Carne Salada is the triumph of the pork’s charcuterie of Trentino, emblem of a territory and its gastronomy, a typical product of Alto Garda, De.co. - Denomination of Municipal Origin since 2015.
The meat comes from a very lean adult beef, preserved in brine and freshly spiced. It reminds the bresaola of Valtellina even if it is not comparable with cured meat and, unlike the Lombard sister, has a much softer consistency.
It is the brine, in fact, that gives the very lean meat a softness that the salting would not allow.
The history of carne salada takes us back to the late Middle Ages and to the need of man to preserve and make edible at different times of the year everything that nature made available: smoking, salting, drying, jams and preserves had this primary purpose.
The production of carne salada began in the lower Sarca up to the lake of Tenno, where in the 18th century two local families began the production and marketing of preserved meat on a large scale. Immediately after the Second World War, only the finest parts of beef and not the whole animal were treated.
Anna Maria Pellegrino
Chef and Food Blogger
CORN PENNE WITH CARNE SALADA RAGU’, VEGETABLES AND STRACCIATELLA
The typical Italian ragù involves, from north to south, very long cooking (almost never-ending). Our proposal is actually very fast and, thanks to the very short cooking, you will get a preparation rich in colour and flavour, to taste hot, warm but also cold.
Ingredients: 280 g of short corn pasta; 150 g of carne salada of Smaranina; 150 g of chopped vegetables (celery carrot and onion); 80 g of chopped tomatoes; 1 tablespoon of stracciatella Maremmana per diner; 1 organic lemon, zests and juice; Vegetable broth; fresh thyme; olive oil; salt; freshly ground black pepper.
Cube the carne salada and let it marinate in a bowl with a drizzle of oil and lemon juice. Chop finely the celery, carrots and onions to get a colorful brunoise.
Bring to boil some salted water, carve a small cross on the tomatoes and throw them in the boiling water, blanch them for a minute from when the water restarts boiling, drain and cool in water and ice. Peel them, remove the seeds and cube the pulp: you have obtained a concassè. Set aside.
In the meantime, sauté the carne salada in a saucepan with some oil and set aside. In the same saucepan, stew the vegetables. Boil the pasta, drain, transfer it in a saucepan with vegetables, tomato, meat and thyme and mix everything for a minute. Serve with stracciatella, ground black pepper and lemon zests.
