Name

Pork Underbelly

Seal of quality

Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale (PAT) / Typical food-farming product. Request for PDO status under preliminary examination at the MIPAF.

Description

The product comes in a cylindrical form, if rindless, or “book-like”, if with rind and folded, weighing from 2.5 to 5 kg, resistant to touch, the lean a deep reddish-pink and the fat a milk white, good slice thickness, delicate fragrance, appetising and tasty.

Solely fresh and not frozen meats can be used, coming from pigs aged 9 months at the least and weighing no less than 144 kg, born, bred, fatted in the areas of the province of Cuneo, slaughtered and butchered by each single producer or at a butcher’s situated in the province of Cuneo. The “Consati” has established special production disciplinary regulations by which farmers raising pigs intended for the production of Pancetta Cuneo must abide.

For its preparation, only the anatomical part, made up of covering fat of the pig middle, which goes from the back sternum to the inguinal parts, is utilised. It is squared and trimmed. Dry salting follows, which is carried out by hand with a mix of salt (from 3 to 5 kg per 100 kg of product), pepper, spices and aromatic herbs. Salted pancetta is placed in special containers and kept in refrigerators at 3 – 5° and 70-80% of relative humidity for approx. 7 – 10 days, after which the spices and excess salt are removed. The next procedure, for rindless Pancetta Cuneo, is rolling and putting into cellulose guts: whereas for Pancetta Cuneo with rind, book-like folding takes place, after which it is tied up and/or sewed. The drying phase follows (a period not exceeding 7 days at 17-20 °C and relative humidity 60-75%), and then ageing, which takes from 30 to 60 days according to the weight of the product.

Area of production

The area includes the regions of the province of Cuneo.

History

Pancetta Cuneo originates from a farming and cold meat producing tradition linked with the breeding of pigs and its uses. This tradition has been well rooted for centuries also in the Cuneo region and has been favoured by the environment of pig-farming productions, which has brought Cuneo to being one of the leaders for the number of pigs raised. Hand in hand, pig farming and typical cold pork product production have characterised the cold meat sector of the areas of Cuneo , which has grown along with production development.

The “Consorzio Salumeria Tipica (CON.SA.TI.)” has been founded with the purpose of protecting and giving further value to the production of cold pork products of the Cuneo region with office at the Chamber of Commerce of Cuneo, Via E. Filiberto 3, 12100 Cuneo.