Soppressa Trevigiana
Product Description: Soppressa is a large sausage with variable dimensions due to the variability of the guts in which they are stuffed. The shape is curved, the diameter ranges from 10 to 20 cm, the weight swings from 1 to 7 Kg. Seasoning externally gives firstly the "white" color, then dark gray-brown from the mold that covers it. At the cut, the meat appears from red to pinkish, with the irregular white marbling given by the fat component that contains the protein part.
Area and production: Province of Treviso. It is produced with 70% lean meat, to which the fat part of the bacon is added along with salt, pepper, cumin, cloves and cinnamon. Some artisans and family producers add some Prosecco wine to the mixture or a Cabaret-like wine (1 litre per quintal of meat), to obtain a tastier paste. The meat is grinded to medium grain (6-8 mm) and the dough is sacked in a cow gut, taking the characteristic arch shape. The Sopressa are then punctured with a tool called "sponciarol", to release the air and liquids from the gut, to let it dry and mature. Seasoning must take place at a constant temperature, with a moisture level that must never exceed to avoid melding mold. Seasoning can last from five months to almost two years. The artisanal conservation is made in fresh, possibly dirt cellars. The low temperature allows the maturation of the sausages because the fat finds the conditions suitable for settling.
Brief History: The Soppressa, as well as musetto, salami and other sausages were packed in the Trevigian farm families by the local experts. After the slaughter of the pig, meat was prepared for various products. It was an occasion for intense community work but also for great celebration and abundance. Various documents testify that in 1800 these products were hung for 8-10 days in the kitchens in the presence of a burning brazier, in order to dry the fresh product. After this short period, they were placed in a basement or a fresh unpaved cupboard for conservation.
How to taste it: The Soppressa is a great sausage to eat raw sliced or grilled.
Other sausages typical of the Trevigian Area are Ossocollo, Cotechino or Musetto, Sausage or Luganega, Porchetta Trevigiana. In the Province of Vicenza we find Soppressa Vicentina DOP.