Patrick Oconnell
Pepperoni is an American variety of spicy salami, based on the salamis of southern Italy. It is made from cured pork and beef, seasoned with paprika and chilli peppers. Before cooking, pepperoni is soft, slightly smoky, and bright red. When cooked on pizza, the edges of the pepperoni slices curl up and become crispy, adding a textural contrast to the soft, melted cheese. The original style of pepperoni is known as 'cup and char' and remains popular in parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes areas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Cured pork and beef |
| Seasonings | Paprika and chilli peppers |
| Texture | Soft |
| Colour | Bright red |
| Shape | Cup-shaped when cooked |
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What You'll Learn
Pepperoni is an American variety of spicy salami
Before cooking, pepperoni is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red. Sliced pepperoni is one of the most popular pizza toppings in American pizzerias. Traditionally made pepperoni curls into "cups" in the pizza oven's intense heat; the commercialisation of pepperoni production created slices that would lie flat on the pizza. The curled "cup and char" style of pepperoni remained popular in pockets of the Midwest, particularly around Cleveland, Ohio, and Buffalo, New York, and regained popularity in other areas in the 2010s.
When used as a pizza topping, the rendered oil from pepperoni is infused with the seasonings that were initially made with the pepperoni spice mixture. This mixes with the pizza sauce and cheese, creating a rich and indulgent slice of pie. Excess pizza oil is sometimes frowned upon by health-conscious consumers, but the flavourful oil cuts through the acidity of the tomato sauce to create a culinary balanced bite of food.
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It is made from cured pork and beef
Pepperoni is an American variety of spicy salami made from cured pork and beef. It is seasoned with paprika and chilli peppers. Before cooking, pepperoni is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red.
Pepperoni is a cured dry sausage, similar to the spicy salamis of southern Italy, such as salsiccia or soppressata. The main differences are that pepperoni is less spicy, has a finer grain, is usually softer in texture, and is usually produced with the use of an artificial casing.
Pepperoni is made from a mixture of pork and beef. Turkey meat is also commonly used as a substitute, but the use of poultry in pepperoni must be appropriately labelled in the United States.
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It is seasoned with paprika and chilli peppers
Pepperoni is an American variety of spicy salami made from cured pork and beef. It is seasoned with paprika and chilli peppers, which give it its characteristic soft, slightly smoky and bright red appearance before cooking. It is less spicy than the salamis of southern Italy on which it is based, such as salsiccia or soppressata. Pepperoni is also usually softer in texture and has a finer grain. It is typically produced with the use of an artificial casing. Turkey meat is also commonly used as a substitute for pork or beef, but the use of poultry in pepperoni must be appropriately labelled in the United States.
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It is a cured dry sausage
Pepperoni is a cured dry sausage, made from pork or a mixture of pork and beef. It is seasoned with paprika and chilli peppers, and is similar to the spicy salamis of southern Italy, such as salsiccia or soppressata. The main differences are that pepperoni is less spicy, has a finer grain, is usually softer in texture, and is produced with an artificial casing. Before cooking, pepperoni is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red. When cooked on a pizza, the edges of the pepperoni slices curl up and become crispy, adding a delightful textural contrast to the soft, melted cheese and tender crust. This style of pepperoni is known as "cup and char" and is particularly popular in the Midwest and Great Lakes areas, especially around Cleveland, Ohio, and Buffalo, New York.
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It is based on the spicy salamis of southern Italy
Pepperoni is an American variety of spicy salami, based on the spicy salamis of southern Italy, such as salsiccia or soppressata. It is made from cured pork and beef, seasoned with paprika and chilli peppers. Before cooking, pepperoni is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red.
Pepperoni differs from the Italian salamis it is based on in a few ways. Firstly, it is less spicy. It also has a finer grain, akin to spiceless salami from Milan, and is usually softer in texture. Pepperoni is also usually produced with the use of an artificial casing.
The term 'pepperoni' is borrowed from the Italian word 'peperoni', the plural of 'peperone', which means 'bell pepper'. This is likely due to the use of paprika and chilli peppers in the seasoning.
In the US, turkey meat is also commonly used as a substitute for pork and beef in pepperoni, but the use of poultry must be appropriately labelled.
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Frequently asked questions
Pepperoni is an American variety of spicy salami.
Pepperoni is made from cured pork and beef seasoned with paprika and chilli peppers.
Traditional pepperoni curls into "cups" in the intense heat of a pizza oven, whereas commercial pepperoni lies flat on the pizza.
The original style of pepperoni is called "cup and char" pepperoni.
Pepperoni oil is the rendered oil infused with the seasonings that were initially made with the pepperoni spice mixture.
