Capicola is surprisingly versatile, and you can use it for every meal of the day, for a main course, and for appetizers. (Preferably not all in the same day!) Since it’s so thinly sliced, that makes it perfect for making some super-easy, super-elegant bites.
That means that one little ounce of capicola contains more than a third of your daily recommended intake of sodium, and if you have three of those little appetizer bites, you’re already over where you should be for the day. And that’s a big deal.
Many experienced makers recommend hanging the meat for at least 100 days. This number can vary, but the capicola can supposedly hang, uncut, for up to a year and still remain fresh. Once the meat is cut, life is reduced, but it can be kept fresh in a refrigerator for months.
Capicola is one of the simpler salumi to make – you don’t need to grind the meat, worry about keeping the fat cold and many other little details like when you make salami or sopressata. However, the outer parts of solid meat muscles tend to dry out in the curing chamber faster than they do with salami.
What is a capicola?
Bear with us. Technically, says The Daring Gourmet, capicola (or capocollo) refers to the thin-sliced neck and shoulder meat that’s been cooked. When that piece of neck and shoulder meat is dry-cured, it’s more appropriately called coppa… although in the U.S., the terms are often used interchangeably.
This one comes specifically from the area of the pig between the neck and the fourth or fifth rib of the pork shoulder. That’s what the word means, in fact: “capo” means “head” and “collo” means “neck.”.
In case you’re wondering what makes this part of these pigs so special, SBS says it’s all because of the fat ratio. Capicola is 30 percent fat and 70 percent lean, and that means it’s both tender and moist, even after it’s been cured.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of capicola comes from the history of the processes that go into making it. According to BBC, people have been air-curing meat for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. And it’s a little weird. You don’t want to eat that raw pork chop you pulled out of the fridge, put on the counter, and forgot about when the doorbell rang, right? So why on earth would you want to eat that piece of pork that’s been hanging around for months, then sliced into capicola?
Academia Barilla gets even more specific and says the pigs of choice are at least eight months old and weigh at least 300 pounds. Traditionally, the best of the best comes from large breeds typically raised in the south of Italy.
The version that’s made in America is a little different, though, and it’s made with either red pepper or black peppercorn. Then, there’s ham capocollo, which is also called ham-capi and it’s also a different thing. That’s essentially a spiced and boiled ham, and it’s said to be a cross between ham and capicola.
Capicola is delicious and versatile and — perhaps best of all — it’s authentically Italian, but you absolutely don’t want to go overboard with it, and here’s why. Nutritional information is tough to come by, because there are so many different ways to season and salt capicola.
What is a capicola?
Capicola is the thinly sliced twin of prosciutto that offers an entirely different array of flavors. When made right, this cured Italian meat can be a real game-changer in the kitchen.
While it can be served at any thickness, it’s usually sliced thin due to its bold flavors and chewy texture. The salty nature of capicola makes it pair well with cheese, wine, bread, crackers and fruit. The first types of capicola were established in Piacenza and Calabria, Italy.
All are typically sliced thin and used in similar dishes. The difference is that prosciutto comes from the hips and thighs of a pig, while capicola comes from the neck and shoulder.
Many experienced makers recommend hanging the meat for at least 100 days. This number can vary, but the capicola can supposedly hang, uncut, for up to a year and still remain fresh.
There is a reason this cured meat is so delicious. It’s full of fat and salt! A serving size of capicola (28 grams), contains 80 calories, 8 grams of protein, 1 carbohydrate, 5 grams of fat, and a whopping 540 mg of sodium. The amount of sodium is exceptionally high for such a small amount, so it is best enjoyed in moderation.
Basilicata, Lazio, Martina Franca, Tuscany and Umbria are all Italian regions that make and distribute their own unique products. Outside of Italy, Capicola is produced on the French Island, Corsica, where the P.D.O. also protects the integrity of the products. Many U.S. companies now make some form of capicola.
There is also “Capicolla ham,” invented in 1949 by the M&V provisions company, which is a boiled ham coated in spices. Capicolla ham tends to be much leaner and larger than your typical capicola. Lastly, a slow-roasted pork shoulder with a mix of tongue and rind is called a “coppa cotta.”. Phew.
What is a capocollo?
April 11, 2018. By. Dan Myers. Also known as coppa, capocollo, or gabagool, this fatty, lightly spiced and smoked cold cut is really tasty. Capicola is spiced and smoked pork shoulder cured in natural casing. If you’ve watched your share of Sopranos episodes, you’ve probably heard about a magical type of salumi known as gabagool.
If you’ve watched your share of Sopranos episodes, you’ve probably heard about a magical type of salumi known as gabagool. It’s actually called capicola (also spelled capocollo or a handful of other variations), and it’s delicious. Capicola, also known as coppa, is what you might consider to be a cross between prosciutto and sausage.
What is Capicola made of?
Capicola is made from coppa. Coppa is a muscle of the pork right behind the back of the head, at the top of the shoulder. You may also know it as ‘money muscle’. It’s the part of the Boston butt closer to the pig’s back and opposite the side where shoulder blade bone would be.
Larger, thicker capicolas can mature for up to 6 months or longer. Maturing takes place at 55F – 57F and 80%-82% RH. Note the relatively higher humidity level during maturing, compared to the usual 75% RH. Since the meat already lost quite a bit of water, we want any further water loss to be low and slow.
This is a common problem for many home salumi makers. The typical solution is to vacuum seal capicola and refrigerate it for a couple of weeks. The meat will undergo a period of ‘equalization’ where the remaining moisture inside it will get distributed more evenly.
The starting temperature for drying capicola is 75F to 77F, depending on the coppa’s thickness. The duration of the first step (fermentation) also increases or decreases depending on the size of the coppa. That temperature then gradually drops to 59F by the 7th day.
Weigh the coppa in grams. Divide by 1000, then multiply each ingredient by that number. For example, if your coppa weighs 2650 g, you need to multiply the ingredients specified above by 2.65. Mix all the salt and the seasonings together, and rub on the meat.
Flip the bag every day or so. After 7 days have passed, remove the meat from the bag and gently scrape off any excess salt and seasonings. Prepare the coppa for hanging by casing (veil, beef bung) and trussing. Poke a lot of small holes all over the surface with a sterilized needle to remove any trapped air.
Capicola is one of the simpler salumi to make – you don’t need to grind the meat, worry about keeping the fat cold and many other little details like when you make salami or sopressata. However, the outer parts of solid meat muscles tend to dry out in the curing chamber faster than they do with salami. That’s been my experience, anyway.
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