa is not salami.

It´s an "insaccato" that you can buy ready made, at any coldcuts counter, or you make at home - ground meats, pistachios, spices and seasonings - and then sliced thin at the time of serving.

It´s a Ligurian specialty, not difficult to make - but it´s important to follow the right procedure.

[Juanito]

To the best of my knowledge, it's pork butt that has been rubbed in spices, and then allowed to cure. (though with the Fed regs these days, it's likely that the one your local store sells has been cooked in some fashion) It's usually available in "hot" and "sweet" depending upon the spices used.

This is a different thing from ham capocolla, which is simply a variant of ham, using some spices on the outside to give it a bit of a kick.

[jmolinari]

Coppa is not a salame (salami in English), it is a salume (cured meat).

Coppa is made only from a part of the shoulder, it is the collar. It is rubbed with salt and spices, cured, and then cased, and let air dry. The spicy version/sweet version are an american thing. It is a specialty of Parma and Piacenza, but every region has their own.

[Kent Wang]

Coppa is not a salame (salami in English), it is a salume (cured meat).

Coppa is made only from a part of the shoulder, it is the collar. It is rubbed with salt and spices, cured, and then cased, and let air dry. The spicy version/sweet version  are an american thing. It is a specialty of Parma and Piacenza, but every region has their own.

←

You wouldn't happen to be related to P. G. Molinari & Sons?

[jmolinari]

Kent, nope. Unrelated.

[Kent Wang]

Quite a coincidence that I stopped by the deli today to pick up two coppas by Molinari.

Coppa (left): smokey, buttery, moderate salt, black pepper finish.

Hot coppa: intense, lingering, chile-based heat overwhelms mellow, smokey notes.

[jmolinari]

bottom half of the plate, coppa made by me. Given my name is Molinari, i guess it is coppa Molinari

[SWISS_CHEF]

bottom half of the plate, coppa made by me...

Wow, that is a beautiful coppa. I hope you will share your preparation method! Are you using nitrates or only salt?

Below is a mass-produced coppa I use in my wine tastings because it is cheap, sliced and it is packed in nitrogen and keeps for a long time. It is as cheap as presliced coppa gets in Italy at about $7.20 a pound. You can easily pay 3 or 4 times that for really fine coppa.

The taste...salty and rather boring as compared to a good coppa. You just don't get that intense pork aroma and nutty flavor.

[jmolinari]

Swiss_chef, i believe i've shared by preparation i the charuterie thread currently going on, http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...0entry1202639

I know it is really long, but you can search within the thread.

I did use nitrates...i'm too worried about getting sick not to:)

jason