Horse shredded meat: a tasty treat with low fat.

A light and genuine dish with a unique flavor: the horse sfilacci are the ideal specialty for the palate of all foodies. They are thin strands of dark red color made from shredded and dried horse meat, characterized by a sweetish taste, halfway between beef and game, but also by a pleasant salty flavor thanks to the smoking process.

Nutritionally, horse sfilacci are a very interesting type of red meat: they have a low fat content, a high level of vitamins and proteins, and especially stand out for their high iron content. They are therefore an ideal solution for those following weight loss diets but who do not want to give up tasty and flavorful dishes, or for those suffering from high cholesterol or low blood pressure. But where does the recipe for this so unique and healthy dish come from?

Horse Sfilacci: The History

There is a legend behind the creation of horse straccetti: it is said that they were born by accident, thanks to a farmer who mistakenly dried some slices of horse meat for too long. This resulted in a product that was too dry, but in order not to waste the precious meat, now tough and stringy, he started to beat and shred it in an attempt to make it appetizing again. Obviously, this is a story halfway between reality and legend, but it is very likely that the recipe for sfilacci was born by chance.

How Horse Sfilacci Are Made

For the preparation of horse straccetti, the leanest part of the horse meat is used, usually the thigh, which is cut into thin slices and left in brine for about 8 days. After this period, the slices are steamed and smoked in special rooms for a period varying from 8 to 30 days. Once dried and hard, they are beaten with a hammer and then manually shredded into many small chunks or sfilaccetti. Once the process is complete, the shredded meat is ready for consumption.

Horse Sfilacci: Production Area

In Italy, horse meat is not commonly widespread, except in some regions: Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli, Emilia, Apulia, Sicily, and Sardinia. In Veneto, in particular, the consumption of horse meat has ancient origins: already during the Lombard domination, there are indeed traces of the consumption of this particular type of meat. Today, there are many typical recipes in Veneto, and in each province, you can find many specialized equine butcheries. The horse sfilacci, in particular, originate from Padua (especially from the low Padua), where horse breeding has a long tradition.

Right in the province of Padua, there is one of the companies with the most history in the production of this typical dish: the butchery of Coppiello Giovanni. A company that has always selected only the best cuts of horse meat and is equipped with very high quality standards. Horse sfilacci are packaged in a modified atmosphere under vacuum, to maintain and preserve the intense flavor and the “smoked” taste of the delicate strands for as long as possible. The very lean first-choice cuts of foal or adult horse, after a long and skillful treatment, become shredded meat that is subsequently completed by hand.

Horse Meat: Properties and Benefits

As mentioned earlier, horse meat is low in fat, practically cholesterol-free, and contains large amounts of iron in a form that is absorbable by our bodies, unlike the iron found in spinach. The low fat content makes the meat easily digestible and therefore suitable for everyone: the high percentage of iron present, about 3.9 mg per 100 grams, recommends its use for anemic individuals, pregnant women, and children in development.

Horse meat also contains a high percentage of protein, essential for the muscular development of children, and being one of the few meats that contain sugars (glycogen), its consumption is also recommended for athletes who require foods with quickly available energy fractions. It is from these sugars that horse meat gets its slightly sweet flavor that makes it so appetizing.

Using Horse Sfilacci in Cooking

Thanks to their very pronounced fresh meat flavor and the delicate sensation of smoking, horse sfilacci are ideal for enriching salads, on pizza at the end of cooking, or on appetizers with fresh and creamy cheeses.
A perfect light dish is horse straccetti with arugula, cherry tomatoes, flakes of Parmigiano Reggiano, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, but if you prefer hot dishes, you can prepare excellent pasta dishes with horse sfilacci: the recipes are many, from traditional bigoli with sfilacci to pennette with Tropea onion, sfilacci, and cream; or oven-baked pasta with sfilacci and smoked scamorza.

The best wines to enhance the unique taste of sfilacci are light sparkling wines, such as Durello Sparkling or Valdobbiadene Prosecco Extra Dry.

Federico Risi

S&M