Artisan Salami
The comment we get most often is, “this is different than other salami – it’s WAY better.” We agree, or we wouldn’t have started making a traditional artisan-style product in a country that’s already got plenty of the other kind. Here’s what we do differently.
First, we carefully select all natural and organic raw materials including the best cuts of naturally-raised heritage meat. Second, we follow a hands-on, one-batch-at-a-time process of artisan curing and slow cooking for which this is no substitute.
Creminelli Handcrafted Italian Salami makes an ideal appetizer, snack or special ingredient on pizza or in a salad. We call them “tasting salami” because no matter how you use them, with cheese and crackers, to accompany fresh fruit, on a pizza, or on their own, they are meant to be singled-out and savored for their unique flavors and pleasant texture.
Creminelli offers six varieties all year as well as some additional varieties available seasonally. Each salami has its own regional origin and its own flavors. Three of them have won national food awards in the U.S. and many of them hadn’t been available in the U.S. until Cristiano Creminelli set up shop. You can see which one appeals most to you.
All Creminelli Handcrafted Italian Salami is free of gluten, milk and other allergens.
Salame al Tartufo is considered a treat for special occasions even in Italy. The Tartufo starts as a Felino salami to which Cristiano adds black summer truffles, their delicate earthy aroma working magic with the all-natural pork and simple Felino spice blend. Creminelli’s Tartufo has been a finalist for two national specialty food awards both for Outstanding Meat Product and Outstanding New Product.
Black Summer Truffles (Tuber aestivum) spring up between June and October in northern Italy. They are found by specially-trained dogs who sniff out their hiding spots where they are then gathered by hand. The local mushroom enthusiasts each have a secret spot or two where they hope to find some of their own truffles from year to year. Creminelli has hidden a few of them away in our Salami Tartufo and you are sure to find them there each time you go looking.
Tartufo is stuffed into a straight natural casing, hand-tied and then slowly cured.
Weight fully dry: 7 ounces
Ingredients: pork, salt, natural flavors, sugars, organic spices, black truffle (tuber aestivum), organic garlic, starter cultures in beef casing
Check here for to learn more about storing, peeling and slicing artisan tasting salami.
Salame al Barolo has a sparkle in its flavor that comes from the generous amount of Barolo red wine that’s added to the traditional Felino salami mix. There are many famous Italian red wines, but none of them are as respected as Barolo from Piedmont. The richness of the Barolo lingers in this already robustly flavored artisan salami creating a truly complex, bursting flavor that is difficult to replicate and impossible to forget. The Barolo salami won the Good Food Award in its inaugural year.
Salame al Barolo is primarily available in Piedmont, where Barolo wine is made and where the Creminelli family comes from. This specialty, available only regionally in Italy, is only now available in the U.S. thanks to Cristiano Creminelli.
Barolo is stuffed into a straight natural casing, hand-tied and then slowly cured.
Weight fully dry: 7 ounces
Ingredients: pork, salt, natural flavors, Barolo wine, sugars, organic spices, starter cultures, organic garlc in beef casing
Check here for to learn more about storing, peeling and slicing artisan tasting salami.
Salame Casalingo is the most delicately flavored of the salame family which is where it gets its other name, sale e pepe, or salt and pepper salami. Because Cristiano’s particular skill lies in coaxing flavor from pork through the curing process, the Casalingo, which does not rely on any heavy spices for flavor, is his specialty.
Casalingo means a salami made at home in Italian and started from the Italian tradition of each household making salami to store their pork for year-round availability. Some households made it better than others. To this day, the Creminelli family Casalingo recipe is one of the most admired in their region of Piedmont.
Casalingo is stuffed into a curved natural casing, hand-tied and then slowly cured.
Weight fully dry: 5.5 ounces
Ingredients: pork, salt, natural flavors, sugars, organic spices, starter cultures, organic garlic in beef casing
Check here for to learn more about storing, peeling and slicing artisan tasting salami.
Sopressata is the most well known of the Italian salamis and the most likely to be familiar even to the uninitiated. The Creminelli version is redolent of garlic and red wine giving it a robust and easy-to-enjoy flavor.
Sopressata, also called Sopressa Veneta, got its name from the practice of pressing the salami between planks of wood resulting in a straight, flattened shape. The northern Italian version from Vicenza, in the Veneto region, did away with the pressed shape and has become an international favorite.
Sopressata is stuffed into a straight natural casing, hand-tied and then slowly cured.
Weight fully dry: 7 ounces
Ingredients: pork, salt, natural flavors, sugars, organic spices, organic garlic, starter cultures in beef casing
Check here for to learn more about storing, peeling and slicing artisan tasting salami.
