Fresh pork coppa or seasoned coppa?

What is pork neck?

Many are used to seeing pork coppa as a simple sausage, good perhaps very good, tasty at the right point, perfect and sublime. But, the cut of meat can also be used as a perfect compromise for a sui generis bbq which in the space of zero one becomes the cumpa's favourite.

Pork steaks have a unique, intense and very tasty flavour, in other words, they are capable of enticing adults and children alike without too many doubts. In any case, neck steaks cooked on the grill offer the best of themselves, if you then choose to combine a particular technique such as dry aging and the possibility of best activating the Maillard reaction, the simple dish becomes turns into a real gastronomic experience. After all, BBQ pork is the most appetizing and delicious thing there can be.

The fresh cup. Essential details

There are two preparations for this particular cut made from pork: if it is then seasoned and boned first it becomes a cured meat which in some areas of Italy acquires the DOP and IGP brands, if instead you opt for the fresh coppa (which is part of the cut of pork Boston butt) or neck steaks, the flavor becomes less intense and more juicy, while maintaining a unique taste intact.

The additional idea is to use the fresh pork neck to create a tasty pulled pork or as meat for skewers which, cooked on the grill and combined with sweet and sour vegetables, become something exceptional. Once again, you need to pay attention to the marinade which becomes an essential and fundamental phase for keeping the meat moist without losing the juices. From north to south the coppa becomes capocollo, a practical master butcher's name that derives from the section area of ​​the meat.

Which comes first: fresh or seasoned coppa?

Sometimes it is necessary to make leaps of imagination to discover little gems to reel off at the first available opportunity, if it is a tasty grill, perhaps in the midst of nature the moment of the pearl is perfect while preparing the casugrill. It seems that in ancient times human beings were vegetarians in their own way, or rather they only consumed pork which was present in abundance and reached the table in various and possible forms.

This origin also responds to the popular saying that "nothing about pork is thrown away". Once upon a time, therefore, freshly cooked pork was brought to the table, preservation methods had not yet been discovered and recipes with pork ranged from capocollo to ribs: everything cooked on the spot and in a seasonal manner. Over time, preservation methods have appeared, first in salt, then with ice chests and up to the present day where the meat is matured and preserved properly following the type of preparation: sausage or steak.

Region you go, cup you find

The culinary journey in the Bel Paese tells of subtle and substantial differences. Parma is the queen city in the preparation of coppa intended as a sausage and holder of the PGI mark. Lazio tells another aspect of neck steaks which locally are called loin slices, thin and perfect for a tasty and quick to prepare steak. In Tuscia for example - located between Lazio and Tuscany - fennel becomes the perfect ingredient for a noteworthy accompaniment.

Moving between the regions you will find more or less popular variations that favor cutting meat to create the sausage version and adding various spices. The preference varies from person to person and responds to personal tastes and local traditions, in short, a bit like Bergamo salami compared to soppressata.

Pork cup our way

Carne Genuina chooses to offer fresh coppa steaks to offer a different and very succulent point of view to the classic grill. If on the one hand there are the ribs - the protagonist without any ifs and buts, on the other hand we need to add something special, which fits well, doesn't clash and wants to offer an extra touch.

The choice becomes essential and must respond to other parameters such as the desire to use meat that is attentive to the sustainability factor and choose quality cuts. Different solutions, multiple proposals and extravagant ideas to be implemented, sorry, on the grid. How do you start? Easy! You need to start with a careful selection of the cuts of meat to be cooked and before that marinated or - for the more expert - using the dry brining technique.