cured meat

Ciauscolo

What is the ciauscolo?

The ciauscolo ( ciavuscolo or ciaiuscolo ) is an Italian sausage, typical of the Marche and Umbria regions, which enjoys the recognition of Protected Geographical Indication (IGP, since 2006 in Italy and since 2009 in Europe).

Large quantities are produced (600 tons / year) near the Monti Sibillini mountain range, more generally in the provinces of: Terni, Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, Ancona and Macerata.

Food

Description of the ciauscolo

The ciauscolo is a sausage that does not have the characteristics of a sliced ​​meat. While resembling a very common salami, when cut it is tender, creamy and spreadable (like nduja).

It is cylindrical in shape (vaguely resembling a salami), with a length of about thirty centimeters and a weight not exceeding one kilogram.

When cut it has a color between pale red and pink; to the touch, the grinding is very fine. The consistency decreases as the number of passages in the mill is increased, the holes in the plate are reduced but above all the percentage of fat is increased.

The ingredients of the ciauscolo are:

  • Pork meat
    • the fat portion is represented mainly by the pancetta and to a lesser extent by the lard
    • the lean portion consists mainly of the shoulder, possibly from the loin and marginally from other clippings; more rarely the thigh, which is usually used for the production of raw ham
  • White wine
  • Garlic
  • Black pepper.

Note : there are some types of flavored ciauscolo, such as fennel seed, orange and liver (called fegatino or mezzofegato ).

The ciauscolo is stuffed into natural gut, generally consisting of the pig or bovine colon. The seasoning is at least two or three weeks, for a maximum time that must maintain its typical soft consistency (two or three months).

The ciauscolo from the Marche region is notoriously finer, the fat percentage is higher and should therefore be more tender, although in these areas it tends to mature more than in Umbria.

In Ascoli a fairly compact ciauscolo is produced, while in Macerata it is more fat and spreadable.

Purposes

Use of ciauscolo in the kitchen

The ciauscolo is ideal to accompany bread baked in a wood-fired oven, typical of these areas, for example the insipid row of soft wheat.

Many like it on buttered croutons, to get a very tasty appetizer even if it is quite challenging to digest.

A very famous recipe is pasta (spaghetti) seasoned with pan-fried ciauscolo.

Among dairy products, the association with ricotta and tender pecorino, a mixture of sheep and cow, is known.

The vegetables that best lend themselves to accompanying the ciauscolo are the cruciferous vegetables, then the cabbage, the broccoli, the Romanesco, the cap, the Brussels sprouts, the turnip greens etc.

Food and wine association

The ciauscolo combines brilliantly with local red and white wines such as Rosso Piceno, Verdicchio di Matelica and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.

Nutritional properties

Nutritional characteristics of the ciauscolo

Ciauscolo is a food that falls into the category of preserved meat (in turn, part of the fundamental group of foods).

Contains little water, a fair amount of proteins with high biological value, but above all a considerable dose of lipids. The ciauscolo is therefore a very caloric food, unsuitable for frequent consumption and / or in substantial portions, especially in the case of overweight.

Furthermore, it contains a substantial fraction of saturated fatty acids and a significant amount of cholesterol, which is why it should be avoided by people suffering from hypercholesterolemia.

Like all sausages, the ciauscolo is also rich in sodium (contained in cooking salt), which is why it should be eliminated from the nutritional regime of sensitive sodium hypertensive subjects.

Overall it could be said that this food does not lend itself to clinical nutrition against metabolic pathologies and for weight control.

For hygienic reasons, pregnant women should avoid the consumption of raw ciauscolo.

It does not lend itself to vegetarian and vegan philosophy, and to kosher, Muslim and Hindu religious food regimes.

The ciauscolo does not contain lactose or gluten.

Vitamins and minerals are present in quantities similar to those of fresh meat; the ciauscolo therefore provides discrete amounts of thiamine B1, niacin PP, B12, iron and potassium.

Respecting an occasional frequency, the average advisable portion of ciauscolo is about 20-30g.

History

Historical notes of the ciauscolo

Despite the first traces written on the ciauscolo dating back to the late seventeenth century, almost certainly the sausage was born in Roman times. It is suggested by the etymology of the name itself; ciauscolo descends from "cibusculum", which in Latin means "small food".

The same type of food (fresh sausage, such as the luganega) is typical of the Lombard period (VI-VII century).

Other hypotheses on the origin of the name are: from "ciambotto" (toad), then "ciambò" (infamous person or fool) and finally ciauscolo; or the union of the Latin terms "clauso" (close), "ius" (gravy) and "colum" (large intestine).