Elk Truffle Salami Snack Stick

This recipe was submitted by Greg over at the Gourmet Woodsman YouTube Channel and I am loving the regional element to this snack stick!! Enjoy the recipe.

Follow basic salami preparation practices when making this sausage.

1. Clean and sanitize all of your equipment.
2. Keep your meat and grinder parts super cold (under 34f or 1c) during the grinding process.
3. Rehydrate your starter culture (in non-chlorinated water) for 30 minutes prior to use.
4. Mix your very chilled mincemeat (under 34f or 1c), seasonings, and starter culture till the mince becomes very tacky.
5. Tightly stuff the mince into casings and prick out any air pockets.
6. Record the starting weight and the target weight of each salami link.
7. Brush with protective mold culture (unless you plan on cold smoking)
8. Hang the salami to ferment.
9. After the pH target has been hit, hang the salami to dry till the weight loss target has been achieved.
10. Remove from the drying chamber, slice thinly, and enjoy.

Here are a few things you might find useful when making salami.

• Bacteria Starter Cultures
• Protective Mold for Salami
• Insta Cure #2 (Curing Salt with Nitrites/Nitrates)
• Dextrose
• Iodophor Sanitizer
• MK4 Thermapen (Accurate Thermometer)
• Sausage Pricker
• Apera pH Meter with Bluetooth
• Dry Curing Cabinet
• Kotai Chef Knife
• Sausage Stuffers
• Meat Grinder
• Meat Mixers
• Stuffing Horn Cleaner
• Butcher Twine & Dispenser
• Small accurate Scale for spices
• Large Capacity Scale (33 pounds)
• Meat Slicer
• Drying rack and tray
• Custom Cutting Board
• InkBird Controllers temp & Humidity
• Dehumidifier Eva Dry 1100
• Humidifiers
• Hand Held Vacuum SealerHeavy Duty Kitchen Vacuum Sealer

If you want to see the different things that we use in operation our be sure to check out our new Amazon Store.

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Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Elk & Truffle Snack Sticks

A little taste of the Pacific North West

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Drying time60 days d

Total Time60 days d 2 hours hrs

How much do you want to make? 1000 grams

Ingredients

Metric – US Customary

• 700 g elk meat
• 300 g pork back fat
• 25 g truffle salt or regular salt f you don't want the truffle flavor
• 2.5 g Insta cure #1
• 2 g dextrose
• 1 g white pepper
• 1 g black pepper
• 1 g dried rosemary
• 1 g dried thyme
• 1 g juniper berry finely crushed into a powder
• Flavor of Italy Starter Culture re-hydrate 1/4 tsp of starter in 1/4 cup of distilled water for every kilo (2.2 pounds) of meat/fat. Let this rest for 30 minutes
• 22-24mm sheep casings

Instructions

Prepare the casings

• The night before rinse and flush your sausage casing. Let it soak in water in the refrigerator overnight. I like to add a little baking soda to the soaking water to make it extra slippery. (1 tsp of baking soda for every 4 cups of water)

Prepare the Salami Snack Sticks

• Clean your meat of any sinew or silver skin and cut the meat and fat into small chunks (small enough to fit into your grinder)
• Chill your meat to below 34f (1.1c). Double grind the chilled meat through a fine plate (4.5mm) and single grind the chilled fat through the same plate (4.5mm). Rechill after grinding.
• Rehydrate the starter culture in distilled water for 30 minutes prior to using.
• Add all of the spices, cure, dextrose, and starter culture to the chilled ground meat. Mix well until everything is thoroughly incorporated. It should feel tacky and stick to your hand if you turn your hand upside down, when finished.
• Stuff the mince tightly into your casings, prick with a sausage pricker. Weigh your salami and record the actual weight and record your target weight. For this salami I like to target a 40% weight loss
• Ferment your salami by placing them in an environment that between 75F (23.9c) and 85F (29.4c) with high humidity for 18-24 hours. You can achieve high humidity by wrapping your salami in cling film. This locks in the moisture. A good place to ferment is in your oven with the light on but the oven off. (EVERY STARTER CULTURE IS DIFFERENT. THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR THE FLAVOR OF ITALY STARTER CULTURE). The goal of fermentation is to reach a pH between 5.2 and 4.9.
• With the Flavor of Italy starter culture, it normally takes 18-24 hours to hit target. You are looking for a ph of anything between 4.9 pH and 5.2 pH. (I like to target 4.9).

Cold Smoking this snack stick

• Once you hit your target ph you can cold smoke these snack sticks. Keep the cold smoke temps to under 86f (29.4c). A good 6-8 hours will bring a nice smoky flavor.

Drying your snack sticks

• Hang your snack sticks in an area where the temps are around 55F (13c) and 80% humidity. A basement, cellar, or a dedicated drying chamber all work for this.
• Once you hit your target weight loss (for this size snack stick it should only take around 2-3 weeks or so), your sticks are finished!! Enjoy.

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