Saouseusse
A dry pork and beef sausage, to be cut into thin rounds
Among the cured meats of the Aosta Valley, saouseusse sits alongside lard and ham. It is a dry sausage, made by a method that has hardly changed.
Pork, beef and few spices
Saouseusse combines pork and beef. The seasoning is kept simple: salt, pepper and sometimes garlic. Nothing more is needed. The flavour comes mainly from the meat and the drying time.
A few weeks of drying
Once stuffed into their casings, the sausages dry for several weeks. This is the most important stage. The water evaporates, the meat firms up and the flavours become concentrated. Saouseusse then takes on its strong taste and distinctive texture.
Rye bread, fontina and Torrette
Cut it into thin slices. Rye bread, another typical product of the Aosta Valley, goes well with it. You can add a few pieces of fontina, the region’s semi-cooked pressed cheese.
As for wine, a glass of Torrette suits it. This red wine from the Aosta Valley is produced around Aosta from the petit rouge grape.
Saouseusse can be bought from producers and in the valley’s grocery shops. Some delicatessens specialising in Italian produce also sell it.
