Capocollo di Calabria (cured pork neck)

History and origin

Pork curing in Calabria has very old roots, most likely going back to the Greek colonisation of the Ionian coast. The first certain record dates from 1691: in «Della Calabria illustrata» Father Giovanni Fiore da Cropani lists among salted meats those made into lard, sausages, soppressate and the like.

During the French decade, in the early nineteenth century, the Statistica Murattiana of 1811 notes the preference of the people of both Calabrias for salted pork seasoned with salt and pepper, and observes that pork was the only meat salted in every district.

This culture is still deeply rooted in the region. Capocollo di Calabria is a protected designation of origin entered in the European register since 1998, and is looked after by a consortium based in Cosenza.

Sources: Qualigeo — Capocollo di Calabria DOP · eAmbrosia — Capocollo di Calabria (PDO-IT-1570)

Area and method of production

The production area is the whole of Calabria. The pigs, of large traditional breeds such as the Calabrese, Large White and Italian Landrace, must be born in Calabria, Basilicata, Sicily, Apulia or Campania, enter Calabrian farms by four months of age and be slaughtered and processed in Calabria.

The cut is the upper part of the loin, in pieces of 3.5 to 5.5 kilos with a fat layer of about 3-4 millimetres, which keeps the meat soft during ageing. Salting, dry or in brine, lasts four to ten days; then come washing with water, massaging with wine vinegar and pressing with black peppercorns.

The capocollo is then wrapped in pork casing, tied by hand with natural string and pricked; the traditional wooden slats are allowed. After draining it ages in rooms at 14-16 degrees for at least one hundred days from salting.

Sources: Qualigeo — Capocollo di Calabria DOP

How to recognise it

Capocollo di Calabria is cylindrical. Outside it is pink or a more or less deep red, depending on whether it was seasoned with black pepper or chilli. When cut, the slice is a bright pink, with the fat streaks typical of the loin.

The flavour is delicate and becomes more refined with ageing, while the aroma is distinctive and of the right intensity. The thin layer of fat around the cut adds to its softness and to its qualities on the palate.

It is sold whole, in pieces or sliced, vacuum-packed or in a modified atmosphere, always labelled Capocollo di Calabria DOP. Traditionally it is kept hanging from the ceiling in cool, dry rooms, where it can last up to twelve months; once cut it goes in the fridge.

Sources: Qualigeo — Capocollo di Calabria DOP

In the kitchen

Capocollo is eaten in thin slices or in small cubes, as a starter or a snack. In Calabria its traditional companion is local sourdough bread baked in a wood-fired oven, a simple, everyday pairing.

Its taste is enhanced by well-structured red wines. The spicy note of black pepper or chilli, which colours the outside, and the delicacy of the loin refined by ageing make it a cured meat to enjoy without much else.

Whole, capocollo keeps for a long time hanging in a cool, dry place, as tradition has it; once cut it goes in the fridge and should be eaten within a shorter time.

Sources: Qualigeo — Capocollo di Calabria DOP

Protection

• Protected designation of origin (PDO) — PDO-IT-1570 (eAmbrosia — Capocollo di Calabria (PDO-IT-1570))

When

• The sources consulted give no months.

Where

Calabria

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