Adventures in food

I cut down the capicola in the attic Sunday and brought it to the kitchen for slicing.

This is the third year I made the traditional salt-cured Italian “salumi” or “gabagool” and the best.

The copa, a part of the shoulder muscle of the pig, was expertly prepared by Norm at Niagara Sausage Market on Lockport Road.

I used a video I watched on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/cookingwiththecoias for technique. The method is simple. Salt is cheap. Use a lot. Coat the meat in salt. Let it sit for 18 hours or so in the refrigerator. It will lose significant water. Then rinse the salt off with some water or wine and rub the meat with spices. I used hot paprika, black pepper, juniper berries and chili powder.

Stuff it into netting (I paid $6 for a 3-year supply on the internet. Now I need more.)

The two pieces both started at about 49 ounces and shed about an ounce of water before rinsing off and adding spices.

Our attic is uninsulated and starting in November the temp hangs between 38 and 48 degrees or so. This winter was so cold the pork never developed any mold. It did the last two years. Mold is perfectly normal. I also made guanciale (pork jowl, a bacon alternative that makes the best pasta carbonera).

When I took down the copa today, both pieces were down about 36% in weight. The goal was a third or more. Both pieces were right around two pounds.

I sliced one piece by hand with a freshly Cutco butcher knife, not the ideal but razor sharp. If you ever get a chance to acquire Cutco cutlery, one of the best things is that for the price of shipping, you can send the knives back to Olean for sharpening.

The meat was rich, salty and hard with just enough kick. The fat made it buttery. The texture is more akin to hard salami than what sells as capicola in the grocery store. I don’t know what it is supposed to taste like, only what it does and that I like it.

Next up, making yogurt with whole milk from Hoover’s Dairy compared to whole milk from Wegmans (It’s easier than you think. Hoover's is better.)