Ironic On Pepperoni

[The Ironic Chef]

This was a blog I posted a few years back. I thought I'd post it here because I'd enjoy the responses on the topic.

In the USA pepperoni can also be a mix of beef, chicken and pork. It is a descendant of the spicy salamis of Southern Italy, such as salsiccia Napoletana piccante, a spicy dry sausage from Naples or the Soppressata from Calabria. Pepperoni is a popular pizza topping in American-style pizzerias. Also, it is sometimes used to make sub sandwiches. Carrying the title of the literal Italian translation of "peppers", Pepperoni is often recognized as the American counterpart to Spanish-style chorizo, which is usually similar in color and flavor.

The term Pepperoni is a corruption of peperoni, the Italian plural of peperone. While in Italian peperoni refers to bell peppers, in Italian-American cuisine the word "pepperoni" evolved to indicate a kind of spicy sausage.
To order the American version of pepperoni in Italy, someone would request salame piccante or salamino piccante (hot salami, generally typical of Calabria). The Italian name for a pepperoni pizza is pizza alla diavola (with hot sausages).
Throughout continental Europe, peperone is a common word for various types of capsicum including bell peppers and a small, spicy and often pickled pepper known as peperoncino or peperone piccante in Italy and pepperoncini or banana peppers in the US.
Unlike in Europe, the English word, pepperoni, is used as a singular uncountable noun.

Growing up my family was hooked on pepperoni. We didn't eat it on crackers with cheese though. We actually cooked it in our tomato sauces to serve over pasta. We had hot sandwiches that were like a hot sub. Made with a couple cans of stewed tomatoes in a crock pot and then as much pepperoni you could fit into the pot to fill it. Slow cooked it all day and the pepperoni would absorb all of the juice of the tomatoes. This would be served on a torpedo style roll with Mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese. You may think this strange but this hot sandwich actually became very famous in my home town and one could get one in any bar and grill.

Lasagna, I don't know how anyone could eat a lasagna without pepperoni in it. The spiciness of the pepperoni gives the lasagna that BAM . The same goes for a baked Zitti or even served in any pasta sauce. If one gets a good quality pepperoni like Hormel the fat content isn't as high as most. The grease from the pepperoni prevents the pasta from sticking but I am sure it's not as healthy as olive oil. I have par boiled pepperoni to cook off excess grease on occasion but I beleive that it also boiled away much of the flavor too.

I am sure almost everybody that eats pizza has tried a pepperoni pizza at least once. Most enjoy it. That is one of the reasons why I do not understand why pepperoni isn't used in more dishes. I make a pepperoni Stromboli which is a bread or pizza dough rolled out, layer pepperoni and mozzarella cheese on it and roll it up jelly roll style and bake it. Everyone that I have had try this Stromboli loves it. Another simple item that I make is to wrap pepperoni and cheese in egg roll wrappers and deep fry them. I think a Chinese person would faint if they ever had one, but these hors devours are excellent party snacks with a little tomato dipping sauce. Healthy, no way. It doesn't matter what type of oil you fry them in.

I must say that with pepperoni I have always preferred the stick form when buying it. The pre sliced stuff is always to thin and for some reason the pre packed pre sliced just doesn't have the same flavor or kick to it. I have been told that pepperoni is un healthy due to the fat in it and concerns regarding heart burn. Like everything, moderation. Tums or Rolaids and boil out some of that fat if you have to. Don't miss out on such a great flavor enhancer.

30 years ago I was on leave from the Army and I was sitting in a little mom and pop Italian joint with my wife at the Jersey shore. . I asked the waiter if I could have spaghetti with pepperoni in the sauce. Pop gets the order and comes out from the kitchen. He says to me, " I cooka for 20 years and I never make spaget witha pepperon'e.. He thought the idea of pepperoni in a sauce was very strange indeed. I had a nice discussion with him that night about pepperoni. I enjoyed going to his restaurant for years to come after moving to the area. Pepperoni in the sauce wasn't a problem.

[Mama Mangia]

Hormel????? OMG - they cannot make pepperoni! I realize that everyone has their own tastes and when it comes to many foods - certain brands taste better or are made better.
In our house - Hormel will never exist! It's garbage material. Ditto with many "imitation" or should I say "wanna-be's" that think they can make salami, sopressata and pepperoni.
The best ones are made in Italy and imported here. Circle U used to make a fairly decent pepperoni and salami, etc. Then they sold out to Ehreich (sp) and it's now classified as dogfood in our home.
You want a GOOD pepperoni - go to an Italian specialty store and buy it there - it's so good.
Years ago our uncles and great uncles would go to Italy and send tons of good cheeses, pepperoni, salami, sopressata, mortadella, etc. back home along with other goodies. But that generation has died off.
I've written to the distant relatives in Italy - waiting for their recipes to make my own. I won't be disappointed! It's just that the pepperoni in the supermarkets is so dang gagging!
just my opinion............