Piccante is a spicy salami with red peppers and several varieties of paprika. It’s hot, but not so much that it overwhelms the great flavor of artisan cured salami.
Salame Piccante translates to “spicy salami”, often called pepperoni. This thin, sometimes curved salami comes from the Calabria region of Italy. For this reason it is often called salame calabrese. Its international popularity has led to it being produced in an enormous variety of shapes and at varying levels of quality. There’s a world of difference between a genuine Salame Piccante and the pepperoni on fast food pizza.
Piccante is stuffed into a curved natural casing, hand-tied and then slowly cured.
Weight fully dry: 5.5 ounces
Ingredients: pork, salt, organic spices, natural flavors, sugars, starter cultures, organic garlic in beef casing
Check here for to learn more about storing, peeling and slicing artisan tasting salami.
Wild Boar salami is a mixture of field harvested Texas wild boar and all natural pork belly, seasoned with cloves and juniper berries for a robust yet sweet flavor. Creminelli’s Wild Boar Salami was selected as a finalist for Outstanding Meat in 2010 and has been featured in national media such as Wine Spectator, the San Francisco Chronicle and Tasting Table.
Wild boar meat is leaner, tangier, and deeper in color making a more exotic product. The flavor profile is stronger and more distinctive and takes on the tones of the boar’s wild diet which includes roots, grasses, nuts, and berries. Creminelli’s wild boar salami pairs well with fresh figs, dates, walnuts, pistachios, rosemary bread, fried polenta, potatoes and spinach boiled and butter-fried, and Pecorino Toscano, Toma & Brá cheeses.
Wild Boar is stuffed into a straight natural casing, hand-tied and then slowly cured.
Weight fully dry: 7 ounces
Ingredients: wild boar, pork, salt, natural flavors, sugars, organic spices, starter cultures, organic garlic in beef casing
Check here for to learn more about storing, peeling and slicing artisan tasting salami.
Artisan Deli Meats
All Natural – Cristiano Creminelli always uses flavor as his guide in selecting ingredients. Humanely raised animals provide the highest quality meat and organically grown spices provide the most vibrant flavors. He would never use anything else.
Nitrates – Creminelli employs a variety of vegetable extracts in place of artificial nitrates to help develop the flavors and colors that are characteristic of cured meats.
Casing – Creminelli honors traditional artisan practices by using natural beef casing for its salamis. Following more recent tradition, the Creminelli Milano and Calabrese salamis are cured in collagen casings which are made of organic material reformed for consistent size and shape.
Tanara Prosciutto is made by taking whole hams, salting them and hanging them to dry for a year or more. The most famous prosciutto is Prosciutto di Parma and the best of the Parma hams is made by Giancarlo Tanara in Langhirano following generations of family tradition.
Tanara Prosciutto is aged for as long as 24 months, cleaned by hand and then hand rolled and tied, a rare and special treat that is unsurpassed in the world of prosciutto.
USES: Prosciutto has a unique salty flavor that works well on sandwiches, paired with fruit and in many more complex meal preparations.
SLICING: A deli slicer is required for best results. Prosciutto is best sliced paper thin so that it melts in your mouth. Before slicing the prosciutto (crudo), remove the skin from the part you will be slicing with a long serrated knife or a sharp butcher’s knife. Be careful to leave as much of the fat as possible as the fat great flavor and need not be wasted. It is important to slice perpendicular to the shank, so take care not to push forward or pull back on the prosciutto as it is sliced.
INGREDIENTS: Pork and salt
A recipe from northeast Italy where wine and garlic are used everywhere, especially in salami. Sopressa refers to a time when the salami was pressed between planks to age and when the local notary was the only one with a large enough residence and enough integrity to be entrusted with this fine salami.
The kidney-bean shape of the Sopressa Salami comes from a special natural beef casing traditionally used for Sopressa and Finocchiona salamis.
USES: Gourmet sandwiches, party trays, pizzas, or paired with aged Italian cheeses
SLICING: A deli slicer is required for best results. The thick casing and cord cannot be eaten and must be removed before slicing. The variable shape and size will challenge your ability to estimate portions.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Salt, Natural Flavors, Sugars, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic, Stater Cultures (in beef casing)
Legend says that the fennel-infused Finocchiona salame recipe was discovered when a Tuscan peasant boy ran into a field of wild fennel to enjoy a stolen salami. More likely, fennel was introduced to the mix to stretch the meat to feed the Tuscan peasant boy’s family. Either way, it’s good.
