Pepperoni
A slender, firm, air-dried Italian sausage made from beef or pork, seasoned with red and black pepper.
According to a study by Convenience Store Decisions, pepperoni is by far America’s favorite pizza topping. In fact, close to ¼ of a billion pounds are consumed on pizzas annually. Pepperoni is consumed on approximately 36 percent of all pizzas that are ordered.
THE HISTORY OF PEPPERONI
First of all, pepperoni is entirely American. Though it’s similar to some spicy types of southern Italian salumi, there’s really nothing Italian about it. It has a finer grain. It’s softer. It’s bright red. And almost all pepperoni is mass-produced with an artificial casing. Pepperoni is an American invention like spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parm.
The word “pepperoni” literally translates to “big peppers,” which are commonly referred to as bell peppers in the United States. The first mention of pepperoni in print was from 1919, during a period when Italian butcher shops and pizzerias began to flourish in New York City. In reality, pepperoni was probably born on Mulberry Street or Bleecker Street in Lower Manhattan, not in lower Italy as many people think.
WHY WE LIKE PEPPERONI
Maybe it’s an American thing only recognized in subconscious. Maybe it’s the spicy, salty, slightly smoky combination on top of cheese and a sweet tomato sauce. Maybe it’s the way some pepperoni curls and collects that delicious grease.
The reality is, we’ll never really know why pepperoni gained favor as American’s favorite pizza topping. Over the last several years, artisanal pepperoni varieties have emerged from some of the most reputable salumaris and charcuteries in foodservice, and it looks like the trend toward quality will only continue, making the perfect pizza much more achievable.
But when you’re creating the perfect pizza, there’s much more involved than just the ingredients. Having the right oven and pizza equipment will go a long way toward having happy customers – both in foodservice operations and home kitchens.

Benefit of Pepperoni
Pepperoni comes loaded with calories. A single 3-ounce serving contains 419 calories -- nearly one-third of the daily allowance for a 1,500-calorie diet or more than one-fifth for a 2,000-calorie diet. Only 20 percent of these calories come from protein, a nutrient your body needs for tissue maintenance. The remaining 80 percent of these calories come from the pepperoni's 37 grams of fat, which includes 12.5 grams of saturated fat. While fat has some beneficial properties -- for example, it helps with vitamin absorption -- consuming so much saturated fat harms your blood cholesterol levels, increasing the amount of harmful cholesterol while reducing the level of good cholesterol.
How to Make
How to Cook Pepperoni
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A slender, firm, air-dried Italian sausage made from beef or pork, seasoned with red and black pepper.
According to a study by Convenience Store Decisions, pepperoni is by far America’s favorite pizza topping. In fact, close to ¼ of a billion pounds are consumed on pizzas annually. Pepperoni is consumed on approximately 36 percent of all pizzas that are ordered.
THE HISTORY OF PEPPERONI
First of all, pepperoni is entirely American. Though it’s similar to some spicy types of southern Italian salumi, there’s really nothing Italian about it. It has a finer grain. It’s softer. It’s bright red. And almost all pepperoni is mass-produced with an artificial casing. Pepperoni is an American invention like spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parm.
The word “pepperoni” literally translates to “big peppers,” which are commonly referred to as bell peppers in the United States. The first mention of pepperoni in print was from 1919, during a period when Italian butcher shops and pizzerias began to flourish in New York City. In reality, pepperoni was probably born on Mulberry Street or Bleecker Street in Lower Manhattan, not in lower Italy as many people think.
WHY WE LIKE PEPPERONI
Maybe it’s an American thing only recognized in subconscious. Maybe it’s the spicy, salty, slightly smoky combination on top of cheese and a sweet tomato sauce. Maybe it’s the way some pepperoni curls and collects that delicious grease.
The reality is, we’ll never really know why pepperoni gained favor as American’s favorite pizza topping. Over the last several years, artisanal pepperoni varieties have emerged from some of the most reputable salumaris and charcuteries in foodservice, and it looks like the trend toward quality will only continue, making the perfect pizza much more achievable.
But when you’re creating the perfect pizza, there’s much more involved than just the ingredients. Having the right oven and pizza equipment will go a long way toward having happy customers – both in foodservice operations and home kitchens.

Benefit of Pepperoni
Pepperoni comes loaded with calories. A single 3-ounce serving contains 419 calories -- nearly one-third of the daily allowance for a 1,500-calorie diet or more than one-fifth for a 2,000-calorie diet. Only 20 percent of these calories come from protein, a nutrient your body needs for tissue maintenance. The remaining 80 percent of these calories come from the pepperoni's 37 grams of fat, which includes 12.5 grams of saturated fat. While fat has some beneficial properties -- for example, it helps with vitamin absorption -- consuming so much saturated fat harms your blood cholesterol levels, increasing the amount of harmful cholesterol while reducing the level of good cholesterol.
Mineral Content
Pepperoni offers some nutritional advantages by boosting your mineral intake. A 3-ounce portion of pepperoni contains 2.1 milligrams of zinc, which contributes 19 percent toward the recommended daily intake for men and 26 percent for women. Your cells can utilize zinc to help control gene activity, and getting enough zinc supports your nerves and immune system. A serving of pepperoni also provides 500 micrograms of manganese -- 28 percent and 22 percent of the daily manganese intakes recommended for women and men, respectively. Boosting your manganese intake protects your cells from damage, supports your metabolism and nourishes your bones.
