italian essentials: homemade capicola

Name: Italian Essentials: Homemade Capicola
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 - 4 pound(s) pork loin or coppa, more on coppa later; ## THE CURING RUB; 2 tablespoon(s) sea salt; 2 tablespoon(s) coconut sugar; 1 tablespoon(s) crushed red pepper flakes; 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) curing salt #1 (prague powder); ## THE SEASONING RUB; 1 tablespoon(s) fennel seeds; 1 tablespoon(s) coriander seeds; 2 teaspoon(s) black peppercorns; 1 teaspoon(s) anise seeds, or one whole star anise; 1/2 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper flakes

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23 Pinches 21 Photos

Andy Anderson !

Wichita, KS

Updated on May 11, 2022

My Aunt Josephine used to make a lot of her own cured meats and sausages. I would watch as she would prep the meats with spice rubs and then hang them in a temperature/humidity-controlled closet that my uncle had built for her. As much as I wanted to try some of those tasty wares, I knew it would be weeks; even months before they would be ready for consumption. This recipe cuts the time down from months to weeks, yet it still has that great old-world Italian flavor. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

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Ingredients

3 - 4 pounds pork loin or coppa, more on coppa later
THE CURING RUB
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons curing salt #1 (prague powder)
THE SEASONING RUB
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon anise seeds, or one whole star anise
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

How To Make italian essentials: homemade capicola

Step 1

PREP/PREPARE

Step 2

You will need something called “meat netting,” I am using size 24. It is not really necessary, but it helps to keep the pork firm and round during the baking process. You can see an example of meat netting in step 17.
Step 3

What is coppa? Coppa is a collection of muscles that runs through the pork shoulder and has a distinctive barrel shape. Being in the shoulder, it has a lot of fat, and is a muscle that gets used a lot, resulting in more flavor. It is not easy to find, and I find a pork loin works just fine.
Step 4

Since you will be curing this pork for 10 days, you want to make sure you have the freshest pork you can get.
Step 5

Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
Step 6

Place all of the curing rub ingredients into a blender.
Step 7

Blend into a powder.
Step 8

Sprinkle it evenly on the pork
Step 9

Use your hands to completely rub it in.
Step 10

Cover with two layers of cling wrap, and place into the refrigerator for 10 days.
Step 11

At the end of 5 days, turn it over.
Step 12

Add the seasoning rub ingredients to a blender.
Step 13

Grind until blended but there are still some bits left.
Step 14

Coat with the seasoning rub and place into the meat netting.
Step 15

Place into the fridge, uncovered, for 24 hours.
Step 16

Place a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 250f (120c).
Step 17

Place the capicola on a baking sheet or rack, and cook for one hour, then turn over and bake an additional hour.
Step 18

The internal temperature should be around 150f (65c).
Step 19

PLATE/PRESENT
Step 20

Cool, then thinly slice and serve on a charcuterie board, in a sandwich, or on a pizza. Enjoy.
Step 21

Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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