Soft, succulent and very sweet: cotechino is the tradition of the New Year. Choose the best and combine it with mashed potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, lentils and vegetables such as string beans and spinach
The cotechino It is a sausage of Emilia origin, composed of a mixture of pork, rind and lard, as well as salt and spices. Unlike common salami, it must be cooked before being consumed. In 1999 the Cotechino Modena received the Igp recognition and it is produced, among others, in the provinces of Modena, Ferrara Ravenna, Rimini and Forlì. But how do you choose and how it matches a cotechino? Let's see it together.
How to choose it
If it is a craft product, pay attention to the percentage of fat compared to the leaner meat: better a cotechino slimmer compared to one with a lot of fat. The latter must then be a fine texture, well ground. The color must tend to pinkish and not to dark red and the scent remains delicate and sweetish.
The best cooking
The best way to preserve the organoleptic characteristics of the cotechino is to cook it steam powered. Naturally this technique requires more dilated times than immersion: for a piece of 500 g it is necessary to consider 3 hours instead of 2. For cooking a large pot is used, with a small amount of water, inside which a grid is placed where place the salami. Cook on a gentle flame for 3 hours, and in any case until the tines of a fork gently sink into the meat.
And if you do not have that craft …
As with many products, cured meats crafts are to be preferred over industrial ones. Also in this case one made with traditional methods, with super-selected meats, is preferable to a precooked, without doubt easier to cook and faster. But precooked cotechini are not all the same. there are also quality. Always choose a product made by a serious and known company. Leave the superscontati alone. If you want a chef's advice, there is nothing left to do but follow the directions of Davide Oldani.
Cotechino and ….
The most suitable combination, above all in times of veglioni it is with lentils, especially those of Castelluccio di Norcia. Excellent also served with a mashed potato, or Jerusalem artichokes, or even chickpeas. If you like spinach, boil them, toss them in a little oil with a clove of garlic and then serve them with the cotechino. Otherwise another vegetable that goes well with this salami are the beans. Also in this case passed in a pan with garlic and a little butter.
20 recipes with cotechino
In the tutorial, discover some tips to cook the cotechino
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