# Elk Capicola



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

This is my first attempt at capicola using wild game meat. Made it out of this year's bull elk. Turned out OK.



*Cure Ingredients*
I lb - Kosher salt
1/2 cup - Insta Cure #1
2 tbsp - brown sugar
4 tbsp - black pepper
4 tbsp - juniper berries, crushed
wine

*Final Rub Ingredients*
Any combination of the following: paprika, cayenne, black pepper, crushed juniper berries, garlic, sugar, wine, dry mustard, chili flakes and brown sugar

*Instructions*
· Stuff the coppa into elastic netting.
· Pour 1/4 cup of wine on the countertop. Roll the meat out on the wine.
· Rub the cure into the meat.
· Place into a Ziploc bag and store in the refrigerator. Curing time will be 12 to 20 days.
· Overhaul: Every 5 to 7 days remove the meat from the Ziploc bag, rinse with liberal amounts of cold water and then pat dry. Roll the meat in some wine again and then apply a fresh rub of the cure before putting back into the fridge.
· Document the weight of the capicola and then hang in a cool place or place in the refrigerator to cure. The capicola should be dry-cured when it's lost 25% or more of its weight. Anticipate 20 to 40 days of curing time in a fridge or 4 or 5 days of drying time if air drying.

*Comments:*
The "coppa" muscle is the front end of the loin at the bottom part of the neck above the front shoulder. On an elk, bison, or moose, the cut is under the hump.

The intent is for the cure to penetrate completely through the muscle, driving out much of the moisture, before the drying stage.

The different final rub combinations are endless. This rub was simple: black pepper and ground juniper berries, both freshly ground.

Optional: After the meat is cure apply the rub and then stuff into a small diameter beef bung.
If properly cured, air drying capicola in a basement, garage, or cabin won't take very long. Check the meat after it has hung for 4 days.

The cut of meat used is the loin behind the front shoulder "paddle" as outlined in red on the chart below:


Rub in the cure and place in a Ziploc bag:


Take it out of the fridge every 5 to 7 days and overhaul it:


Put on your favorite rub, weigh, and hang to dry:


When it has lost about 25% of it's weight it will be dry-cured:






Given the amount of liquid that seeped out of the meat the 14 days it was in the fridge, I was confident the capicola was fully cured when I hung it up in the cool basement to dry. It hung for 5 days to dry. 4 days would have been plenty.


It's worth the effort and I will make more. Next time the final rub will be paprika, brown sugar, with crushed red peppers and the meat will be stuffed into a 60-65mm beef middle.


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## SCtransplant (Jul 31, 2015)

Dude....mad props.


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## bekins24 (Sep 22, 2015)

That sounds amazing. Throw that on a homemade pizza.... mmmmm...


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Goob is it the Mock tender you used? Sits right in the shoulder blade bone?(7-bone)


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Dunkem said:


> Goob is it the Mock tender you used? Sits right in the shoulder blade bone?(7-bone)


 Mock tender? I'd say "no", but don't get me ta lyin'. You butchers come up with a new name for a cut of meat every 10 years or so.  I think what you're talking about, 7-bone, is on the blade part of the front quarter.

This is the chuck up against the backbone. On beef it's what we called "chuck eye" in the old days. It's where the loin separates into 2 or 3 muscles going towards the neck.....uh...the loin after the rib steaks...the loin from the neck back to the 4th rib.

On a hog it's the top part of the butt. The loin from the last pork chop to the neck. Canadians and Europeans call it the "coppa".

The cut is not round, it's sort of triangular. To make it round I roll the coppa on a table as it cures, stiffens. The tight elastic netting helps hold the round shape too. A round muscle slips into casing, a bung or middle, easier than a triangle shape does.

.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

That looks tasty. Have you tried doing a bresaola?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

johnnycake said:


> That looks tasty. Have you tried doing a bresaola?


No. I should make some with bison meat.

thanks

.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

wyogoob said:


> Mock tender? I'd say "no", but don't get me ta lyin'. You butchers come up with a new name for a cut of meat every 10 years or so.  I think what you're talking about, 7-bone, is on the blade part of the front quarter.
> 
> This is the chuck up against the backbone. On beef it's what we called "chuck eye" in the old days. It's where the loin separates into 2 or 3 muscles going towards the neck.....uh...the loin after the rib steaks...the loin from the neck back to the 4th rib.
> 
> ...


 Gotcha! I was thinking chuck eye,( we still call it that) but the roundness of it threw me off. I've used the mock tender for pastrami and came out good. Your capicola looks great.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Dunkem said:


> Gotcha! I was thinking chuck eye,( we still call it that) but the roundness of it threw me off. I've used the mock tender for pastrami and came out good. Your capicola looks great.


Hey, thanks.

We called steaks past the rib steaks (towards the head) "Delmonico". I don't know if that's right or not, doesn't matter, they were our cows, we could call it anything we wanted.  I don't see or hear the term "Delmonico" anymore.

Our cows ate corn every day of their lives so they would grade "prime"; had a lot of fat on them. I don't know if they have "prime" grade anymore. Prime rib is not a "prime" cut of beef, its just a name some marketing goofball coined for a rib roast. I haven't seen meat graded "prime" at the store forever, although I don't look at beef cuts much, tongue and brisket once in awhile. :grin:


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

We carry Prime angus in the strip and ribeye for 25.00 bucks a lb. I will wait for a good marbled out of date steak! A butcher never takes home meat that is still red.:mrgreen:

The term Delmonico can apply to which ever state you happen to be in. I've seen ribeye called that, the cap off of the sirloin called that, the first 2 steaks off of the chuck eye called that. Hell they even call boneless pork chops pork new York chops. Glad I'm almost done with it. Used to be a trade like a plumber or carpenter but now it's just a warm body behind the counter.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Dunkem said:


> We carry Prime angus in the strip and ribeye for 25.00 bucks a lb. I will wait for a good marbled out of date steak! A butcher never takes home meat that is still red.:mrgreen:
> 
> The term Delmonico can apply to which ever state you happen to be in. I've seen ribeye called that, the cap off of the sirloin called that, the first 2 steaks off of the chuck eye called that. Hell they even call boneless pork chops pork new York chops. Glad I'm almost done with it. Used to be a trade like a plumber or carpenter but now it's just a warm body behind the counter.


25 DOLLARS A POUND!!! My bison didn't cost that much....uh...waitaminute, let me check the math.

That's another thing. What's this with the Angus stuff? Cheat grass-fed range cows finished off with phosphates, corn, and growth hormones for 2 weeks in a feed lot. Where's all the grain-fed Herefords? :mrgreen:

Elk Capicola antipasto thingies:


.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Our Angus are all natural, no added hormones or steroids.

Ah, that little appetizer looks yummy!!


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## SCtransplant (Jul 31, 2015)

Howbout an Elkipola sandwich with provolone on fresh Italian bread?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

SCtransplant said:


> Howbout an Elkipola sandwich with provolone on fresh Italian bread?


OK


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

ya baby, mmm


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

The elk capicola was drying out so I slobbered on a wet rub made from 4 parts paprika to one part cayenne pepper and then stored it in the fridge rolled in a damp paper towel.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Found this January 2016 elk capicola in the fridge. It's still good.


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

Goob is a legend!


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