Home Made Salami / Cured Sausage & Meat
Discussion
Afternoon all, have had a look through and cannot see a thread about home made salami - I fancy having a bash in the New Year, do we have anybody amongst us who currently make their own?
I am currently trying to get everything in order before having a crack at it in a few weeks time as apposed to my normal approach of charging straight into it only to find out I don't have all the ingredients or am missing a vital piece of kit.
Currently toying between the River Cottage recipe (from the food tube channel) and the starter kit one from Wechenfelder as I have had good success with both on the sausage front. I have a question about hanging though, does the fridge really work and has anybody used it? Does anybody hang them outside or in a barn or does that leave them prone to attack from birds etc?
Any input welcome.....
I am currently trying to get everything in order before having a crack at it in a few weeks time as apposed to my normal approach of charging straight into it only to find out I don't have all the ingredients or am missing a vital piece of kit.
Currently toying between the River Cottage recipe (from the food tube channel) and the starter kit one from Wechenfelder as I have had good success with both on the sausage front. I have a question about hanging though, does the fridge really work and has anybody used it? Does anybody hang them outside or in a barn or does that leave them prone to attack from birds etc?
Any input welcome.....
I went on the river cottage curing and smoking course earlier this year that inspired me to make some pretty tasty bacon, some delicious smoked salmon, and some "meh" smoked cheese. But sadly I didn't go as far as making any salami since, even though on the surface it seems quite a simple process; you just need to make a chopped meat mixture, add herbs, spices and cure mix, ferment then and hang while the cure works from the inside out.
The problem was that unlike the bacon or fish, which I've done several times now, where you can do the lot in the bottom shelf of a fridge, to make a consistent result with salami, you'd need a sausage meat grinder and piping machine, plus skins, and suitable space to ferment and hang.
The important bit in the curing process too was then to raise the temp of the finished sausages to create a fermentation (in an airing cupboard overnight for example to 30C), then hang in a suitable dry/cool place for the salamis to complete their cure and drying process - this is the point when the friendly penicillum mould would coat the outside. They did say that a special fridge wasn't necessary. Just dry place with a moisture level of around 70%, with good airflow would be fine, no special fridge necessary. They reckoned that at this time of year, a drafty old shed, cellar or even building overhang would be fine, kept away from mice and other pests, and flies shouldn't be bothering you in this cold weather either. If you are worried, you can get muslin socking to cover the meat for protection.
The River Cottage guys didn't use any saltpetre in the mix (basically this is what kills botulism) as they said if treated and handled as per instructions, the correct salt ratio for the cure and natural bacteria would take care of anything dodgy.
So, I wasn't keen even though I love salami and cured sausage, but if you have the kit and the inclination it would be great to hear how you do!
I'm more into smoking meat, and the course inspired me to sort out my weber smokey mountain hot smoker for cold smoking bacon, ham, fish and cheese duties (sealing up any joints and gaps with fireproof stove rope sealant) and investing in a 99p metal sieve with the middle pushed up to burn sawdust in a ring (which gets me 8-10 hours of decent cold smoke).
Just getting things ready for a big Xmas smokeathon!
The problem was that unlike the bacon or fish, which I've done several times now, where you can do the lot in the bottom shelf of a fridge, to make a consistent result with salami, you'd need a sausage meat grinder and piping machine, plus skins, and suitable space to ferment and hang.
The important bit in the curing process too was then to raise the temp of the finished sausages to create a fermentation (in an airing cupboard overnight for example to 30C), then hang in a suitable dry/cool place for the salamis to complete their cure and drying process - this is the point when the friendly penicillum mould would coat the outside. They did say that a special fridge wasn't necessary. Just dry place with a moisture level of around 70%, with good airflow would be fine, no special fridge necessary. They reckoned that at this time of year, a drafty old shed, cellar or even building overhang would be fine, kept away from mice and other pests, and flies shouldn't be bothering you in this cold weather either. If you are worried, you can get muslin socking to cover the meat for protection.
The River Cottage guys didn't use any saltpetre in the mix (basically this is what kills botulism) as they said if treated and handled as per instructions, the correct salt ratio for the cure and natural bacteria would take care of anything dodgy.
So, I wasn't keen even though I love salami and cured sausage, but if you have the kit and the inclination it would be great to hear how you do!
I'm more into smoking meat, and the course inspired me to sort out my weber smokey mountain hot smoker for cold smoking bacon, ham, fish and cheese duties (sealing up any joints and gaps with fireproof stove rope sealant) and investing in a 99p metal sieve with the middle pushed up to burn sawdust in a ring (which gets me 8-10 hours of decent cold smoke).
