Description
Capocollo di Calabria PDO is a salty cured charcuterie product obtained through the processing of the upper part of the loin of traditional large-sized swine belonging to the Calabrese, Large White or Landrace Italiana breeds, reared in Calabria.
Production Area
The production area of Capocollo di Calabria PDO is within the entire territory of the Calabria region. The pigs used for production must have been born in the regions of Calabria, Basilicata, Sicily, Apulia and Campania, reared in the Calabria region from a maximum age of four months, and then slaughtered and processed in Calabria.
Production Method
Once selected and deboned, the meat cuts of 3.5 – 5.5 kg are dry salted or salted in brine using ground cooking salt. This process can last from 4-10 days and is followed by washing, rubbing with wine vinegar and machine pressing with the addition of black pepper grains. The product is then wrapped in a fresh pigskin casing, hand-tied in the traditional way using natural string, and then the skin is pierced; during this stage, the use of characteristic sticks is permitted. The Capocollo is hung to drip in well-ventilated rooms, with controlled relative humidity and temperature. The curing process must last at least 100 days, commencing from the day it was salted, and must also take place in temperature and humidity-controlled environments (14-16°C).
Appearance and Flavour
Capocollo di Calabria PDO has a cylindrical shape and a pinkish-red or red colour, with varying degrees of red if black pepper or chilli is added. The slices are a vivid pinkish-red, with streaks of fat which are typical of pig loin. The flavour is delicate, becoming stronger over time; it has a characteristic and nicely intense aroma.
History
The origins of Capocollo di Calabria PDO most likely date back to the Greek colonisation of the Ionian coast. The first written evidence of pig meat processing is found in a volume from 1691, Della Calabria Illustrata, in which Padre Giovanni Fiore da Cropani lists meat transformed “into Lards, Sausages, Brawn and similar” as one of the region’s salted meats. During the French “decennio” (1806- 1815), the 1811 Statistics of the Kingdom of Naples, known as the Statistica Murattiana, registers the “preference for salted pork, which is processed in both of the Calabria regions. People generally choose salt and pepper to adulterate this sought-after delicacy.” In the third section, dedicated to the “subsistence and conservation of populations”, pork is indicated as being “the only meat that is salted in every district”. Calabria has remained one of the few regions where the pork processing culture is still deeply rooted.
Gastronomy
Capocollo di Calabria PDO is traditionally stored hanging from the ceiling in cool dry areas, where it can be kept for up to 12 months. Once sliced it should be put in the refrigerator, where it can be kept for a short period of time. It is eaten in thin slices or diced, and is typically served as an appetizer or snack, with traditional local bread that is naturally leavened and cooked in a wood-burning oven. Its flavour intensifies when paired with well-structured red wines.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Capocollo di Calabria PDO. It is sold whole, in large pieces or slices, vacuum-packed or in modified atmosphere packaging.
Distinctive Features
The meat cut selected for the production of Capocollo di Calabria PDO must have a fat layer of approximately 3-4 mm, in order to maintain its tenderness during the curing process and improve its organoleptic properties.