[The Ironic Chef]

I'm sorry to here that Momma. I myself prefer domestic pepperoni. I can afford it. I'm not paying more than 6.00 for a couple of skinny sticks. I am sure that the pepperonies imported from Italy are much better but the price wouldn't be worth it to me. Having it smuggled into the USA in someones under wear doesn't sound to appealing to me as another option either. Hormel is one of the better brands here in our supermarket.
As far as using an imported Pepperoni, I think that the price tag on it would force me to only be able to eat it on a Ritz too. I surely wouldn't put it into an every day sauce. I'll stick to using what I can afford. Been eating it all my life so no gagging here by any means.

[Mama Mangia]

Not really - first of all - it's the same price as any other pepperoni - believe it or not! And it was never smuggled - it was packed and shipped - imported through customs, etc. We had restaurants in the family - they wanted only the best and they did what they had to do the way they were supposed to do it. It would be very difficult to try to stuff your underwear with hundreds of pounds of meats and cheeses, etc.
I tried Hormel - and it was just awful - but like I said - everyone's taste buds are different. And I'm old - I was brought up on imports from Italy - so it's hard for me to accept a lot of what is out there. But I do hope that you can check out an imported stick of pepperoni - the prices is really not higher than most.

[CanMan]

I like my Hormel Pepperoni on occasion, but I'm well aware that I'm eating the equivalent of a tomato that has been stored in a refrigerator a long time verses a home-grown one straight out of the garden, but sometimes that is all that is available at the moment.

The same goes for cheeses and their chemical substitutes. Its a sign of our times and the really good stuff is just not there when we could appreciate it the most.

[The Ironic Chef]

Mama, I did a search for Italian specialty meats and was very surprised to find pepperoni prices of 10lbs for about 54.00. That is very affordable. I wouldn't actually order any meat products online though unless I had a reliable source suggest getting it from a reputable dealer. There are a few Italian specialty shops in this area and I will check to see what they have as far as meats and sausage are concerned. They may just sell pastries though, lol.
You Italian ladies never have a sense of humor. I say that to my wife at least once a day. A 100lb pepperoni in someones pants would surely grab someones attention for sure. Back in the day my wife lived in Albany NY and they had an Italian shop right on their block. We would get the homemade Italian sausage all the time from there and the difference was like night and day from that which could be bought in a grocery store.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

I don't know much about any of the stuff Mama and you have been discussing, but I do know this I LOVE PEPPEWRONI as does my 9 yr. old, it does make a pizza!!! And IC your suggestions of putting it in sauce, and in stomboli's is a GREAT ONE!! Thanks for the terrific post....I LOVE ME SOME PEPPERONI!!!!

P.S. That is how she always pronounced pepperoni as a tike!!!

[The Ironic Chef]

Lol, see, I'm not crazy.

The Number One Pepperoni in the Country

Pepperoni, a native Italian food, has been a longtime American favorite and a well-known Hormel Foods specialty. This popular sausage is medium-chopped and seasoned with red pepper and fine spices, giving it a hot sensation with a sweet aftertaste. Today, Hormel® pepperoni is number one in the United States, thanks to its great flavor and high quality.

Everyone knows pepperoni tastes great on pizza, but enterprising cooks rely on pepperoni’s delicious spicy flavor to add zest to a wide variety of dishes. In addition to perking up pizza, pepperoni is an ideal partner for sandwiches, salads, pasta or nachos!
A Pepperoni for Every Palate

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[Cook Chatty Cathy]

LOL!!!


Hooray for Hormel's, aw heck Hooray for all Pepperoni!!! I just can't be prejudice, in my fridge right now is Armour Pepperoni!

[The Ironic Chef]

I mentioned earlier in this thread Pepperoni Sandwiches. They are something we had growing up in our home. When ever we had a party, such as New Years eve, we always had a crock pot full of pepperoni and sauce on.

The sandwich was usually a roll filled with the pepperoni and sauce, a bit of mozzarella cheese. This was then wrapped in aluminum foil and place into the oven to melt the cheese and they were delicious.

We didn't live in a very big town. Through the years though this pepperoni sandwich became very popular. Every bar, family type restaurant or sandwich shop sold them.

Doing a bit of pepperoni research I found something called the pepperoni roll. The pepperoni roll consist of pepperoni and sauce baked in the center of a dough. It happens to be a most popular item in West Virginia. It was invented around 1920 by an Italian American and is one of the most popular sandwiches in the state. The pepperoni roll is sold in just about any food store and is a very popular lunch item made famous by the coal miners.

I find this fascinating because I grew up in a small farming community in Up State NY. My mother was actually from West Virginia. Hmmmmm, coincidence or what? lol. My mom passed away at the age of 38. To this day I still use her recipes (or should I say, her style of cooking) have become some of my my families favorites. Something as simple as the use of pepperoni isn't just a childhood memory. It's a cooking tradition living on.