MAKING PEPPERONI WITH LP’S

May 05, 2025

MAKING PEPPERONI WITH LP’S

Delicious pizza starts with the ingredients. That’s why at TGBC’s in-house pizzeria, Fortune Pizza, we source ours from top-grade local suppliers like LP’s Quality Meats. We visited the mastermind behind LP’s and Bella Bruta (arguably the best pizzas in the Inner West), Luke Powell, at their factory to learn how he makes the pepperoni that sees our discs sing.

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

Luke and the team have been in the cured and smoked meat trade since 2014 when LPs first opened in Chippendale. Now located in their Marrickville warehouse, they service high-end and specialty restaurants and grocers across Australia.

Pepperoni is just one item from a diverse offering that includes everything from frankfurters to blood sausage. Here’s how they make this spicy family favourite – with a few secrets kept up the sleeve, of course!

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STEP ONE

THE GOLDEN RATIO

The signature, wide-sized pepperoni slices from our pizzas like Joni Pepperoni and the Hot Cotto begin with all-Australian, free-range pork from Victoria. Every LPs sausage follows a specific meat-to-fat ratio, with 70/30 being the sweet-spot for a delicious pepperoni.

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STEP TWO

WORK THAT MEAT

The meat alone enters the mixer first, blended with salt and ice. This unexpected, frosty addition keeps the meat between 0 and 4°C, which is important so that everything emulsifies into a stable, consistent and texturally delightful whole.

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STEP THREE

SPICE IT UP

Their pepperoni has the biggest and most complex spice mix of any LPs product. It includes the usual suspects like paprika and fennel, as well as some unexpected heroes like milk powder for richness. A splash of white wine also finds its way into the ensemble for a tangy bass tone. They’ve perfected this recipe through trial and error, respecting tradition while making it their own.

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STEP FOUR

THE FINISHING TOUCH

Finally, the fat is added, late in the process to guarantee an effective emulsion into the meat. This is what allows the pepperoni to hold its moisture while the sausage develops, all the way until finding its way onto your pizza.

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STEP FIVE

GIVE IT A MINCE

Now all the ingredients are incorporated and mixed thoroughly, it’s time for mincing. The ‘farce’ then leaves the machine like the gorgeous locks of a play-dough princess…

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STEP SIX

CASE & TIE

The mince is transferred to the casing machine. Luke gently feeds said mince into cases before tying these closed with red-and-white LP-brand string. A 60-kilo batch of pork becomes 12 of these beauties, which are now beginning to resemble actual pepperoni. They’ll hang overnight so that the flavours can develop and settle before smoking.

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STEP SEVEN

SMOKE ‘EM

Everything coming out of the LPs factory is smoked, and the pepperoni is no different. They use iron bark and apple wood for flavour, smoking the sausages for 7 hours while constantly rotating for consistency. Once they’re done, all that’s left to do is cool and pack for delivery to your friendly Fortune pizzaiolos.

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And voila! That’s pepperoni from start to finish – from one of the best local artisans. Come down to the brewery this weekend for a piping-hot slice from Fortune Pizza to try Luke’s handiwork for yourself.

Buon appetito!