Soppressata Calabrese Pepper Crust

Name: Soppressata Calabrese Pfefferkruste
Total time: 45 d
Ingredients: 800 g Schweinefleisch (Schulter und Keule, handgehackt); 200 g Fetter Rückenspeck (grob gewürfelt); 28 g Nitritpökelsalz; 8 g Kalabrisches Peperoncino-Pulver (scharf); 10 g Schwarzer Pfeffer (grob gestoßen, für Kruste); 3 g Fenchelsamen; 15 ml Rotwein (trocken, kalabrisch)

Pepper CrustPorkFermentingHard45-90 daysNot applicable (Raw sausage)Not smokedNo smoke (Air curing)

Soppressata Calabrese is a PDO-protected pressed raw sausage from Calabria, southern Italy, distinguished by its flat shape and characteristic pepper crust. It is made from coarsely chopped pork, seasoned with chili and fennel, and pressed under boards during aging to maintain its typical shape. The result is an aromatic, spicy sausage with an intense meat flavor.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Pork (shoulder and leg, hand-chopped)800 g

Fatty back fat (coarsely diced)200 g

Curing salt (NPS)28 g

Calabrian Peperoncino powder (hot)8 g

Black pepper (coarsely crushed, for crust)10 g

Fennel seeds3 g

Red wine (dry, Calabrian)15 ml

Instructions

Chopping and Seasoning

1-2 hours + 24 hours cold rest

Roughly chop the well-chilled meat with a sharp knife into pieces about 1–1.5 cm in size. Cut the fat into 0.5–1 cm cubes. Mix everything with curing salt, Peperoncino, fennel seeds, and red wine. Let marinate covered for 24 hours at 4 °C.

Stuffing and Shaping

30-45 minutes

Fill the meat mixture firmly into pork small intestines (40–50 mm caliber). Tie off sausages of approximately 25 cm length. Evenly coat the outer surface with coarsely ground black pepper (pepper crust). Then place the sausages between two clean wooden boards and press with a weight of approximately 2–3 kg.

Pressing and Initial Drying

7-10 days

Store the pressed sausages at 14–18 °C and 70–80% humidity. Reposition the boards and weights daily to achieve an even flat shape. After one week, the sausage should have taken on its characteristic flat, oval shape.

Air Curing

38-80 days

Hang the shaped sausages without further pressing at 12–14 °C and 70–75% humidity. Ensure good air circulation. White noble mold on the pepper crust is a good sign and is accepted. When weight loss reaches 30–35%, the Soppressata is ready.

Pro Tip

The traditional hand-chopping with a knife (instead of grinding) is crucial for the texture of Soppressata. Using real Calabrian Peperoncino powder makes all the difference in flavor.

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