FRESH COTECHINO TO COOK

The fresh Cotechino to be cooked is a typical cold cut of the northern Italy. It takes its name from the pork rind. In fact, this product is made from the italian pork meat and rind. From an aesthetic point of view, the Cotechino is very similar to a sausage, while from the point of view of the mixture it is much more similar to the typical Italian zampone.

Cotechino, together with Zampone, is one of the protagonists of the richest winter dinners. Its spicy and intense scent, and its savoury and tasty flavour, will bring you back to traditional aromas. Traditionally, this product is eaten with lentils on the last day of the year as a wish for good luck and prosperity.

Given its particular and intense flavour, fresh Cotechino should be accompanied by strong side dishes such as lentils or mashed potatoes. On the wine matching side, we recommend a full-bodied red wine with a savoury and dry taste. A Lambrusco Mantovano DOC is perfect to enhance its flavour.

Processing

The ground mixture of cotechino is mainly made up of: fat meat, lean meat and rind. The proportions of these elements are not the same everywhere, they often change according to the secret recipe of each producer. Thanks to the recipe handed down in the company for three generations, Salumi Pasini fresh Cotechino to be cooked is tasty but also very digestible, unlike other similar products on the market, thanks to the choice of raw materials used and their balance. Afterwards, flavours, salt, pepper and spices are added to the minced meat. After this preparation, the Cotechino is stuffed into natural casings. The product is then tied by hand and left to dry for about a whole day, so as to eliminate excess water. Once dried, it is vacuum-packed to best preserve its organoleptic properties.

How to cook it

To cook fresh Cotechino there are a few simple but extremely precise rules to follow:

• Take a large saucepan that allows the sausage to be placed inside while it is completely submerged in water.
• Remove the product from the vacuum bag.
• Make holes in the casing so that it does not break during cooking and the excess fat can escape.
• If you want a tastier result, you can wrap the cotechino in aluminium foil.
• Bring the water to the boil, turn down the heat to low and leave to cook for at least 2 hours.
• Once cooked, leave it to rest in its water for at least 20 minutes. 
• Leave to cool and serve warm or hot to taste.

Historical notes

Cotechino is a typical sausage of Northern Italy, in particular of Emilia-Romagna. In fact, it is believed to originate in the Modena area. In addition to Modena, the tradition of Cotechino is extremely deep-rooted in Ferrara, Mantova, Cremona, Parma and Reggio Emilia. Cotechino is an older product than zampone even if its recipe has undergone many transformations over the years.