Overview
Luganega di Monza is the fresh sausage of Monza and Brianza in Lombardy, traditionally made as a long narrow coil and enriched with cheese, broth and Marsala or another wine.
Where it's from
The cut
Identity and terminology
Luganega is the northern Italian descendant of lucanica. The Monza qualifier identifies the local branch. It is a recognised regional speciality but not an EU protected designation.
Composition and characteristics
Pork shoulder and belly are finely or medium minced with Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, Marsala, broth, nutmeg and pepper. The sausage is pale, soft and aromatic rather than paprika-coloured.
Production and process
The mixture is stuffed into a narrow casing as a continuous rope. It is sold fresh and cooked gently, often by removing it from the casing for risotto.
History and regional forms
Monza's sausage tradition developed within Lombard pork butchery and became inseparable from risotto alla monzese, where luganega flavours the rice. Local butchers preserve proprietary balances of cheese, wine and broth.
Use, storage and related products
It is grilled, fried or used in risotto, polenta and stuffing. It differs from southern lucanica and from dry longaniza despite the common linguistic ancestry.
Recipe and cure
This is not a finished recipe. It is a window into how this meat is traditionally cured. Before you follow any process, run it through one of our curing calculators so the salt, cure and timings are right and safe for your own batch.
Make this — the measured Curesmith version →“Make this” opens the same cure as a measured recipe, scaled to your batch.
- Meat
- Pork shoulder
- Cut
- Pork shoulder
- Salt (%)
- 1.8
- Curing salt
- None
- Fermented
- No
- Smoked
- No
- Maturation
- Raw sausage ≤4°C for up to 2 days; freeze for longer storage
- Basis
- per 1,000 g pork shoulder
- Style
- Fresh pork, Parmigiano and Marsala sausage; cook before eating
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder100% · 1000 g
- Skinless pork belly30% · 300 g
- Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, finely grated7.7% · 77 g
- Dry Marsala7.7% · 77 g
- Unsalted chicken stock6.9% · 100 g
- Fine salt1.6% · 23 g
- Ground white pepper0.1% · 1.5 g
- Ground nutmeg0.06% · 0.8 g
- Ground cinnamon0.03% · 0.5 g
Method
- Chill pork, stock, wine and equipment to 0–3°C.
- Grind shoulder and belly through 10 mm.
- Mix pork with salt until lightly tacky.
- Combine stock with pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon; add stock and Marsala to the pork.
- Fold in grated cheese until evenly distributed.
- Stuff into casings and form a coil or links.
Safety. Fresh sausage containing cheese and broth. Keep refrigerated and cook fully.