How to cook pork neck ?

What is pork neck?

The pork neck is a cut of pork with a dual use. If deboned and left to mature, it becomes a perfect sliced ​​meat for a cold cuts and cheese platter called coppa. If, however, it is used fresh - at the end of the normal maturation, it becomes an excellent and tasty second course of meat rich in flavour.

There are many preparations, ranging from grilled pork neck to oven-baked pork and - and here's the gem - grilled pork. In terms of Italian recipes, pork coppa lends itself to many ideas that start with the creation of tasty meatballs up to taking the place of any roast with the addition of character and taste.

Italy offers various solutions that start with the different breeds of pork raised in the area, to excel you can aim for Tuscany in particular with the Cinta senese DOP meat or the gray pig to obtain a fresh coppa or a unique seasoned one thanks to the excellent quality raw material.

Which part of the pig is the neck?

Pork neck is a cut of meat obtained from the neck and shoulder of the animal. In Italy it enjoys various successes ranging from the region of origin - we boast at least two DOP qualities - and the type of preparation chosen.

In the north it is simply called coppa and mainly refers to the sausage, in central and southern Italy however, it is called fresh coppa or capocollo and is suitable for different uses. However, there are subtle differences regarding the coppa, the capocollo and the loin.

What is the difference between coppa and capocollo?

The differences between coppa, capocollo and lonza are subtle and evident at the same time. All types are full of particularities that make the piece unique even though it comes from the same cut of meat.

The pork loin is obtained from the loin muscle, i.e. that part of the back that begins at the fourth rib and ends at the tail. Capocollo is essentially made from neck, which is why it stands out for the softness of the meat following long, slow cooking. Coppa is mostly made up of muscles from large animals, its preparation is similar to that of other cured meats that require long maturation.

Why is it called a cup?

The whole pork coppa recipes choose to respond to traditional methods as well as its derivation. The name "coppa" in fact derives from the preparation method, more precisely, pork coppa was once produced in the Castelli Romani and the procedure requires strong compression of the meat, the rudimentary machinery that was used created a sort of coppa during the processing since the compressed meat was placed in a semi-cylindrical cone.

If the traditional name has remained, every region, or almost every region, has a personal name to give to the cut of meat depending on the recipe it chooses to bring to the table.

Methods for cooking pork neck

Today there are many known methods, from pan-fried pork coppa to roasted pork coppa, from slices of pork coppa to the more summery grilled pork coppa. However, being an easy cut, simple pork coppa recipes allow even those who experience preparation as a difficult moment to get closer to cooking.

Pork cup and BBQ

The perfect choice, the grill that leads towards summer and accompanies challenging lunches with a medium-high alcohol content.

Tasty and tasty, the pork neck lends itself to unique grilling, similar to very few other parts of the pig. Perfect for daring a particular marinade, the pork neck cooked on the BBQ must be taken care of down to the smallest details. Rich in tasty fat, rich and spectacular, pork coppa lends itself to thin portioning and cooking to keep its softness intact.

The true peculiarity of the cut is identified with the Maillard reaction which in this cut of meat is at its best.

Pan-fried pork chop

A bizarre idea to propose pan-fried pork neck is to add soy sauce at the end of cooking so as to offer a unique and very particular flavour.

The preparation is very simple, after having properly portioned the cut of meat you need to wait for it to reach room temperature, in the meantime heat a non-stick pan to which add a few sprigs of rosemary.

Cook the coppa and add a spoonful of soy sauce, leave to thicken and... Enjoy your meal!

Roasted pork chop

The great Sunday classic for lunch with gathered relatives. The coppa roast is perfect for a tasty and perfectly fragrant second course.

The simple preparation offers risky combinations such as particular fruit-based sauces, or you can prefer more well-known certainties such as boiled meat accompaniments. Whatever the choice, it is important to remember that the cut as a whole is suitable for those who follow a low-calorie diet, a perfect compromise for a dish that is rich and poor at the same time.

Fresh and genuine pork chop

Tuscany is the undisputed queen when it comes to the swine cup, although Lazio and other regions also choose to reach the podium with several points in their favor. However, the cradle of the Renaissance invented a fantastic dish where the main ingredient together with the liver is pork coppa which here is called scamerita.

A sort of sandwich that instead of bread has two slices of coppa and inside the liver cooked with "secret" aromas. Country you go and custom you find is the motto that accompanies pork coppa around Italy and always finds new stimuli and ideas for bringing usual cuts presented in an unusual way to the table.

The prerogative is to choose meat coming from traditional farms so as to be sure of putting the quality of the raw material first, then it is the preparation that becomes important, but in that case it is the unknown imagination that reigns supreme.