Vitamins for Good Health
Eating pepperoni also helps you consume more beneficial vitamins. It provides significant amounts of pantothenic acid and vitamin B-12. Both of these nutrients help ensure proper brain function because they help your brain cells make chemicals involved in nerve communication. Getting enough B-12 in your diet also fights disease, while vitamin B-12 deficiency increases the risk of birth defects, as well as depression. A 3-ounce serving of pepperoni contains 0.99 milligram of pantothenic acid -- one-fifth of your daily needs -- as well as 1.45 micrograms of vitamin B-12, which contributes 60 percent toward your recommended daily B-12 intake.
Harmful Sodium
Pepperoni's astronomical sodium content can pose a serious health risk. A single 3-ounce serving contains 1,479 milligrams of sodium -- almost two-thirds of the 2,300-milligram limit. If you're over 51 years of age or you suffer from high blood pressure, a serving of pepperoni contains almost your entire 1,500-milligram daily sodium limit. Your body needs sodium to control your blood pressure, but too much sodium causes excessively high blood pressure. Over time, this increases the strain on your blood vessels and kidneys, damaging your tissue and contributing to kidney and cardiovascular disease.
Nitrate Concerns
Making pepperoni involves treating it with nitrates -- chemicals that convert into harmful nitrites during the curing process. This curing gives pepperoni its distinct flavor and color, but it also triggers migraines in some people. Consuming nitrates also poses a health risk for pregnant women because the nitrates react with hemoglobin in the bloodstream, preventing the hemoglobin from properly transporting oxygen throughout the body. This can harm the developing fetus, and for babies it can cause "blue baby syndrome," so-named because of the blue-tinged hue associated with oxygen deprivation.
Types of Pepperoni
Traditional pepperoni is a dry sausage, smoked, air dried, sometimes cooked. Pepperoni can be made from beef, pork or a combination such as 30% beef and 70% pork. Pepperoni is a lean sausage with fat content < 30%. Cheaper, fast-fermented (semi-dry) and cooked types end up as toppings to pizzas worldwide to give flavor. Traditionally made Italian pepperoni was not smoked.
How to Make
Meats | Metric | US |
---|---|---|
pork | 700 g | 1.54 lb. |
beef | 300 g | 0.66 lb. |
Ingredients per 1000g (1 kg) of meat
salt | 28 g | 5 tsp. |
Cure #2 | 2.5 g | ½ tsp. |
dextrose (glucose), 0.2% | 2.0 g | ⅓ tsp. |
sugar | 3.0 g | ⅓ tsp. |
black pepper | 3.0 g | 1½ tsp. |
paprika | 6.0 g | 3 tsp. |
anise seeds, cracked, (or fennel seeds) | 2.5 g | 2 tsp. |
cayenne pepper | 2.0 g | 1 tsp. |
T-SPX culture | 0.12 g | use scale |
Instructions
- Grind pork and beef through 3/16” plate (5 mm).
- Mix all ingredients with meat.
- Stuff firmly into beef middles or 2” fibrous casings.
- Ferment at 20º C (68º F) for 72 hours, 90-85% humidity.
- Optional step: cold smoke for 8 hours (< 22º C, 72º F).
- Dry at 16 -12º C (60-54º F), 85-80% humidity. In about 6-8 weeks a shrink of 30% should be achieved.
- Store sausages at 10-15º C (50-59º F), < 75% humidity.
Notes
Original Italian pepperoni is not smoked.
How to Cook Pepperoni
A ready to eat, hard, dry sausage made from beef and pork that is typically well seasoned with black and red pepper and then air dried. Italian in origin, pepperoni is classified as a small salami sausage that is available in short and long lengths. It is generally sliced very thin and served as an appetizer, as a pizza topping, or as an ingredient for a variety of food dishes, such as pasta and meat. It is available in different lengths and diameters, either pre-sliced or in sticks. The smallest sticks can be eaten out of hand as a snack, while the larger sticks, ranging in size from over an inch to 4 inches in diameter, can be sliced for use as pizza toppings, luncheon meats, or appetizers.
When using pepperoni as a pizza topping, often the fat in this sausage will be released as the pizza bakes, causing the pepperoni to be laying in puddles of grease. To remedy this, precook the pepperoni in a microwave to release the fat. This can best be accomplished by placing several layers of paper toweling on a plate and placing the pepperoni on the toweling. To keep the thin slices of pepperoni flat during the mircowaving, place several more layers of paper toweling on top of the pepperoni and use another plate as a weight to press the top layers of paper down onto the pepperoni. Microwave on high for 25 to 35 seconds and remove the pepperoni, taking it off the toweling and placing it on the pizza. Much of the grease normally released will have been removed from the pepperoni slices.
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How to Keep Pepperoni
Hard or dry sausage (such as pepperoni and Genoa salami), whole and unopened, can be stored indefinitely in the refrigerator or up to 6 weeks in the pantry. After opening, refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Hard or dry sausages will not have the phrase "Keep refrigerated" printed on the package
@ http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--33703/pepperoni.asp
@ https://asktheexpert.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/466/~/how-long-can-pepperoni-be-used-after-opening-the-package%3F
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