The kidney-bean shape of the Finocchiona Salami comes from a special natural beef casing traditionally used for Sopressa and Finocchiona salamis. The Creminelli Finocchiona is not as salty as the traditional version but with plenty of fennel that pairs well with strong cheeses, like a Pecorino Toscano, and hearty wines. It is also ideal on sandwiches or on it’s own.
USES: Gourmet sandwiches, party trays, pizzas, or paired with mild Italian cheeses
SLICING: Requires deli slicer for best results. The thick casing and cord cannot be eaten and must be removed before slicing. The variable shape and size will challenge your ability to estimate portions.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Salt, Natural Flavors, Organic Spices, Sugars, Organic Garlic, Stater Cultures (in beef casing)
Felino is the most ancient salami recipe on record. It is the sister to Prosciutto di Parma because anciently and often still today it is made from the prized trimmings of prosciutto before it is salted.
It’s a good salami for starters – meaning a good antipasto salami to start your meal and, due to its mild and accessible flavor, a good salami for those new to artisan meats. Felino will generally be the driest of the Artisan Deli salamis because of its small diameter. It works wonderfully for antipasto plates with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, also originating in Parma.
USES: Gourmet antipasto paired with Parmigiano Reggiano and red wine
SLICING: Felino is traditionally peeled and then cut on a bias of 45 degrees or more the thickness of a pickle slice – the shape of a clarinet reed.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Salt, Natural Flavors, Sugars, Organic Spices, Starter Cultures, Organic garlic (in beef casing)
Varzi is a small Lombardy town of little note except for this wonderful culinary jewel.
Unlike its fellow Lombardy salami, the Milano, the Varzi has a coarse grind and spiced notes of nutmeg and clove. Otherwise, the Varzi has a very delicate and approachable flavor that can work on a sandwich or on an antipasto plate.
USES: Great on sandwiches or for an antipasto.
SLICING: A deli slicer is required for best results. The Varzi should be cut about the thickness of a dime but not thicker unless for cubing. The collagen casing and netting gives it a uniform shape making it easy to peel and slice. The peel is not edible and you should take care to remove it completely before slicing.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Salt, Natural Flavors, Sugars, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic, Starter Cultures (in collagen casing)
The Calabria region is known for spicy foods, including the all-important Calabrese salami, also known as pepperoni.
The Creminelli version is spicy but not overwhelming, with nice garlic and a pleasant fatty unctuousness, making it ideal as a pepperoni for pizza. It has the same coarsely ground whole cuts of meat and cured meat flavor from Creminelli’s signature slow curing that makes it equally as pleasant on a sandwich or on its own.
USES: Pepperoni for gourmet pizza and great flavor addition to sandwiches
SLICING: Requires a deli slicer for best results. The Calabrese should be cut about the thickness of a dime or slightly thicker, particularly if meant to be used as pepperoni for pizza. The collagen casing and netting gives it a uniform shape making it easy to peel and slice. The peel is not edible and you should take care to remove it completely before slicing.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Salt, Organic Spices, Natural Flavors, Sugars, Organic Garlic, Stater Cultures (in collagen casing)
The everyday salami of Italians, Milano delivers a mild, tart, peppery flavor that makes it a very pleasant everyday habit. The finely chopped texture gives it similarity to the American-invented Genoa salami.
The larger diameter – wide enough to cover your bread – and lower cost makes it ideal as a sandwich meat.
USES: Perfect for sandwiches and to substitute Genoa or dry Italian salami
SLICING: Requires a deli slicer for best results. The Milano should be cut about the thickness of a dime but not thicker unless for cubing. The collagen casing and netting gives it a uniform shape making it easy to peel and slice. The peel is not edible and you should take care to remove it completely before slicing.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Salt, Natural Flavors, Organic Spices, Sugars, Organic Garlic, Starter Cultures (in collagen casing)
The name refers to the prized whole cut of pork that is used, a perfectly marbled, perfectly clean shoulder cut that is dry-rubbed, massaged, marinated and then air-dried to magical affect. The most famous version of dried coppa comes from Piacenza, Italy near Parma.
The indications of a good coppa include likeness in texture of the fat and lean and sweetness without unpleasant levels of salt or acidity. Like prosciutto, coppa should not have distinctive flavors beyond the sweet aged meat flavor. Coppa can replace prosciutto in most applications, particularly the Creminelli version with Cristiano’s signature sweet cure.
USES: Perfect antipasto with aged cheese and great substitute for prosciutto
SLICING: Requires a slicer for best results. The coppa is best sliced paper thin.The thick beef casing and cord must be removed before slicing. It is easy to slice the casing unaware, leaving a tough edge on the otherwise tender Coppa slice.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Salt, Natural Flavors, Sugars, Organic Spices (in beef casing)
Pronounced Mochetta, it is a small version of Bresaola and one of very few beef products in the Italian deli. Mocetta and Bresaola originated in small regions in the mountainous far north of Italy but are now used widely.
