There’s really anything you could want, in the “basket” of Lake Garda typical products: oil and wine are always on top, followed by fish, cheese, truffles, honey, capers, citrus … and of course meats, In the latter area one of the territorial level reference points is definitely the Marchesini Farm in Bedizzole, which for ten years now has made the production of handmade sausages their business. Everything was born from the decision of the family to leave the cattle breeding following the BSE market crisis to launch an ambitious new project: a closed circuit pig farm with slaughter, laboratory and shop for the production and direct sale of high quality cold cuts.
“The author of the idea was my son Andrea, who after having specialized in sow gynecology at the agricultural Institute where he studied, began to lay the foundations for a sow breeding – says Elvira Lazzari, mother of Andea and tireless animator of a company that is now also self-sufficient in terms of energy thanks to a system of photovoltaic panels -. When we had the first piglets, we began to think about building the new business.”
Marchesini is now as mentioned a sort of “closed loop reality”, meaning that the “salami” are produced exclusively from meat of pigs born in the farm from about thev100 sows bred internally: the animals are fed for more than 70% with barley and corn grown directly from Piergiuseppe Marchesini, father of Andrew, on about 40 hectares of land partly owned and partly rented near the stable. There is also an internal feed mill in which the family prepares the rations for the animals, that for the remaining 30% are made from soy, bran and minerals purchased externally.
Marchesini produce at least twenty types of sausages that a team of seven specialized butchers prepares twice a week, relying on ancient recipes typical of the hinterland and recovering the Brescia tradition processing, starting with the main product, the classic Salame Bresciano, that Marchesini produce with with only the noblest parts of the pig, with a 20% percentage of fat. Garlic is macerated in red wine, a Marzemino from the nearby winery Le Gaine, always in the territory of Bedizzole, that Marchesini use for all of theri products. The garlic is then removed and the wine is used to make the dough, to which are added four spices and salt. After drying, the salami is aged 40 days before the sale. There are however other curiosities in the Marchesini range and the most particular is perhaps the Filetto Baciato (you may translate it as Kissed fillet!), which is practically a salami with a pork tenderloin heart, made entirely by hand. The thread is treated with the same Marzemino and then wrapped in the same lump of salami that we above described.
“This product was a very common in ancient times in the farms of our lands- says Elvira -. And the same can be said about “Os de Stomech”, a classic pot sausage where the salami paste is added with the central part of the ribs. It was once produced in the winter and kept to age until the vintage in september: we prepare it by cutting chopped ribs, although tradition dictates that this part should be inserted whole. The spare ribs, put in the “concia” for two days, are then squeezed and mingled in the mixture which is then bagged in the bladder of the salami and put in the cellar, where it can stay even for a year for those who love the longer seasoned types. It must be cooked in the pan for about two two hours and it is a classic winter Sunday dish around here: the municipality of Lonato has also recognized it as a De.Co product (Municipal Denomination) “.
In the Marchesini line, fans of the genre will also find other goodies like Lonzino (made with the pork loin), Coppa, Culatello, Pancett Stesa, Pancetta Arrotolata or the Slinzega (which is pretty much just pork tenderloin, hung and dried for 15 days and ready to sell). All these products are passed in concia with red wine for eight days, turned manually every day with massage.
50% of production is sold directly in the company shop, open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 to 12 and from 3 to 7 pm, but the Marchesini products (all gluten and lactose free) can also be found in agriturismo, restaurants, delis, or in the markets and in the Campagna Amica events. Also there is an e-commerce site that also sends abroad.
“Our dream now is precisely that to begin exporting – says Elvira, which takes care of the commercial part together with daughter Laura- For the moment we have 3 Italian restaurants, two in France and one in Spain, which come right here to buy our products. ”
Products which, since last year, even report a QR Code in the seal with Which you can trace the product you are eating from the field to the table.
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