Bresaola Rustica: The Erba Tradition
Giuseppe Castagna had been buying Cirla Bresaola since he was a young boy. Cirla had become familiar to gourmets in the Lombardy village of Erba since 1980, and had quickly risen to legendary fame until the owner announced his retirement about ten years ago.
"What would happen to our Bresaola now?" Giuseppe remembers thinking.
Cirla Bresaola differs from almost all other Bresaola in that it is made by hand and always from fresh, high-quality beef - never frozen. This guarantees the tender and soft texture of the cutlet and its superior taste.
Skillful handling guarantees the best results. Enzo has been practicing knife use for two decades.
Enzo started working at Cirla as a teenager, and now, approaching forty, he is one of the most skilled butchers and Bresaola makers. He handles ten-kilo chunks with skill and sureness. The knife cuts off the excess parts with a sharp flick of the wrist. All parts are put to good use; that is, even those that are cut off.
"They make a delicious ravioli filling!", we are told.
It is almost impossible to spot any mistakes until the Bresaola is ready and ready for the customer to enjoy. That is why Enzo's skills are vital to Cirla's success.
In 2016, Giuseppe bought Cirla so that the old owner could enjoy his retirement days by Lake Como. Enzo's work at Cirla was allowed to continue in the family business, and together with Giuseppe they worked on making their Bresaola even better.
The new facilities were designed together to make Enzo's work easier. Spacious processing rooms and new equipment: a computerized spice calculator, turner, presser, and Enzo's favorite - a packer - make the daily work less physical and help ensure consistently high quality.
After cutting, the raw beef is weighed and the computer calculates the exact amount of spices. The spices used for bresaola are bay leaves, cinnamon, pepper, juniper berries, fresh garlic, and salt. The surface is coated with an aromatic spice mixture, turned for 8 minutes, after which the meat is placed in a cold room to marinate for three weeks, always turning regularly.
Bay leaf, pepper, juniper berries, cinnamon and salt are precisely weighed to achieve the perfect taste
Today, Giuseppe's entire family is involved in the business. His wife, two daughters and their families, and Enzo's young family together take care of the Salumificio Castagna products to the world.
"We are so proud to be able to do this together," giggles one of the daughters.
Marinating gives Bresaola its intoxicating aroma and taste reminiscent of a forest hike. Giuseppe cuts us a slice to taste: it literally melts in your mouth!
Now the meat goes into the pressing machine, where it gets its shape and skin, and it can move on to air drying.
The white "noble mold" on the surface of Bresaola, salami and other air-dried cold cuts protects the meat from external factors during maturation
Only the "Rustica" style Bresaolas are left without the skin - during the six weeks of air drying, they develop a natural, frosty white "noble mold" surface that is washed off before packaging. The production of Rustica follows the old Bresaola traditions that Giuseppe and Enzo have revived.
Rustica is a pear-shaped Bresaola that is rustic in taste, yet impressive: juniper, seasoned meat, cellar and pepper are the signature nuances, all balanced in this masterpiece by Enzo!
Bresaola Rustica is an aromatic cold cut, traditionally handmade.
The seitan-hued slices are perfect for an antipasto table or, like the Castagna family, rolled around a piece of cheese for a delicious bite to accompany a glass of red wine!
