Salama da sugo ferrarese

History

For over five centuries, Salama da sugo (a pork sausage) has been the hallmark of the salumerie (salumi stores) in the city of Ferrara. It has a strong, yet elegant flavor, which sets it apart from all other Italian salumi. The cuisine of Ferrara, once ruled by the House of Este, is quite different than the rest of the regional cuisines of Emilia Romagna and the Salama da sugo is a dish that recalls the feasts of the Renaissance courts.

It is made with coppa di collo (pork neck), pancetta (pork belly), lardo di gola (neck fat), fegato (liver), and lingua (tongue). The meat is ground and seasoned with salt, pepper and red wine, as well as cloves and cinnamon. The mixture is stuffed into a pork casing, tightly bound and left to age for six to nine months. The sausage is characterized its strongly spiced, intense flavor. It is hung in a pot of boiling water to cook, however the sausage should not tough the bottom of the pot. It is served on a bed of mashed potatoes of pureed pumpkin. During the summer, it is often paired with figs and melons. It is also eaten with Coppia ferrarese DOP, the braided bread of Ferrara.