Just getting things ready for a big Xmas smokeathon!
Edited by prand on Monday 27th November 15:27
prand said:
I went on the river cottage curing and smoking course earlier this year that inspired me to make some pretty tasty bacon, some delicious smoked salmon, and some "meh" smoked cheese. But sadly I didn't go as far as making any salami since, even though on the surface it seems quite a simple process; you just need to make a chopped meat mixture, add herbs, spices and cure mix, ferment then and hang while the cure works from the inside out.
The problem was that unlike the bacon or fish, which I've done several times now, where you can do the lot in the bottom shelf of a fridge, to make a consistent result with salami, you'd need a sausage meat grinder and piping machine, plus skins, and suitable space to ferment and hang.
The important bit in the curing process too was then to raise the temp of the finished sausages to create a fermentation (in an airing cupboard overnight for example to 30C), then hang in a suitable dry/cool place for the salamis to complete their cure and drying process - this is the point when the friendly penicillum mould would coat the outside. They did say that a special fridge wasn't necessary. Just dry place with a moisture level of around 70%, with good airflow would be fine, no special fridge necessary. They reckoned that at this time of year, a drafty old shed, cellar or even building overhang would be fine, kept away from mice and other pests, and flies shouldn't be bothering you in this cold weather either. If you are worried, you can get muslin socking to cover the meat for protection.
The River Cottage guys didn't use any saltpetre in the mix (basically this is what kills botulism) as they said if treated and handled as per instructions, the correct salt ratio for the cure and natural bacteria would take care of anything dodgy.
So, I wasn't keen even though I love salami and cured sausage, but if you have the kit and the inclination it would be great to hear how you do!
I'm more into smoking meat, and the course inspired me to sort out my weber smokey mountain hot smoker for cold smoking bacon, ham, fish and cheese duties (sealing up any joints and gaps with fireproof stove rope sealant) and investing in a 99p metal sieve with the middle pushed up to burn sawdust in a ring (which gets me 8-10 hours of decent cold smoke).
Just getting things ready for a big Xmas smokeathon!
Thanks for the reply Prand, the River Cottage course sounds brilliant - bet that was a cool things to do. I rented the River Cottage 'Pig In A Day' DVD from the library a couple of years ago after purchasing a side of pork - there was a decent section on sausages etc in that and I like HFW generally speaking. I am though a little concerned about the lack of salt petre in the process though. The problem was that unlike the bacon or fish, which I've done several times now, where you can do the lot in the bottom shelf of a fridge, to make a consistent result with salami, you'd need a sausage meat grinder and piping machine, plus skins, and suitable space to ferment and hang.
The important bit in the curing process too was then to raise the temp of the finished sausages to create a fermentation (in an airing cupboard overnight for example to 30C), then hang in a suitable dry/cool place for the salamis to complete their cure and drying process - this is the point when the friendly penicillum mould would coat the outside. They did say that a special fridge wasn't necessary. Just dry place with a moisture level of around 70%, with good airflow would be fine, no special fridge necessary. They reckoned that at this time of year, a drafty old shed, cellar or even building overhang would be fine, kept away from mice and other pests, and flies shouldn't be bothering you in this cold weather either. If you are worried, you can get muslin socking to cover the meat for protection.
The River Cottage guys didn't use any saltpetre in the mix (basically this is what kills botulism) as they said if treated and handled as per instructions, the correct salt ratio for the cure and natural bacteria would take care of anything dodgy.
So, I wasn't keen even though I love salami and cured sausage, but if you have the kit and the inclination it would be great to hear how you do!
I'm more into smoking meat, and the course inspired me to sort out my weber smokey mountain hot smoker for cold smoking bacon, ham, fish and cheese duties (sealing up any joints and gaps with fireproof stove rope sealant) and investing in a 99p metal sieve with the middle pushed up to burn sawdust in a ring (which gets me 8-10 hours of decent cold smoke).
Just getting things ready for a big Xmas smokeathon!
Edited by prand on Monday 27th November 15:27
Regarding the kit, I have a mincer and sausage stuffer so may as well use them.
Do you think an inside garage would be suitable in Jan/Feb? Its cool (no heating, concrete floor etc.) and slightly draughty with plenty of hanging space.
