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What is Pepperoni?

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

One of the most popular toppings on American-style pizza is a spicy Italian dry sausage called pepperoni. It is sold in solid sticks at many ethnic meat shops and delicatessens, or pre-sliced in vacuum packs at most grocery stores. Pepperoni destined for pizza topping may be approximately 1 inch (2.54 cm) in diameter, while that destined for use in Italian submarine sandwiches is often twice that size. Some pizza shops use a larger size slice to reduce the chances of it burning while in an extremely hot pizza oven.

Italian immigrants brought with them a tradition for curing meats and packing them into natural casings for drying and preservation. These dried and fermented sausages could be stored at room temperature for months, which would prove very useful during extended winters with little to no access to fresh meat. The dry sausage known as pepperoni was not a native Italian recipe, although there are several native salamis and sausages that use similar ingredients.

A pepperoni pizza.
A pepperoni pizza.

The name is an Italian-American variant on the original Italian word for spicy peppers, peperoni. The primary meat used in pepperoni is pork, followed closely by beef. These two meats are ground together and allowed to dry under refrigeration for a day before processing. Additional spices are added to the meat, including black pepper, sugar, anise seed, salt, cayenne pepper and paprika. Many people may assume the red color and peppery bite of pepperoni comes from the cayenne pepper, but it's actually the paprika that is primarily responsible for the color and heat of most sausages.

Paprika is primarily responsible for the color and heat of most pepperoni.
Paprika is primarily responsible for the color and heat of most pepperoni.

Once the spices and meat have been combined, the mixture is fed into a casing machine. A length of natural hog intestine casing or an edible collagen casing is placed on an extruder and the mixture is forced into the casing. At certain intervals, the filled casing is twisted and tied off with twine. The finished chain is then hung up to dry for at least 6 to 8 weeks until the pepperoni is fully cured. The individual links are then separated and sold to customers or sliced on a commercial slicing machine and packed for use in restaurants.

A man delivers pizza, including several with pepperoni.
A man delivers pizza, including several with pepperoni.

Pepperoni slices can be used to create a quick snack known as pepperoni crisps. They can also be added to sandwiches as a spicy cold cut, especially in combination with other Italian cured meats such as Genoa ham, salami and capicola. Pepperoni also meshes well with mozzarella and provolone cheeses, which is one reason it is such a popular topping on pizza. A combination of this sausage with Italian pork sausage and sliced mushrooms is considered a classic among avid pizza fans.

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular DelightedCooking contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular DelightedCooking contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon291459

The hog intestine casing makes me now think twice about eating pepperoni.

highlighter

@ Chicada- I have had pepperoni made with wine and it is delicious. This type of pepperoni is usually found as imported pepperoni or artisan pepperoni made in small batches. I think this type of pepperoni is much better on sandwiches or with cheese, than it is cooked on a pizza. It is much more flavorful, and you can often taste the flavor of the wine used.

chicada

Pepperoni also uses wine or ascorbic acid as a main ingredient. This is not only for taste, but to prevent bacterial growth during the curing process. To treat for parasites, the cured sausage is frozen in a flash freezer for a few additional weeks. This will kill any remaining parasites, including the trichinosis round worm which is found in pork. Pork cannot be eaten raw; it must be cured, frozen or heated above a certain temperature to be considered food safe.

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    • A pepperoni pizza.
      By: Kayros Studio
      A pepperoni pizza.
    • Paprika is primarily responsible for the color and heat of most pepperoni.
      By: Ekaterina Lin
      Paprika is primarily responsible for the color and heat of most pepperoni.
    • A man delivers pizza, including several with pepperoni.
      By: Stephen Coburn
      A man delivers pizza, including several with pepperoni.
    • Mozzarella with tomatoes and basil leaves.
      By: Studio Gi
      Mozzarella with tomatoes and basil leaves.
    • Black pepper adds zest to pepperoni.
      By: kellyschulz
      Black pepper adds zest to pepperoni.