Here's what the guy in the article on PMQ said about cupping:
Slaughter said performance in
the oven, however, is the real test
for all meat toppings. Customers
expect meats to look better coming
out of the oven than when they went
in, he said. “It can’t be greasy or
charred when it comes out the
other end of the oven, it should be
nicely browned.”
And properly shaped, in the case
of pepperoni, said Ronzio’s Angelone.
“If we have cupping, that means
we have a problem with the
pepperoni, because we don’t want
that,” he said. “We do put pepperoni
above the cheese to get that
browning we like, though. It gives it a
good flavor.”
I'm not sure who "Slaughter" is.