I did the curing and charcuterie day at http://coldsmoking.co.uk/ - Turan sells all the stuff you might need ( apart from a mincer/sausage stuffer ) So far I've made my own bacon , saltbeef , chorizo and regular sausages. I've got some pancetta drying at the moment that should be lovely for Christmas.
get hold of a temp/humididy gague for a few quid from amazon - I've been keeping an eye on the conditions in my garage and its pretty much spot on at the moment ( 9-10 degrees and 65-70% humidity )
get hold of a temp/humididy gague for a few quid from amazon - I've been keeping an eye on the conditions in my garage and its pretty much spot on at the moment ( 9-10 degrees and 65-70% humidity )
Tony Angelino said:
Thanks for the reply Prand, the River Cottage course sounds brilliant - bet that was a cool things to do. I rented the River Cottage 'Pig In A Day' DVD from the library a couple of years ago after purchasing a side of pork - there was a decent section on sausages etc in that and I like HFW generally speaking. I am though a little concerned about the lack of salt petre in the process though.
Regarding the kit, I have a mincer and sausage stuffer so may as well use them.
Do you think an inside garage would be suitable in Jan/Feb? Its cool (no heating, concrete floor etc.) and slightly draughty with plenty of hanging space.
Was an interesting - it was a lovely day out, a great lunch, though more of a very enjoyable experience rather than real hands on practical stuff. The teacher Stephen Lamb (who wrote the charcuterie and curing book) is a very charming and engaging man, enjoyed talking about the subject, a lot, and we tasted a lot of different types of meat. We also got shown (with a couple of volunteers) how to cure bacon and mince up meat and fill the salami skins. We didn't take anything home with us, though I cadged a small side of bacon that we'd done for the demo.Regarding the kit, I have a mincer and sausage stuffer so may as well use them.
Do you think an inside garage would be suitable in Jan/Feb? Its cool (no heating, concrete floor etc.) and slightly draughty with plenty of hanging space.
Garage should be ok if it is cold and the right moisture level and has some drafts - I bought a humidity monitor for a couple of quid from amazon, and I've been placing it around strategic places in the house to see if they would be good hanging spots (which I haven't yet - my shed gets up to 96% humidity in the winter - so no good at all - in fact no good for storing anything really!)
Ideally, you need a mountain cave to air dry hams and salamis: dark, cool, dry air, with nice airflow and few bugs and creatures to attack your meat.
A draft is important as it helps the drying process and stops mildew and unwanted moulds from getting hold. At River Cottage they had a large walk in fridge specifically for hanging charcuterie with dehumidifiers connected and venting outside to create airflow - these were linked to humidi-stats (think that is the word) so that if the moisture levels went too high the fans would kick in.
People suggest re-deploying an old fridge, cutting holes for ventilation and fans as this will create temperature and humidity conditions you can control better. But sadly I've not got the space to do this.
Very interested in this stuff - currently enjoying home made pastrami in my sandwiches, and I have a lump of pork curing to make a smoked ham out of.
I haven't tried salami yet but my dad has had decent success. He uses the Weschenfelder stuff (so including nitrite/nitrate) plus the River Cottage methods. Have to say I'm skeptical about their salt only approach also. He has a fly-proof, ventilated cupboard thing in the garage which we added a light bulb and an STC-1000 temperature controller to.
I haven't tried salami yet but my dad has had decent success. He uses the Weschenfelder stuff (so including nitrite/nitrate) plus the River Cottage methods. Have to say I'm skeptical about their salt only approach also. He has a fly-proof, ventilated cupboard thing in the garage which we added a light bulb and an STC-1000 temperature controller to.
prand said:
Was an interesting - it was a lovely day out, a great lunch, though more of a very enjoyable experience rather than real hands on practical stuff. The teacher Stephen Lamb (who wrote the charcuterie and curing book) is a very charming and engaging man, enjoyed talking about the subject, a lot, and we tasted a lot of different types of meat. We also got shown (with a couple of volunteers) how to cure bacon and mince up meat and fill the salami skins. We didn't take anything home with us, though I cadged a small side of bacon that we'd done for the demo.
Garage should be ok if it is cold and the right moisture level and has some drafts - I bought a humidity monitor for a couple of quid from amazon, and I've been placing it around strategic places in the house to see if they would be good hanging spots (which I haven't yet - my shed gets up to 96% humidity in the winter - so no good at all - in fact no good for storing anything really!)
Ideally, you need a mountain cave to air dry hams and salamis: dark, cool, dry air, with nice airflow and few bugs and creatures to attack your meat.
A draft is important as it helps the drying process and stops mildew and unwanted moulds from getting hold. At River Cottage they had a large walk in fridge specifically for hanging charcuterie with dehumidifiers connected and venting outside to create airflow - these were linked to humidi-stats (think that is the word) so that if the moisture levels went too high the fans would kick in.