Mocetta comes from the Valle d’Aosta Region of Italy bordering France. The beef eye of round is dry-rubbed, massaged, marinated and air-dried. It has no casing. Mocetta is a perfect substitute for bresaola or beef carpaccio and is prepared in the same way. In Valle d’Aosta it is also served on bread with garlic butter and honey or with Raclette.
USES: Use like Bresaola or beef carpaccio for an appetizer which can include olive oil, Parmigiano shavings, arugula and lemon juice
SLICING: A deli slicer is required for best results. Mocetta is only ever sliced paper thin like prosciutto. It should be translucent when sliced. There is no casing, so no preparation is needed before putting it on the slicer.
INGREDIENTS: Beef, Salt, Organic Spices, Natural Flavors, Organic Garlic
Creminelli’s Capicola is a cooked version of the dried Coppa, and is also called Coppa Cotta. The name is also the southern Italian word for the perfectly marbled, perfectly clean shoulder cut used to make this product. It is dry-rubbed and massaged with salt and clove it is slow roasted to make a robustly flavored shoulder ham.
The flavor profile is typical of the Piedmont region with distinct clove, juniper and rosemary flavors. The consistency is very similar to ham, but is smaller and drier. It works very well on sandwiches and as an aromatic substitute for ham or pastrami.
USES: Great on sandwiches and on party trays and can substitute corned beef or pastrami. Can be used as a breakfast meat with eggs or sliced thick and grilled until warm for dinner.
SLICING: Slicing requires no particular preparation. The standard slicing thickness is the thickness of a quarter, but may be sliced thinner. Cover completely with plastic wrap once opened. It can also be sliced thick and warmed on the grill for dinner.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Salt, Natural Flavors, Sugars, Organic Spices
Prosciutto cotto literally means cooked ham in Italian. It is the most commonly used deli product in Italy. A prosciutto cotto differs from an American ham in several ways. First, the skin is left on the top of the product (like prosciutto di Parma) to keep in moisture and flavors. Second, the prosciutto is cooked very slowly creating a unique flaky texture. Third, the spices used are more aromatic and there is no smoking or sweetening creating a more delicate flavor.
It is also very low in sodium. The uses of the prosciutto cotto are as many as the uses of ham with sandwiches and pizzas being most common.
USES: Gourmet, low-sodium substitute for American style ham
SLICING: A deli slicer is required for best results. Before slicing the prosciutto cotto, cut off the skin of the part you will be slicing with a long serrated knife or a sharp butcher’s knife. Be careful to leave as much of the fat as possible as it adds great flavor and need not be wasted.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Water, Salt, Natural Flavors, Sugar
Originating from Bologna, Mortadella is the forefather of American baloney. Mortadella is made by blending lean and fat pork and spices until it is emulsified. Some larger producers add pistachios, but this is not typical of artisan style production.
The Creminelli version, following artisan tradition, is hand-tied in a natural casing and not fully emulsified, making it lighter and softer. This also gives it a characteristic mottled or spotty look. It is most often used in sandwiches or as part of an antipasto plate.
USES: Most often used on sandwiches and party trays, also works cubed up in pasta salads
SLICING: A deli slicer is required for best results. It is necessary to peel the casing before slicing, but removing a single layer is sufficient. We recommend a paper thin slice possibly laid down in bunches and not flat.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Water, Powdered milk, Salt, Natural flavors, Sugars, Organic spices, Organic garlic
Mortadella contains milk.
Prosciutto Crudo literally means “raw ham” in Italian. Prosciutto Creminelli is the Creminelli version of a centuries-old tradition, made by salting and hanging whole hams to dry for a minimum of 10 months. Prosciutto Creminelli combines the juxtaposed tastes of salty and sweet to create a melt-in-your mouth delicacy that can be applied in a variety of dishes.
USES: Prosciutto goes well on sandwiches and with fruit on antipasto plates. There are a variety of ways to use Prosciutto Creminelli, including cubed in pastas and salads.
SLICING: Using a long, serrated knife or butcher’s knife, remove the skin from the portion intended to be sliced. The skin should not be removed from the meat until sliced as it adds great flavor and aids in storage. Prosciutto is sliced thin, a little more than 1 mm. A clean slicer is essential as flavors from prior slicing can transfer to the delicate Prosciutto.
INGREDIENTS: Pork, Sea Salt
