I’ve made lots of friends through sopressata…I really have. My father has been offered money,a friend wants to feature it in a future restaurant he is opening and one of my Irish buddies has somehow gotten “in”and now chips in financially and helps make them in order to get a share…in turn,he has friends that work on his motorcycle in exchange for a sopressata! It’s comedy but it’s also delicious and one of southern Italy’s culinary delights. (Click here for more details on the process)
My father is a sopressata connoisseur of sorts. In his own way,he studies the art of making it. He tries different techniques,tinkers with the process,adds new ingredients/levels of ingredients and over the years it seems to have worked out well as we have managed to take home First Place at the “World Sopressata Championship”for the last 5 years running! (I’m kidding.. there’s no such thing.)
My brother and I have our own opinions on how and how much of course,so they have also been getting more and more “piccante”(spicy hot!) over the years. This year we have a very controversial NEW process that the professore introduced:dry packing them instead of sotto olio (submerged/preserved in oil) Go figure?! So far so good…they are ready to eat and the verdict is in:FIRST PRIZE once again!!
I just gave the last of mine to my little grandson. He loves it! I thought it would be too hot for him,but no. “More Grandma?”
He’s only 2. Hey Joes Dad! Great job! Number 1 in our book too!
xox
Wow Joe –home made soppressata! My parents used to make that when I was little but I never took up the mantle. Can I come over to your place for some?
Maryann…that’s great. It’s funny how little kids love it and can take the heat! My nephew has been eating it since he was 2 as well.
Anytime Linda!
I love sopressata the hotter the better!
Wow! That looks wonderful! I would definitely make a trade for some of that!
I love it! The spicier the better.. now my tummy.. another story.
Dad’s looks scrumptious! I just got in from the gardens and now even more hungry than ever!
It took me a while,but now I can take any heat. My wife introduced me to *very* hot soppressata,but even more than her,one friend of ours did,from Soverato.
All I can say is you have a wonderful group of excellent cooks in your family Joe!
The hotter the better!
Nice…a family into soppreseta and hopefully you’re not moving in on anyone’s turf!
I have a friend who’s family also makes some…I must sit in on the process. The torch has been passed on to you and your bro…keep the flame alive.
Way to go Joe! That makes me hungry,I would love to try this one day! Nice and hot,Thanks
Hi there!!! I really love sopressata! It’s one of the best things in the whole world!
i totally heart (as we call it) super-sot. can’t live w/o it. in fact,in the summer it becomes a staple in our fridge. not sure why it’s such a summer thing for us? i would LOVE to try making my own one day.
Chicago has a Sopressata Contest October 18 2009 Studio31 51474 s. Archer Ave Chicago Il 60638 This is the 3rd annual Contest.Just bring in you homemade presciled supersod to entrer.$10 entrie fee includes dinner.Homemade Italian gift baskets and a Homemade Supersod press will be raffled off.Trophy prizes.Lets keep the tradition alive. Come out and share some recipes. Any questions call me the Supersod King Frank Balestri (773) 370-1621. Thanj You
Hi! Would it be sacrilege to ask for the recipe?? I would love to try to make some!
I have frequented your site before. The more I read,the more I keep coming back! ;~)
Yum!!!!
I really love giving and receiving gift baskets whenever there are special occasions. I order them directly from our local supplier’”‘
Frank Balestri’s 4th annual Soppressatta contest is Sept26 010.Dinner starts at 3pm Contest starts at 4 pm.Just bring in one presciled sopressatta to enter and 10 entry fee.Location/Park Place of Countryside Banquet Hal 6240 Joliet rd.Countryside Il 60525 ( 708) 588-1756./Chicago Area/Trophy Prizes.Lets keep the tradition alive!!! Frank Balestri (773) 370-1621.
Hi Joe I make my own supressata and presciutto. I am like your dad I experiment every years as well and they are better every year. The presciutto I got the recipe from a magazine from New York called presciutti di Parma
Joe
Just came across your web site and enjoyed what I read. I have saved it in my favorites. I have also grown up under the influence of a Calabrese family the wonderful heritage and food. My grandparents settled in Old Forge PA (near Scranton). I loved spending the summers there with them and following my grandfather through his vegetable garden,chicken coop and garage where the sausages were cured. Most memorable was sitting at the kitchen table and Noono (what we called grandpa) slicing a thin piece of sopressata a wedge of tomato and a chunk of cheese for both of us. Noono sipping red wine from a small juice glass and me with a glass of water.
The sopressata was made in the spring before we arrive for our visit and besides I was too young to take in the process even if I had been there. Since then I continually search and sample sopressata and of course my standard is comparing it to what my noono made.
I now live in southern Virginia and for the last six years we have had the “Feast of the PIG” or as we call it “Sausage Fest” at least once a year. Smithfield packing is about five miles from here,they do the slaughtering we just buy the pork from them. This super bowl Sunday a couple of my Italian and one or two Italian-like friends will get together once again we make anywhere from 30 – 120 lbs of sausage,depending on how many show. This Sunday we will start early get a pot of sauce going,make some meat balls and then start cutting,grinding,seasoning and stuffing the casings using the family recipe passed down from my grandfather.. A couple of hours before we eat some of the sausage will get fried and go in the sauce with the meatballs.