People suggest re-deploying an old fridge, cutting holes for ventilation and fans as this will create temperature and humidity conditions you can control better. But sadly I've not got the space to do this.
£6 lighter I have just ordered a humidity monitor - getting all my ducks in a row for a January kick off.Garage should be ok if it is cold and the right moisture level and has some drafts - I bought a humidity monitor for a couple of quid from amazon, and I've been placing it around strategic places in the house to see if they would be good hanging spots (which I haven't yet - my shed gets up to 96% humidity in the winter - so no good at all - in fact no good for storing anything really!)
Ideally, you need a mountain cave to air dry hams and salamis: dark, cool, dry air, with nice airflow and few bugs and creatures to attack your meat.
A draft is important as it helps the drying process and stops mildew and unwanted moulds from getting hold. At River Cottage they had a large walk in fridge specifically for hanging charcuterie with dehumidifiers connected and venting outside to create airflow - these were linked to humidi-stats (think that is the word) so that if the moisture levels went too high the fans would kick in.
People suggest re-deploying an old fridge, cutting holes for ventilation and fans as this will create temperature and humidity conditions you can control better. But sadly I've not got the space to do this.
thanks to all the contributors.
A few years ago I made some dry cure ham with some pork we'd reared ourselves - it was pretty simple as long as you stuck to the temp/humidity rules.
Take one pig:
Turn him into meat, remove skin and rub with salt, saltpetre and juniper mix:
Into a plastic box to start the cure:
Remove after a few days:
Then wrap in muslin, hang in a garage with a weather station nearby to measure humidity and temperature:
It was a few years ago and unfortunately I can't find any photos of the finished article, but once unwrapped it was delicious. Unfortunately due to circumstances, we weren't able to rear any more pigs and so I've never tried again, but it's well worth the effort.
I did bacon too which was excellent, but really you need a slicer to get the best results - hand cut bacon can be a bit on the chunky side.....
Take one pig:
Turn him into meat, remove skin and rub with salt, saltpetre and juniper mix:
Into a plastic box to start the cure:
Remove after a few days:
Then wrap in muslin, hang in a garage with a weather station nearby to measure humidity and temperature:
It was a few years ago and unfortunately I can't find any photos of the finished article, but once unwrapped it was delicious. Unfortunately due to circumstances, we weren't able to rear any more pigs and so I've never tried again, but it's well worth the effort.
I did bacon too which was excellent, but really you need a slicer to get the best results - hand cut bacon can be a bit on the chunky side.....
Right, on the off-chance anybody out there is interested I started my first attempt at salami last week.
Due to not being able to get to my usual place where I have the relationship (and not being able to be arsed to use my own mincer) I used some fairly fatty minced pork from the farm shop. The recipe is from River Cottage Food Tube with salt only this time (didn't use my Prague Powder 2), they have been hung in the garage at around 6-10 degrees and around 60-70% humidity after 24 hours at around 20 degrees and are all ready much darker, harder and lighter. Checking their odour every day and its smelling fine so far.
Will update as we get closer.
Due to not being able to get to my usual place where I have the relationship (and not being able to be arsed to use my own mincer) I used some fairly fatty minced pork from the farm shop. The recipe is from River Cottage Food Tube with salt only this time (didn't use my Prague Powder 2), they have been hung in the garage at around 6-10 degrees and around 60-70% humidity after 24 hours at around 20 degrees and are all ready much darker, harder and lighter. Checking their odour every day and its smelling fine so far.
Will update as we get closer.
Tony Angelino said:
Colour wasn't right and it got the dreaded case hardening where the outside dries too quick for the inside.
That's a shame Tony - so the hardened case stops the moisture from the middle moving outwards? But you live and learn, what do you think you can do differently? Was the humidity too low?I make my own biltong. I made a box from timber, with a 100w old school light bulb in the bottom and a 240v computer fan in the lid.
I salt the meat, then rinse in vinegar, then marinade in a dry spice mix for 24 hours. Then I hang the meat inside the box for 4 days.
It's absolutely delicious, I've used various different spice mixes, from the standard coriander seeds to jerk, peri peri and actually, a mango chutney one too.
I salt the meat, then rinse in vinegar, then marinade in a dry spice mix for 24 hours. Then I hang the meat inside the box for 4 days.
It's absolutely delicious, I've used various different spice mixes, from the standard coriander seeds to jerk, peri peri and actually, a mango chutney one too.
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