Preparation

• The Pezzente Sausage is a typical sausage from Basilicata. The adjective ‘pezzente’ is related to its humble origins, as it was made using the less noble parts of the pig, the fattier and less prized ones (such as belly, cheeks, shoulder, fat from previous processes, offal). The fat percentage is much higher than that of other sausages.

  It is obtained by finely cutting the meat (once with a knife tip), then adding spices like sweet pepper powder (often the Senise type is used, for more information click here), garlic (optional), wild fennel, and salt.

  At this point, the ingredients are mixed, stuffed into natural pork casings forming sausages about 8-10 inches long weighing 9-10.5 oz, left to dry for a few days, and then aged for at least thirty days in dry places. The sausage was once preserved in lard and consumed exclusively cooked. It was usually prepared in the months between November and March.

  The Pezzente of the Matera Mountain, is territorially located in an area near the province of Potenza in the Small Lucanian Dolomites, which has become a Slow Food presidium.

  In this area, the Black Pigs of Lucania were raised, an autochthonous breed from which this excellent sausage is derived. Later, the introduction of other more productive breeds (including Yorkshire) almost led to the disappearance of this Lucanian breed, but fortunately, a project has ensured the maintenance of the species.

  It is used in cooking in various ways: it is used cooked in the Potenza-style Ragù (together with beef muscle and tomato puree), called “ndruppc” (stumble) because of the surprise ingredients found inside it. This ragù is used to dress strascinati, orecchiette, maccheroni al ferretto on which a grating of fresh horseradish is added.

  Other recipes with Pezzente sausage are in the works, you will soon find them on the blog!