Episode 131 - Coppa (Capicola)

Coppa, or capicola, or (in New York Italian slang) “gabagool” is a salumi made using a particular set of muscles from the neck and first few ribs of a pig. Unless you know a butcher, you probably will not be able to find this cut. However, most of this muscle group comes along with a Boston Butt and there are a number of videos on the internet showing how to harvest it.
The piece I have today is a bit more than three pounds, and the first step is to cure it. Curing is a salt-based process, and for this salumi we are going to use equal parts salt and crushed black peppercorns. Just make up a good-sized batch, because what we do is heavily coat the meat with it - as much as will stick to the surface. Then put it in a ziplock bag, get as much air out and seal it, and put it on a pan weighted down with another pan with about 5-10 pounds of additional weight. Put in the fridge for about three days, flipping each day to redistribute the cure.
As I said, this is a salt-based process. Salt will penetrate the meat to cure it, and then we will be drying it, which will further concentrate the salt. So, when curing, more is not better. For this amount of meat three days is the top, and two days would be adequate. When the curing period is over it is important to rinse off the remaining cure with water. Pat dry and rinse again with a little wine. The point is to strike a balance between making sure that the meat is cured and making sure it is not too salty and you have that balance with the other flavors we will be adding.
Those flavors are a rub that is:
• 2 parts spicy paprika
• 2 parts smoked paprika
• 1 part toasted and crushed black pepper
• 1 part cayenne pepper
Rub this on the cured meat, as much as will stick. Tie the meat with a butchers knot so that you can hang it, weigh it, and hang it in a drying chamber (see episode 81) until it looses 30% of its weight. How long it takes will vary based on the actual shape, the humidity level maintained, and other parameters. In this case it took 8 weeks!
Mold is always a possibility, so you need to check on it weekly. If so start to see spots of black, green, or fuzzy mold you should dab the spots with vinegar to kill it. An alternative to controlling bad mold is to apply good mold. Bactofirm Mold 600 is a naturally occurring mold (penicillium nalgiovese) that is easily available in freeze dried form from multiple sources on the internet. This is a harmless beneficial surface mold that wins the battle over pathogenic bacteria, protecting the meat during the drying process from harmful mold and spoilage. It is not generally considered essential when drying whole muscle (it is essential for drying ground meat products), but since my “drying cave” is a contrivance that could become infected with “bad stuff” I prefer being safe rather than getting other molds and having to remove them during drying.
Once the drying is complete, remove from the chamber and remove the string. You can now slice it with a knife or, even better, an electric slicer (I talk about home slicers in Episode 93). You can slice as you go or slice it all at once and vacuum pack in portions (which can also be frozen and will last a long time). Serve alone with bread or with other meats and cheeses and olives, pickles or whatever else floats your boat!

[@user-xy6px6cc8f]

Yes, I like your videos because there's zero music, direct information & zero extra gabbing! Xcellent!

[@FITK]

Thank you. I try to be reasonably entertaining without wasting people's time. And music is just distracting. I am glad the you "get me."😀

[@grubbs517]

Thanks for the tips/tricks and expertise. I'm surprised that slice didn't storm off the set in a huff for not getting a close-up. Beautiful color!

[@FITK]

Thank you so much for the comment.

[@nicklloyd9165]

I like the light mushroom-style flavor that mold 600 adds to charcuterie. And your spray bottle technique is fantastic.

[@FITK]

I have the same feeling about the flavor, but have noted that some people find it offensive (and metallic). It may be similar to the situation where cilantro tastes like soap to some people. Thanks for your input (and the compliment 🙂).

[@bucurilie-lo4jf]

This goes to show that white hair doesn't always means wisdom. Put it in the fridge with a 5LB weight on it? He maybe barrowed this from Presutto recipe because the pork's back leg has a lot of blood veins on it.

[@FITK]

No, this is one way coppa is traditionally done. One reference - Salumi, Ruhlman and Polcyn, page 165. Or thehungrydogblog.com/2014/03/coppa-recipe. Another method people use is vacuum sealing during the curing, which is pretty creative. The wonderful thing about food is that there is room for different approaches and techniques and to respect those differences.