Together with lentils, spumante and Panettone, Cotechino and Zampone are two protagonists that traditionally cannot be missing in the end of the year dinners. According to Coldiretti the two sausages will be present on 72 percent of the tables set to greet the new year and at least six million kilos of it will be consumed. The pork evokes the sacrifice of the pig which, as custom dictates, is slaughtered during the Christmas period, a memory of an ancient rite of ownership of peasant culture, while lentils, the first legume cultivated by man, already 7000 years ago, have a superstitious value. The ancient Romans used to give one leather bag, the scarsella, full of lentils, to be tied to the belt. The wish was that during the year the small round-shaped legumes could be transformed into coins. And even if this hadn't happened, they could always turn out to be useful cooked to satisfy fasting stomachs due to economic difficulties. The name cotechino comes from the cotica, i.e. skin or pork rind. It is prepared with a mixture of pork, generally 60% lean pork, 20% minced rind, 20% minced lard, salt, saltpetre, pepper, nutmeg and aromatic herbs and stuffed into casings both natural and artificial.
The most famous is the Cotechino di Modena which was born from the need to find a way to preserve pork. Legend has it that in 1511 during the siege of the army of Pope Julius II the inhabitants of Mirandola they slaughtered all the pigs keeping the meat in the rind and thus avoided looting by the army. Since the seventeenth century this product has been part of the Italian tradition in a more structured way and is present on the tables during the holidays.
The difference between cotechino and zampone lies in the casing in which the filling is stuffed: in the first case it is the pig's gut, while in the second case it is the front leg of the animal, suitably emptied and cleaned. Those of Modena, both, boast the PGI denomination, Indicazione Geografica Tipica.
In order to choose the cotechino well, it is always a good idea to read the labels which must bear the denomination, the ingredients and the geographical origin. Natural casing is clearly the best because it is edible, even if that of cotechino is not particularly appreciated, but it allows to obtain an excellent product in terms of organoleptic characteristics. The dough adapts better to this type of casing by contrasting the formation of air bubbles, transpiration is better and cooking is also more homogeneous. This type of casing can generally be worked on in small companies where the recipes and knowledge of those who produce the sausages have been handed down for generations.
Cotechino cannot be defined as a low-calorie food, on the contrary, 100g of packaged and pre-cooked cotechino contain: 450kcal, 0 carbohydrates, 17.2g of proteins and 42.3g of lipids. These values change after cooking, in fact the cotechino boiled for 20 minutes and drained from its cooking liquid has 307 kcal, 21.1g of protein and 24.7g of lipids and 875mg of sodium (average adequate daily intake according to LARN is 1500mg). Therefore cotechino is not suitable for those who are overweight and for those with high blood pressure or kidney problems, therefore it should not be consumed daily.
That said, a slice of cotechino to fulfill the tradition that bodes well for the new year can be eaten easily, perhaps being more attentive to the other courses, especially the sweets, which are the real threat to health and balance.
Cotechino turns out to be unhealthy because it contains a lot of fat, especially saturated fat, but is that really the case? The PURE study conducted by the University of Hamilton and published in the Lancet journal examined the eating habits (consumption of carbohydrates and fats) of a sample of 154 people between the ages of 35 and 70 from 18 countries. According to researcher Mahshid Dehghan "limiting fat intake does not improve people's health, which instead could benefit from reducing carbohydrate intake below 60% of total energy and increasing total fat up to 35%”. The study showed that a high consumption of carbohydrates was correlated with a 28% increase in mortality compared to individuals who consumed less sugar, while those with higher consumption of lipids showed a 23% reduction in the risk of total mortality together with a reduction in mortality. for stroke by 18%. The reduction in mortality risk was also broken down by types of fat consumed: -14% for saturated fat, -19% for monounsaturated fat, and -29% for polyunsaturated fat. These data lead us to considerations that have already been made many other times: olive oil and Omega3 from fish and dried fruit are good for health, but a certain amount of saturated fat is also necessary for the body to function properly. In summary, we must not exaggerate but neither completely demonize saturated fats because what matters is the right quantity and quality of the food we consume. Also Professor Carlo Gaudio, Head of Cardiology, La Sapienza University of Rome commented on this study by saying “As repeated on other occasions, we always insist on fats, while we neglect sugars, silent enemies of the arteries".
Let's go back to cotechino, what are the best pairings to be able to enjoy it properly? Tradition calls on lentils as a wish for wealth for the new year, but like all legumes they are not easy to digest and also contain a series of compounds that are not really beneficial for our body, called anti-nutrients such as saponins, phytates, lectins and protease inhibitors. Saponins are substances that some plants, including cereals and legumes, produce for defensive purposes and are not destroyed even with prolonged cooking. They irritate and damage cells in the intestines causing inflammation. Phytates are compounds that attract metals, so the iron contained in lentils will not be available for absorption. The lectins present in cereals and legumes are related to autoimmune and inflammatory reactions, they are proteins capable of crossing the intestinal barrier, entering the blood and causing damage to cells. Prolonged soaking and cooking may partially reduce the presence of antinutrients, but will not eliminate them completely. Because of these substances, people suffering from inflammatory and autoimmune diseases should minimize the consumption of legumes. Greens are a great alternative to lentils. Savoy cabbage, spinach or chicory are very tasty combinations and also beautiful to look at. A touch of green pleases the eyes and is certainly good for the liver, if we then manage to put less salt to season the vegetables, we partially neutralize the negative effect of the high sodium content present in the cotechino. If, on the other hand, you want to amaze your guests with something special, you can prepare a caramelized apple and onion sauce that will allow you to plate the cotechino in a workmanlike manner, an elegant and effective finish for the New Year's banquet.
Buon appetito!
