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Coppa - Dry Cured (Equilibrium)

Using quality pork from a well-fed, older animal. The upper-neck of the pig (loin closest to the head, above the shoulder). It's often about 3 to 4 rib-bones from the front, for a decent size cut. Also, it's known as the Scotch fillet or Ribeye (in a similar area). Italian's often belive this is an ideal muscle group, because it has approximately 30% fat and 70% meat.

Total Weight of the Meat grams

Ingredients

  • 1000 g Upper Pork Loin Muscle
  • 22.5 g Salt (2.25% of meat weight)
  • 8 g Black pepper (0.8% of meat weight)
  • 3 g garlic powder (0.3% of meat weight)
  • 3 g cumin (0.3% of meat weight)
  • 3 g cloves (0.3% of meat weight)
  • 1 g cinammon (0.1% of meat weight)
  • 2.5 g Pink Curing Salt No. 2 (Prague Powder #2, Instacure #2, many other names - To be used for over 30 days meat curing projects (0.25% of meat weight) Optional See Notes

Instructions

Curing Steps

  1. Weigh the meat accurately, record weight
  2. Calculate or Use the Recipe Above to Auto-calculate the Salt and Spices
  3. Use a Mortar and Pestle or Spice Grinder to mix the salt and spices. Mix salt, spices, and optional curing agents thoroughly, ensuring even distribution in the cure.
  4. In a large bowl or tray rub and cover the meat with the salt and spices (it will seem like not much, but this is enough of the cure)
  5. Apply the Cure: Coat the meat with the curing mixture, ensuring all surfaces are covered, including crevices in the meat.
  6. Place the meat and all the salt cure mixture into a sealable bag- options include vacuum bags, zip lock bags etc.

  7. Remove From Bag

Hanging and Drying Steps

  1. Optionally, apply additional spices or aromatics before hanging - ie. chili, peppercorns
  2. Hang in a Suitable Environment: Place the meat in a cool, well-ventilated Area, Cellar, Garage, DIY Curing Chamber, Regular Fridge (Small Amounts), Dry Curing Chamber
  3. Monitor Progress: Regularly check the meat’s weight and appearance to gauge the curing process’s progression. Vinegar dabbed onto mold can remove it, if excessive growth occurs.
  4. Achieve weight loss of a minimum 30%, ideally 35-40%. However, large fat amounts have less water in regards to Weight loss.

Recipe Notes

Please note that the craft of making dry-cured meats is beyond a recipe. This is not a cooked product. It takes a reasonable amount of knowledge to safely create salumi, charcuterie, and salami.

My advice is that if you have doubts about smell or visual cues, it’s not worth eating. 

This is my interpretation of a classic salumi whole muscle dry cured meat project.

  • Hang the meat in a suitable environment, ensuring proper airflow and humidity levels for optimal drying.
  • For small amounts under 300 grams, you can dry the meat on a non-reactive rack in a regular fridge. However, the outcomes will be far from ideal.
  • If fuzzy or powdery white mold develops, you must use your senses to assess it. Here is an article about mold in detail.
  • Pink Curing salt is an optional ingredient – please carefully read this other article I’ve written about this.
  • If you want to build a DIY dry chamber, I’ve written extensively on the topic here.
  • Always complete the drying before consumption.
  • Uneven drying is always an issue with making dry cured meats after weight loss is complete. Removing the mold with vinegar, leaving it to dry in a regular fridge, and then vacuum packing for 4-8 weeks can equalize the meat moisture evenly.