Mortandela

We're celebrating the pig today at WhatsCook.in and, in addition to a more philosophical rant punctuated by culatello breaks, I thought this would be the perfect time to take a look at a little-known Italian salami that showcases the pig. Mortandela (yes, that is spelled correctly) is an ancient sausage from Trentino’s Val di Non. Almost lost to time, there are currently only a handful of producers making this unique sausage patty, and perhaps only two making it close to the way it was historically made.

I say "close" simply because historically Mortandela, like all sausages, was a way of using up the scraps and less desirable pieces. In contrast, today’s Mortandela is a proud slice of Italian heritage and is made with the prime cuts of pork that are its due. Mortandela is in Italy’s Slow Food Presidio, a collection of foods worth noting and preserving.

Home of Mortandela

Mortandela comes from the Val di Non, a rural valley in the north-west of the Italian province of Trentino. This rural valley has developed a well-earned reputation for the quality of their apples, though there are several other culinary treasures to be found in these secluded hamlets: tortel di patate, casolet, and of course, Mortandela.

An artisan of the Val di Non

I was able to visit the butcher shop Dal Massimo Goloso on a recent visit to the region. Located in the small town of Coredo, Dal Massimo Galoso is one of the few artisanal producers of Mortadela left. In addition to the Mortandela, they also produce local sausages, speck, and both fresh and aged salumi from local meats.

Great sausage starts with great meat

While historically Mortandela was prepared from lesser cuts of meat, as a way to preserve and utilize all of a pig’s valuable meat, today at Dal Massimo Goloso the Mortandela are made using only the finest whole hams. The meat is carved from the bone by hand and then cleaned of all gristle, nerve tissue and sinew. This is local pork, farmed traditionally for its rich, sweet flavor.

Carefully handling creates a special product

The pork is then moderately coarsely ground and mixed with a simple blend of spices, which have typically included garlic, salt, and pepper -- though something like nutmeg would not be atypical. Once the meat is blended with the spice, small balls are handformed and then carefully wrapped in caul fat to ensure that each sausage is completely sealed in the fat.

That’s speck ageing above the work station and while it may be in the way, it does add a wonderful perfume to the space!

An unusual step is...

Mortandela is an unusual sausage not only because of its shape and casing, but because it is smoked, which is unusual in Italy. The smoking is rather gentle and helps to not only flavor the sausage but it also dries out the caul fat and outer layer of the sausage. This helps it to form a light skin that keeps the sausage moist through further ageing.

It's a fresh sausage

Mortandela is sold both as a fresh sausage and as an aged sausage. Here are fresh examples ready for sale. The color has taken on a gentle amber hue due to the smoking and these Mortandela exhibit the typical patty shape that makes this sausage distinctive.

...and a dried sausage

Aged Mortandela, typically about two months old, remain soft and supple. The flavor of Mortandela is rather fresh, with sweet pork complemented by subtle garlic and pepper notes, all wrapped in a layer of aromatic smoke. In the Val di Non, Mortandela is often eaten simply sliced with polenta, boiled potatoes, or the local torta di patate. In restaurants, it is not uncommon to find Mortandela as an ingredient in risotto.

Once a little-known secret

Mortandela today is being appreciated for its unique character and special place it holds in the culinary traditions of Trentino. People love their Mortandela, and it is frequently bought as a gift during the holidays, though that’s also a very convenient excuse. I bought Mortandela as a gift as well. It turns out it was just what I wanted!

It's Pig Day

No, seriously, today is National Pig Day in the U.S. And I love pigs. I love them roasted, grilled, braised, seared, and smoked, but most of all I love pigs salted and dried. Prosciutto, salami, jamon, lomo, Mortandela, and my favorite: Culatello! Culatello is sort of like prosciutto, only better. It’s the best muscle groups of a fresh ham, bound in a pig's bladder and then, if you’re lucky, hung in a barn close to the Po river, where it gains incomparable nuances from the generations of mold in that farmhouse and the subtle, slow changes in temperature and humidity that only natural ageing can provide.

To read more, go to It's Pig Day.

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Comments

hernaro

226036 1

Where can I get mortandella? I am in Michigan.

Jan 17, 2011 at 4:57 PM
Sevillano

261843 6

I am in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where can I get mortandella

Jan 17, 2011 at 5:31 PM
Gregory-
Dal Piaz

Hand of Snooth Voice of Snooth

89065 88,458

I don't know. Best plan would be too contact Dal Massimo Golso directly.

http://www.dalmassimogoloso.com/

Maybe they have an export agent or know of someone bringing it in to the US.

Jan 17, 2011 at 7:13 PM
Pietro22

276909 1

Bad news: there is NO such thing as MORTANDELA...
Gregory del Piaz, get it straight... it is Mortadella (Spanglish and Italian DON'T mix ! ) Thank you. :(

By the way ... it is Culatella - ending with an A ... you are embarrrasssing.....

Jan 18, 2011 at 6:44 AM
Gregory-
Dal Piaz

Hand of Snooth Voice of Snooth

89065 88,458

Sorry Pietro but you are wrong on both counts

Please refer to these two pages for additional information.

http://www.agraria.org/prodottitipi...

http://www.agraria.org/prodottitipi...

Jan 18, 2011 at 7:02 AM
cimbarn

735245 3

Greg, the people in Caldonazzo, nearby Levico where I was born, claims that the Mortandela is their typical specialty. Look at this site:

http://www.caldonazzofolk.it/index....

Saluti, Pier

Jan 18, 2011 at 9:43 AM
gaskvg

263557 10

Never heard of mortandella, though Mortadella is a famous Italian sausage.

Jan 18, 2011 at 12:53 PM
cimbarn

735245 3

Pietro, Greg is correct on both Culatello and Mortandela or Mortandele, plural mostly used because the size, people buy and eat more than one.

gaskvg, same thing for you. The Mortandele or Mortandela is a very typical kind of sausage started in Caldonazzo (Valsugana, Trentino)

Jan 18, 2011 at 1:59 PM
Amancio

481392 8

Mr Gregory and Cimbarn
What´s funny is that you mispelled mortadella and insisted that mortandela is correct !!?? In Internet we find mortandela de caldonazzo but mortadella is the thing internationally known. It seems that mortandela only exists in Caldonazzo.
Are we talking about the same thing ??
Regards
AP
PS: but you article is very good. Stick to it ans dont get involved with spelling. It is not your area.
Thanks

Jan 19, 2011 at 7:25 PM
cimbarn

735245 3

Amancio, no mispelling here from our side. Greg wrote an article about Mortandela, not Mortadella. Two different things, and nobody should try to make a pointless point. I thought this is an enrichment based blog. Just enjoy a free education and glad you discovered Mortandela.
Take care.

Jan 19, 2011 at 9:45 PM
kitholling-
shead

351790 2

What a tease! I've searched and can't find it anywhere!

Jan 25, 2011 at 1:29 PM
michael-
piacenza

496196 3

Where can I get it I'm in Fort Lauderdale FL. 386-295-7446 Mike

Feb 08, 2011 at 7:23 AM
gauner

773239 1

Mortandela is a made in Tirol, you should be able to find some similar at a German grocery store. We have equal in Franconia and Thuringia.

Feb 16, 2011 at 6:31 PM