This Is How Pepperoni Is Really Made

When it comes to pizza toppings, pepperoni reigns supreme. That's not just our belief but the opinion of the people: Ohio-based pizza chain Donatos commissioned a survey in January 2022 and found that pepperoni was the number one most popular topping to adorn a hot, cheesy slice (the least popular, in case you're wondering, were anchovies, pineapple, and jalapeños).

Given that same survey found the love of pizza runs deep (around a third of respondents were willing to spoil the ending of every movie they saw over the next year or shave their entire body, eyebrows included, for a year's worth of free pizza), we decided to dive a little deeper into its most beloved companion.

Pepperoni is a type of spicy smoky salami that first appeared in Italian-American markets after World War I. Italian immigrants took their traditional salami recipes and tweaked them to fit ingredients more readily available in the United States. It actually took years after its origination for pepperoni to make its way onto pizza but once it did, the thin savory slices quickly became a quintessential part of the pizza-eating experience. So, now that we know how pepperoni got here, let's take a look at how it's made.

According to the Meat Products Handbook, pepperoni must contain 30 to 35% fat to obtain the characteristic grain and texture that makes it a pizza staple. That's why cuts of meat that are 70% lean and 30% fat are common to start with. But it's not just the amount of fat that matters, it's the type of fat too. The majority should be hard fat (from the shoulder, back, etc.), while softer fat (like that from the belly) should be limited so the texture is balanced — soft, but not too soft to hold its shape.

While the high-fat content is part of what makes pepperoni so good, The Spruce Eats warns that it is also responsible for spoilage as fat can turn rancid over time if exposed to oxygen, heat, or light. That's why Angie Rito, co-author of the cookbook "Italian American" and one of the two chef-owners behind Don Angie, a Michelin starred Italian-American restaurant in New York, told Bon Appétit she recommends buying pepperoni in one piece or stick with the casing intact rather than buying it pre-sliced. That's because "when you get the pre-sliced stuff, it's already starting to oxidize." So, while pre-sliced is easier, you should buy your pepperoni in one piece and slice it yourself for the freshest flavor. If you can't find it in your local supermarket aisles, try asking at the deli counter for a whole, half, or quarter stick.

The Spruce Eats explains how lactic acid bacteria — the same kind of bacteria that Healthline notes is used to make certain varieties of cheese, sourdough bread, wine, and other foods we love — is added to pepperoni to trigger a fermentation process that produces lactic acid (hence the bacteria's name). Lactic acid is crucial for perfect pepperoni because it lowers the pH of the meat. This not only helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that can't survive in acidic environments (via Cravings of a Food Scientist), but it also produces pepperoni's signature tangy taste.

This approach to food safety is nothing new. But, while fermentation has been used to preserve foods for thousands of years, it wasn't until the mid-1800s that we really understood what was going on. That breakthrough was thanks to a French chemist named Louis Pasteur, who according to Living History Farms, originally described the process of fermentation as "respiration without air." If the name Pasteur sounds familiar, it's because he also invented pasteurization, the process of heating food to kill harmful bacteria (via Britannica).

Once the ground meat is mixed with spices, lactic acid bacteria, and the necessary salts, it's stuffed into casings around an inch in diameter and twisted at regular intervals to form individual sticks of pepperoni ready to be dried and smoked.

Either natural or artificial casings can be used. According to The Spruce Eats, natural casing has been used to make sausage for centuries and it is simply intestine from a variety of farm animals including cattle, pig, goat, or sheep. Artificial casing, on the other hand, is man-made using collagen or cellulose. While artificial collagen casings are typically edible, cellulose casings should be peeled off before eating.

Both types of casings have their benefits, and the one you (or pepperoni manufacturers) will prefer all depends on what you're looking for in the final product. If you want a natural and artisanal pepperoni that crisps and curls around the edges, then natural casing is best. But if ease of use and uniformity in size, shape, and weight is a higher priority, artificial is often better suited.

One of pepperoni's defining characteristics is that it's air-dried and smoked, another process that contributes to its long shelf life and unique taste. On a commercial scale, pepperoni sticks are draped across a hanging rack and stored in a humidity-controlled room to dry in several phases over a period of five to six days, per Science Direct. The temperature starts around 77 degrees — not quite hot, but warm enough to trigger fermentation by the lactic acid bacteria. After about 48 hours, How it's Made notes that the temperature is briefly lowered to halt fermentation before cranking it up and applying smoke for several hours. After that, the pepperoni is left to continue drying between 122 to 131 degrees until it's at least 30% lighter in weight than when it started. 

At home, pepperoni can hang for six to eight weeks in a cool dry space before it is adequately dried. Just like the big guys, you'll know it's done when the pepperoni's overall weight is significantly lighter than when you started. The Spruce Eats recommends shooting for a 35% to 40% reduction for homemade pepperoni. To get that savory smoky flavor, you can also smoke it on a grill, in a smoker, or in a literal smokehouse if you just so happen to have one.

Regardless of how you like your pepperoni to perform, it has a tangy, savory flavor that can add complexity and smokiness to a wide variety of dishes — so trust us when we say it's worth exploring pepperoni recipes outside of pizza.

Starting with pizza-inspired recipes like pepperoni pizza casserole, one-pot pizza rigatoni, and pizza bagels using a pepperoni hack that's so simple but effective it will blow your mind, there are dozens of options to explore. And, you don't always have to use whole pepperoni slices. In fact, Rito and her co-author and co-owner Scott Tacinelli also told Bon Appétit that they like to render the fat out of pepperoni by running it back through a meat grinder (or food processor) and using the vibrantly colored oil to add a pop of flavor and color to rice, ragùs, homemade breadcrumbs, and more. Since you can eat pepperoni raw (thanks to its curing and drying process), it makes a tasty complement to other meats and cheeses on a charcuterie board.