Any way (back to the reason for this e-mail) I have found some very acceptable tasting sopressata on my travels. There is a company in Scranton that has a good tasting sopressata,and in the fall of 2010,on a trip to Italy I found one (from Calabria) that has the closest taste and texture to my grandfathers. There is also a provisional company in NY that produces one with all or most of the flavor but it is softer sausage like capicola rather than the denser slightly flatten sopressata that I like and remember. My wife is from Lexington,MA and we lived in Malden and Medford for ten years and I never came across any sopressata that I would go back and buy again. Did I overlook a treasure in that area? Because I get back there regularly and I sure would like to know.
I would like to make some sopressata on my own but have always been hesitant with the curing process. Would you or someone in your family be able to explain that process including the flattening or pressing and even your recipe because the picture of the sopressata on your web site looks very tasty.
Thanks for any help
John Greco
Dear Joe,you can email me and I can help you.
frank,when do you press your sopressata
Joe
A good friend of mine makes the best I have ever tasted. I have bought sopressata from deli’s not even close.I make sausage and its good but don’t know the curing process . I need room temps and aging times etc.I will not ask because they will probably kill me after they tell me. If someone will help me I would appreciate it.
Hello All.
I’m from NJ but born and raised in Philadelphia. What a good blog this is!
I just took down some more of my sopressatta yesterday and put it in oil.
I was surfing the web last nite looking for a sausage stuffer and came across Frank Balestri. If I’m not mistaken,you’re the cop from Chicago,right? The Sodfather…Gotta love it!
I was just in Chicago a couple of weeks ago for a conference. Great town!
I think we’re doing a roadtrip this summer when the Phils are at Wrigley.
Anyway,this is the 4th year we’ve made it. Some of the guys I make wine with have been making it for years and for some reason it took me awhile before I took an interest in it but we’re hooked now.
I make it with my family. We do 3 recipes;hot,finocchio(fennel) and Olivo (mom’s maiden name) which is a family recipe. We do about 75lbs.
Last years batch came out great because we had such a cold winter.
If you know of any other good websites,please share them here. Always looking for ways to improve.
Frank,
I seen you raffled off a press??? It sounds like you guys really get into pressing. What does the press look like?
I hang for 3 days,press for 3,hang a week,press a week,then hang til the end. I use boards and bricks. Curious to hear/see what you do?
I love the idea of the contest. Sounds like a great time. We have a homemade wine competition in Philly called Vendemmia. It’s gotten huge over the years (over 4000 people) so I didn’t go last year because it lost the neighborhood feel.
Dear Joe,If you have any questions you can reach me at 773 370-1621.Thank You
Hello,everyone in Sopresatta Land if you need help making it,go to youtube and watch my instructional video titled Sodfather.
I’m from Jersey originally and now live in Florida. You just can’t find “supersod”down here. It’s just one of the things I had to give up,along with great pizza,calzones and “galamod”.
5th ANNUAL SOPPRESSATTA SEPT 25 CHICAGO IL PARKPLACE OF COUNTRYSIDE BANQUET COUNTRYSIDE IL 300PM FOOD 430PM CONTEST BEGINS. TROPHY PRIZES $20 ENTRY INCLUDES DINNER GIFT BASKETS AND A HOMEMADE SOPPRESSATTA PRESS WILL BE RAFFLED OFF.LETS KEEP THE TRADITION ALIVE.FRANK BALESTRI 773 370-1621
Hey Frank LOVE the video of you and your Family making Soppresseta!!But some of it is very hard to hear (BTW GREAT Music selection).I am trying to learn how to make it.My Grandfather and Father passed before I could ever get a recipe or instruction on how to make it.I have asked a few other people that make it for advice and they remain tight lipped….how unfortunate! Please help me Start/Continue this great tradition with my Family and Children.If you are willing my Email is usmc2025@msn.com or Martin@policeone.com thank you Frank have Great one!!!
It was a little disappointing to enter the Sopressata contest for the first time today…Not because we did not win but because,we brought a plate full of it and it was NEVER opened so I don’t know how it was JUDGED. The plastic wrap that my mother put on so tightly was not even touched. It is ashame because it is DELICIOUS!!!! Sorry your “judges”missed out!!
Our family has been making it for 37 years here in U.S. both parents are from Italy,our meat grinders were brought back from CALABRIA,Italy we are known for our soppresata! Grazie per tutto!
Dear Josephine,If you are refering to my contest.All entries were tasted.In fact we made sure all the plates were resealed so that none of the people would go thru them until after the contest.So give me your name that you used to enter and i will tell you where you scored.Thank Frank Balestri
Frank,I would love to make some of your sopressata. Could I get the reciepe. I watched your video. But not sure I have it down. Would love it if you could help me get started,including what kind of casings do you use
Also. Frank when is the best time to make the super sod. In the fall,winter or spring,
Hi;
We want to make sopresatta this year,but need a recipe.
Thanks
to make supressata they say salt ratio 28 grams per kilogram wondering if is truu thank you