Coppa© Denzil Green
Coppa is a medium pinkish-red coloured cold cut that looks somewhat like a prosciutto, and that you serve raw, as you would prosciutto.
It is made in both Lombardy and in Emilia-Romagna, and in Corsica as well.
There are at least two types of Coppa. One made using the neck of a pig; the other from the loin of a pig. Coppa di Parma is made from the neck.
The meat is not chopped up; it is used whole, boned. It is marinated in red wine and garlic, then packed in natural casings, then cured in salt, then hung to age and air-dry for 2 to 4 months.
You serve it in paper-thin slices.
Some kinds of Coppa can be somewhat dry with the casing sticking to the slices. If this happens you can soak it in white wine for 3 to 4 hours before slicing it.
If you are buying it whole and unsliced, it is best to start cutting it from the end where the string (that it hung from) was.
Storage Hints
When uncut, store in a cool, dry place outside of refrigerator. Once cut, store in refrigerator and use within 30 days.