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Jodie Kain
 
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Default Carne salata vergellata

In article >,
Bob (this one) > wrote:
>Opinicus wrote:
>> "Christophe Bachmann" > wrote
>>>>I have an old Italian recipe which calls for "carne

>> salata
>>>>vergellata." I am fairly certain that the "carne salata"

>> is "salted
>>>>meat," but probably not bacon. Can someone tell me about

-- snip --
>>>quoted in

>> http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Stud...dizionario.htm
>>>Vergellata : vergata di grasso e di magro
>>>So salted meat streaked of fat and lean

>>

-- snip --
>>
>> "Vergata di grasso e di magro/salted meat streaked of fat
>> and lean" sounds like a version of what we call "streaky
>> bacon" in English.
>>

>"Vergata" comes closest to "layered" as in geology, or "laid" as in
>papermaking. So, yes, bacon-looking meats with cross-sections showing
> fat and lean strata.
>
>Streaky bacon in Brittania and just plain bacon in the US. Canadian
>bacon is a different, equally lovely creature.


Perhaps the southern US product known as "streak-of-lean" which is like
salt-pork but meatier & not as salty ?? I wouldn't say it sounds like
bacon though, which is smoked & salt or sugar cured pork belly. Pancetta,
I believe, is cured but not smoked, pork belly as well. I don't think
pancetta is a fit either. Perhaps the layering pertains to the curing
method - layering pork belly (keeping with the streaks of fat theme) in a
barrel with salt. Like or as salt-pork, but with a regional name or
method. Or maybe its a product like the beloved Pittsburgh specialty
"chipped, chopped ham"; ie, the saltiest ham you can find, sliced thinner
than paper so it falls to pieces & ends up in a mound that can't be picked
apart unless you have long fingernails & a ton of patience. Sort of like
paper making - pulp + water + adhesive (fat), layer, drain, dry (roughly).