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The Food Lab: Why Does Pepperoni Curl?

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Re: The Food Lab: Why Does Pepperoni Curl?

#61

He didn't address one of the most important aspects of pizza making, though: the heat source itself! Other pizzas use a variety of heat sources, but Neapolitan pizza is baked at between 750 and 1,000 degrees in wood-burning ovens. I can't imagine even an improperly-packed pepperoni wouldn't curl a bit under 800+ degrees of real flame. Of course the stuffing causes density changes, but at a certain point the surface t…

Please report back!

FYI, for my testing the pizzas were cooked in a home oven at 550°F. Though I really, really doubt that pre-sliced, fiber casing pepperoni will curl at all at any temperature. It kinda just melts and falls into the contour of the cheese all floppy-like.

I have definitely seen natural casing pepperoni (as well as other natural casing cured meats like soppressata) curl on Neapolitan pizzas I've made in 900°F+ ovens.

Re: The Food Lab: Why Does Pepperoni Curl?

#65
post #39

Kenji's obsessive and hilarious seriouseats.com research into the world's best burger and the world's best steaks and the world's best whatevers are priceless. What surprised me is how this site kinda came out of nowhere and took the crown from the more staid web presences of well-established "serious eats" publications like Cook's Illustrated, etc.

Well... I did used to work for Cook's Illustrated so it's not a huge stretch to say it's a major influence!

Good point! Nice to see you here.
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