Fresh & Cured Meats

Traditionally, sheep, pigs and goats, as well as rabbit and poultry (of all types), have been the principal sources of meat in the Italian diet. Cattle thrive in some areas of the peninsula, particularly in and around the Po Valley. However, they are more often used for their milk, to make superb cheeses, or as draught animals.

Salumi (a word covering a wide range of salt-cured, air-dried and smoked preparations) is the most common way meat is included in an Italian meal. Most salumi is made from pork in two generic types. The first covers minced meats known as insaccati (encased in protective coverings or sausages), such as salame, cotechino, soppressata, luganiga, zampone and mortadella. The second covers whole cuts, such as prosciutto (ham), spalla (shoulder), capocollo (neck), pancetta (belly, sometimes smoked as bacon), culatello (an aged filet of rump) and speck (smoked flank). Sources of salumi range beyond pork to beef (for bresaola), goose, goat, boar, chamois, turkey and more.

Veal has always been more popular than beef in much of Italy, not only because of its more delicate flavour and greater tenderness, but also because it was often more readily available. To obtain veal of the finest quality, calves are slaughtered while still suckling. Since World War II, beef has played an increasingly important role in the Italian diet. Beef is often imported, largely from other European countries, although Italy boasts some of the finest meat cattle in the world, particularly the Chianina breed, which originated and still flourishes in the central part of Italy and especially Tuscany.

Italy has 18 DOP meat products and 7 IGP.

A range of quality Italian meats available also traditional fresh sliced & joints meats See in store for details

The True Flavours of the Italian Tradition.
One of the very few producers to have their own pigs fed with the by-product of milk this gives the meat a sweeter taste than any other product found on the UK market. Just try and the difference in taste will be very apparent.

Genuine Parma Ham DOP cured for 14 to 16 months	Prosciutto Crudo Dried Ham Cured for 10 months to give the fuller taste like Parma Ham
SPECK (Smoked cured ham shoulder) This Austrian speciality was introduced into central Italy fairly recently. Speck is a smoked, salt-cured, air dried ham. It is extremely delicious on its own, but is widely used in sauces, raguis and stews. It is often added to vegetables to produce a distinctive flavour. It is similar to Parma Ham but much cheaper, and many people eat it as an alternative as part of their ‘antipasto’.
MORTADELLA AND MORTADELLA (Sausage cooked) Probably the best-known Italian sausage, Mortadella is 60% pork meat and 40% pork fat. The pork is finely minced and the fat takes the form of long square cut strips of lardo. The mixture is seasoned with spices and in our case contains pistachio nuts. The mixture is then pressed into a synthetic gut, and poached or steamed in a special oven. The cooked sausage must be sliced thinly to appreciate its flavour and goes well as part of an ‘antipasto’ or served with good Italian bread such as Focaccia.
Mortadella is made from pork belly and its shape changes according to type. Pancetta Piacentina and Pancetta di Calabria have been given the PDO Community mark. Its colour is rosy white, but more reddish in leaner Pancettas. Its smell is delicate and varies depending on the spices used. Pepper and cloves can be used, whereas Pancetta coming from central Italy are very often flavored with garlic and fennel seeds.
Flat pancetta, marinated in black pepper to give extra flavour. Streaky bacon will never taste the same again!
Made from boned pork legs that are salted and then cooked. The shape of cooked ham is normally roundish, and the inside is light pink with a thin fat edge that contributes to its flavour. The flavour is delicate, though typical, like the aroma characterizing it. 'Roasted' and 'Herb' versions are also available.
Authentic Salami Napoli made in Naples for that true taste with a horse shoe shape. Also available in the traditional stick, classic taste or spicy version.
Bresaola (Air dried beef) Punta D’anca	Salami Milan
Salame Napoli	CAPOCOLLO (Preserved neck of pork)