Coppa di Testa Molisana — Headcheese of Molise

Molise — the coppa di testa is prepared during the winter pig slaughter throughout the region. The citrus and spice addition is specifically Molisano and reflects the Arab-Norman seasoning tradition of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Coppa di testa (literally: head cheese) is the Molisano preparation of the pig's head: the head is slowly simmered until the meat falls completely from the bone, the cooked meat and skin are chopped and seasoned with salt, black pepper, lemon zest, orange peel, chilli, and the Molisano spice mix (sometimes with cinnamon and cloves in the older tradition), then pressed into a cylindrical mould, covered with the strained gelatinous cooking liquid, and refrigerated until set. The result is a sliceable terrine of meat, skin, and tongue set in a clear, pepper-and-citrus-scented gelatine — eaten cold as an antipasto with vinegar-pickled vegetables.

Coppa di testa at cold temperature is firm, gelatinous, and intensely savoury — the pork fat in the gelatine carries the pepper and citrus aromatics; the meat pieces are varied in texture (tender cheek meat, firmer tongue, yielding skin). With red wine vinegar and pickled vegetables, it is the antipasto of the winter table.