Villani Salumi
Castelnuovo Rangone, Italy
Founded in 1886 in Castelnuovo Rangone, a Modena village that bills itself as the cradle of Emilian salumi. Villani is one of the oldest continuously operating salumifici in Italy and makes a full range of cured pork, but locals will tell you to buy the cotechino: a mix of pork shoulder, cheek, and rind stuffed into a thick casing, with black pepper, nutmeg, and clove. Villani's cotechino is cooked sous-vide in the factory before it reaches you, which means a 20-minute simmer on Christmas Eve and it's ready for the lentils. Their Castelnuovo Rangone headquarters also houses the Museo della Salumeria, a small museum about the history of Italian charcuterie.
Sausages from Villani Salumi
Cotechino
Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Cotechino is a pork sausage from Italy. It features pork rind, muscle, and fat. Often served during the winter months, it brings warmth and richness to any meal. It sees frequent use alongside lentils.
Zampone Modena
Emilia-Romagna, Italy
A pork sausage mixture packed into a boned pig's front trotter. The casing is edible and gives the finished sausage its unmistakable shape. Slow-cooked until the skin softens, it is sliced at the table and served with lentils or mashed potato. Zampone Modena carries IGP protection.