Mariano Makes Sausage and Cured Pork Loin

We visited Mariano Floro this week to learn how he makes his wonderful fresh and dried sausages and cured pork loin. He graciously shared his vast knowledge and lots of amazing food and wine.

Hanging in his basement, in a room that was kept quite cool, was sausage that he had just made a few days ago.

Some he will cook and eat soon and some he will freeze to cook later. He covers these fresh sausages with water before freezing.

Others will hang for several months to cure and eat without cooking. When adequately dried and to keep them from drying out further, he preserves them by vacuum sealing and storing in the refrigerator.  He referred to both the fresh and cured sausage as salsiccia.

Two months ago he cured pork loins which he referred to as capicolla. They were now cured and ready to eat.

We headed up to the kitchen to sample each kind.

He cut some cured sausage that he had made several months earlier

and the capicolla

and served his delicious homemade wine for a unexpected afternoon feast.

Mille grazie, Mariano!

See our video post of Mariano teaching how to make cured pork loin.