Super Bowl! An excuse to make food!

the Mufaletta

Even though I don't watch football and have no real interest in the Super Bowl (half time show excluded), I do enjoy the fact that this, like most other major sporting events, supports the need to make lots of delicious, hearty, and filling foods. I know the menu usually consists of hot wings, nacho dip, chili, etc., but this year I decided to try something different. Low and behold, the Mufaletta. Yes, you heard right - Mufaletta! Essentially, an extremely large sandwich with different meats and cheeses layered into a scooped out bread bowl. How can you go wrong with a sandwich?? Or should I call it...the man-wich...

Ingredients
loaf of rustic french bread
olive tapenade (store-bought, or homemade if you have time)
sliced deli meats (whichever you like - I used mortadella, turkey, and capicola)
sliced cheeses (again, whatever you like - I used havarti and provolone)
sliced red onions
spinach or fresh basil

Slice off the top of the load and pull out the innards. Similar to
carving a pumpkin, only with dough.

Spread a thin layer of tapenade on the bottom of the bread bowl.

Spread your first layer of meat - Mortadella

Spread your first layer of cheese - Havarti

Second layer of meat - Turkey

Second layer of cheese - Provolone

Layer of spinach, red onions and a few basil leaves

And so on and so forth. Continue layering until you've filled the bowl,
then finish with a  final layer of tapenade. I think mine got to 12 or 13 layers...

Put the top of the loaf back on, slice the mufaletta down the middle and voila!
Attempt to eat the man-wich!

Mufaletta's are awesome because you can mix and match different types of meat and cheese. Next time I would add a layer of sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and pickles into the mix.

Happy Mufaletta Monday!

A.C

Vegetarians beware.

If you are a vegan, vegetarian, PETA member, or just generally weak in the stomach when it comes to raw meat and its production, read no further (seriously).  I decided to write a post on "capciola" making, after I spent the afternoon at my nonna's (Italian grandma). For those that don't know (and I truly feel sorry for you if you are missing out on this little piece of heaven), capicola is a Calabrese cold-cut made from pork shoulder or neck, and then dry-cured whole. Capo means head, and collo means "neck of pig", for those wondering about the name origin.  All in all, this is a deliciously salted meat that tastes amazing on crackers, in sandwiches, or just eaten plain straight from the slicer.  In case anyone is interested in ever making their own homemade salumi meats, or just curious to see where it comes from, this should hopefully satisfy your questions.

Step 1:  Buy boneless pork capicola butt from your local butcher shop or grocery store. Take them home, cover the capicola evenly with salts and store in cool place for 24 hours.

Step 2: Season and spice capicola with paprika, crushed chilli peppers, whole black pepper corns (a few)

Season the capicola 

Step 3: Stuff the spiced capciola butt into the casing. We use natural casing, meaning it is fully edible, has no artificial preservatives or additives, and...is made from the intestines of pigs, sheep, cattle, and goat. Kiiind of gross, but if you think about it, it's really the most natural way to go (this is the only casing permitted for organic sausages). It allows the smoking and cooking flavours to permeate the casing and really seep into the meat.  Artificial casing is made from collagen, cellulose, and sometimes plastic (yuck).  That red tube is called a "stuffer", and makes it easier to slide the meat in whole.

 Step 4: Tie up the cased meat with netting, again using the stuffer.

Step 5: Ta-da! All done. Now, let them hang in a dry room for one week, and then transfer to a cooler area (like a cantina) for about 5-6 months. 

I can show you our finished product in a few months, but this is generally what capicola looks like after curing.

Capicola Image

Capicola is a great addition to charcuterie boards, paired with hard Artisan cheeses, grapes, and a freshly cut baguette. Mmm charcuterie boards...more on those later.

Cheers!

A.C