Soppressata

Soppressata (Dry-Cured Italian Sausage)

Soppressata is a traditional Italian dry-cured pork sausage, pressed flat and seasoned with black pepper and garlic. It contains no cheese, though it's often served with cheese; this home version relies on proper curing for safety and flavor.

Prep

60 min

Total

60 min

Serves

1 sausage (about 1 kg / 2.2 lb)

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •800 g (28 oz) pork shoulder, cubed
• •200 g (7 oz) pork belly, cubed
• •25 g (0.9 oz) salt (non-iodized), essential for curing
• •5 g (0.18 oz) pink curing salt #2, contains nitrites; not optional—prevents botulism
• •10 g (0.35 oz) black pepper, coarsely ground
• •5 g (0.18 oz) garlic, minced, about 2 cloves
• •5 g (0.18 oz) red pepper flakes, optional, for heat
• •20 ml (0.7 fl oz) dry red wine
• •1.5 m (5 ft) hog casings, natural, for stuffing

Steps

1. 1 Chill the pork shoulder and belly until very cold (just above freezing). Grind through a medium plate (about 8 mm) into a bowl set over ice.
2. 2 In a small bowl, mix the salt, pink curing salt, black pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add this spice mixture to the ground meat along with the red wine. Mix thoroughly with your hands until the mixture becomes sticky and well combined (about 5 minutes).
3. 3 Stuff the mixture into the hog casings, being careful not to overfill. Tie off the ends to form a single long sausage. Prick any air pockets with a sterilized needle.
4. 4 Press the sausage: place it on a flat tray, cover with another tray and add weight (e.g., a few heavy books) to flatten to about 3-4 cm thick. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
5. 5 After pressing, remove the weight and hang the sausage in a cool, humid place (10-15°C / 50-59°F, 70-80% humidity) for 3-4 weeks, until it loses about 30% of its weight and is firm to the touch. If you lack a curing chamber, dry it on a rack in the refrigerator—this takes longer and yields a different texture. Turn the sausage daily for even drying.
6. 6 Once dried, slice thinly and serve (traditionally with cheese, bread, and olives). The meat is not cooked; proper curing with nitrite salt and low–temperature drying ensures safety. Discard the sausage if any mold appears that is not white.