The collar is an extension of the shoulder, at the front of the loin. It is from this cut that Italians make coppa. We age this piece without a casing to preserve the specific character and sweetness of this marbled cut.
After salt maturation, the collars are aged for approximately 6 months.
Fresh collar is already a very flavorful cut; after ageing, a complex and profound taste develops.
Enjoy it cut into 3 mm matchsticks or thin slices if you have a slicer.

Our philosophy: genetic selection, rearing methods with specific standards, and the transformation process.

We see our work not as pork butchers, but as masters of ageing, who allow natural processes to unfold over time.

Genetics

We exclusively use the Gascon pig, a slow-growing animal that produces the intramuscular fat we seek for our cured meats. A relative of the Iberian pig, it is a hardy breed with origins dating back to prehistoric times.

At present, (falsely) artisanal pork is often labeled 'black' to sound rustic, or given village or regional names to suggest tradition. Most of the time, these pigs are crossbred with white pigs and raised confined in buildings.

The Gascon pig is a pure breed, clearly identified by the IFIP (Institut du porc), and its purity is controlled by LIGERAL (Livre Généalogique Collectif des Races Locales de porcs). It is a pig we know well, having raised them for 15 years on the estate at a time when they were near extinction.

I discovered this pig at the end of the 1980s; its flavor profile completely captivated me, and I immediately began raising them to craft saucissons, hams... and we focused straight away on the transformation process.
In 1996, we played a modest role in the creation of the Association Nationale de Sauvegarde du Porc Gascon (ANSPG).

Highly advanced rearing methods

For millennia, pigs have been raised outdoors. Productivity-driven industry confined them, seeking speed at the expense of quality; it selected breeds adapted to this 'prison' farming, which the Gascon pig does not tolerate.
We have chosen a highly advanced rearing method in the woods, always seeking respect for the animal's life cycle, both in its way of life and its duration: long-term rearing between 20 and 25 months (three to four times longer than industrial farming and twice as long as artisanal methods). Factory farming is rejected in favor of free-range roaming, utilizing wooded areas abandoned by industrial agriculture. The pigs live a true pig's life, rooting in the soil for their food (grass, leaves, roots, mushrooms, berries, earthworms, field mice, and seasonal chestnuts and acorns). It is this varied diet that produces meat with the pronounced intramuscular fat that defines the quality of our cured meats.

The transformation process

In 1995, we developed the first certified organic sausage, free from saltpeter and nitrites, in partnership with the CRITT and Anvar.

A fermented product

Our additive-free cured meats are the result of slow ageing in cellars. It is the work of indigenous yeasts on our meats, as opposed to the chemical yeasts used by the food industry.
Indigenous yeasts are those naturally present in the ambient air.

The cellars—one on the ground floor and three ageing cellars—each have a different atmosphere. As our natural cured meats move from one cellar to another during their maturation, they develop distinct aromas in each. This creates the aromatic complexity and length on the palate of our products. This is what gives this artisanal Coppa-Échine its singular character.

Bespoke ingredients

Each ingredient is selected to contribute to the aromatic development.

Without saltpeter, without nitrites

Learn more

Tasting advice

Open the packs 48 hours in advance (at least 24 hours), and leave them hanging in a well-ventilated, temperate place.

The additive-free coppa-échine is best enjoyed as is for an aperitif, thinly sliced, with a salad, or as an accompaniment to oysters...
It can also be pan-seared in one-millimeter slices and served with fried eggs.

Testimonials

We are very pleased with the quality of the products you craft and have introduced us to:
your long-aged hams and Gascon pig collar.
Your high standard is priceless!

Jean D.

Once again, I am won over. Your Gascon black pork cured meats are absolutely wonderful (I cannot wait to taste the loin).
Every time, the pleasure is infinite.
Products of incomparable quality, truly second to none.

Caroline M.

Questions & Answers

• Which ingredients are used?
  Only 3 ingredients: Gascon pork meat and fat, natural salt, and organic pepper.
• How long is the naturally aged Coppa-Échine matured?
  We age it for 6 months in a natural stone cellar alongside the hams.
• Does the Coppa-Échine contain nitrites or saltpetre?
  It contains no additives: no saltpetre, no nitrite salt, and no other chemical additives. It is a Coppa-Échine without E250, nitrites, nitrates, or dextrose...
• How long can it be stored?
  It can be kept vacuum-sealed for 6 months. Once opened, you can enjoy it within 2 weeks.
• How to enjoy it?
  Open the vacuum-sealed pack 24 to 48 hours before tasting and hang it in a temperate, well-ventilated place.
  Afterwards, if you do not consume it within a few days, wrap it in breathable paper (such as a paper towel).
  And keep it in the refrigerator until your next moment of enjoyment!
• How is it packaged for delivery?
  All our cured meats are vacuum-packed.
• How does the Coppa-Échine develop its aromatic complexity?
  Through slow ageing in natural cellars that encourage indigenous yeasts. These yeasts help develop its distinctive complexity.
• Why such a long ageing period?
  To allow the aromas to develop fully in our natural cellars and provide true length on the palate. The longer the ageing, the greater the aromatic complexity, and the longer the flavors of your slice linger on the palate.
• What is unique about its flavor?
  The Coppa Échine has a profile that is simultaneously powerful, complex, and subtle. Between the marbled meat, the length of the fat on the palate, the melt-in-the-mouth texture, and the aromatic lean meat, it is one of our most sought-after cured meats.
  Due to the duration of the French Gascon pigs' rearing and its long ageing, the Coppa Échine is all the more prized by connoisseurs for its rarity.
  Our quantities are very limited.
• What is its weight?
  Approximately 1 kg per piece.
• What distinguishes the Coppa Échine from a standard coppa?
  The quality and length of rearing of the Gascon pig, combined with its extended ageing, offer an incomparable aromatic richness.