TRADITIONAL BOCCIA DI COTECHINO

The Boccia di Cotechino is a fresh sausage to be cooked that is produced using only selected meats from porks born and raised in Italy. Carefully selected spices and aromas are added to give to the Boccia di Cotechino a unique and extremely delicate flavor.

What differentiates the Boccia di Cotechino from the classic cotechino is the casing, which is made up of the animal’s bladder and which gives it its particular large and irregular shape. Due to its larger size, in fact, it requires a longer cooking time than the classic cotechino (about 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the product), a process that allows the Boccia di Cotechino to release its unique and irresistible flavor, for those who love classic cooked meats.

The cooking stages of the Boccia di Cotechino are very simple:

• It must be removed from the vacuum packaging or wrapping, immersed directly in cold water as it is bring the water to a boil.
• Once the water boils, lower the heat to low and let it cook for at least 2/3 hours, checking the consistency of the Boccia to understand when cooking will be completed.
• Before starting with the actual cooking it is advisable to make two or three holes with a toothpick to ensure that the excess fat of the product is released during cooking and that the casing does not burst with the heat.

Before serving it, you can have a taste of its goodness thanks to the delicious scent it will emanate in the kitchen. Its fragrance and delicacy makes the Boccia di Cotechino perfect for winter dinners accompanied by lentils, spinach or mashed potatoes. And don’t forget the mustard! A must as an accompaniment to the Boccia di Cotechino.

Processing

The peculiarity of Boccia di Cotechino lies in the binding that is still made by hand with twine. In this way the typical “bowl” shape is obtained, from which it takes its name. After being tied manually, the Boccia di Cotechino is left to dry for about 12 hours in temperature and humidity controlled drying rooms, just like the classic cotechino.

Background

Boccia di Cotechino is a typical dish of our country, even if in many regions it is not as well known as the classic cotechino. In fact, it remains mainly a tradition of the regions of Northern Italy. Some of the cities where Boccia di Cotechino is very traditional are Cremona and Mantua, where this product is made in a very similar way. In fact, it also maintains an almost identical name: respectively, Boccia Cremonese and Boccia Mantovana. Also in Emilia and in Veneto regions this fresh sausage to be cooked is typical of the tradition and, while maintaining a process similar to the Cremonese and Mantuan Boccia, it changes its name taking that of Bondiola. Surely, there is one aspect that unites all Bocce di Cotechino in these regions and cities: its unique taste that makes it one of the most popular products during winter meals, especially on holidays!