Want to make something different. This might be the exact thing you are looking for. Nduja is a spicy, smoky, spreadable salami that packs such incredible and intense flavor in every bite. So what is nduja?
Nduja (pronounced “en-DOO-ya”) originated in Italy and is possibly one of the most well known pieces of charcuterie to come out of Calabria. This fermented sausage has a very high fat content and is unique in the fact that it is very soft. Unlike regular salami, nduja is easily spreadable and offers a completely different experience while eating. This charcuterie is made with very unique chili peppers and paste giving nduja a very special flavor profile that is both spicy and smoky.
To make nduja you will need pork shoulder, pork fat, and Calabrian pepper paste. All of this is ground finely and mixed together before stuffing it into a hog casing or a synthetic casing. After a quick fermentation period the nduja is cold smoked then allowed to mature or dry in a controlled environment for 8+ weeks (depending on the size).
This charcuterie can be eaten as is, over warmed crusty bread, or added to pizzas, pastas, fruit, and other dishes for an elevated flavor.
Here are a few special items and ingredients that you will need for this project. Click on the item to get more info
- Casings
- Flavor of Italy
- Apera pH Meter with Bluetooth
- Dextrose
- Cure #2
- Calabrian Pepper powder
- Calabrian Pepper Paste
- Meat Grinder
- InkBird Controllers temp & Humidity
- Dehumidifier Eva Dry 2200
- Humidifier
If you want to see everything we use be sure to check out our Amazon Storefront where I have all my materials listed by category. There you’ll find everything I use to build a drying chamber and so on!! If you buy something from there it helps support our projects.
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How to Make Nduja – Authentic Italian
Ingredients
- 454 grams Pork Shoulder
- 454 grams Back Fat
- 454 grams calabrian pepper paste
- 6.5 grams fennel seeds
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 30.5 grams kosher salt
- 3.4 grams Insta cure #2
- 2.5 grams dextrose
- 4 grams table sugar
- 13.5 grams Calabrian pepper powder
- 10 grams smoked paprika
- 4 tbsp red wine
- 1 tsp liquid smoke OPTIONAL- If you don't have a cold smoker
- Flavor of Italy Starter Culture re-hydrate 1/2 tsp of starter in 1/4 cup of distilled water for every 5 pounds of meat/fat. Let this rest for 30 minutes
- mold 600 re-hydrate 1/2 tsp of mold in 1/2 cup of non-chlorinated water. This will do about 5-10 pounds of salami. Let sit at room temp for at least 5 hours before use
Instructions
- Grind chilled meat and fat through 6mm plate. Re chill then grind 2 more times through a 4.5 mm plate. Make sure it's partially frozen between grinds. The mince should look uniform.
- Prepare the casing by rehydrating in water and prepare the starter culture as it needs to rehydrate for a least 30 minutes
- Once you have everything ready add all your spices, chili paste, and starter culture to your mince and begin mixing. Mix well for about 5-7 minutes till everything is thoroughly incorporated. It should feel very wet and soft.
- Stuff into your casing and place into a fermentation chamber that is set at 75-85 F and 90% humidity for 12-24 hours. Your target pH should be 5.0-5.2
- Once you have reached the target pH you can cold smoke it for 8 hours (optional). Be sure to keep the temperature of your smoker under 70F. Adding a bag of ice to the chamber helps keep the temp low. After you cold smoke (if you choose to do this) transfer the nduja to your drying chamber.
- Brush with mold 600
- The drying conditions should be set to 55F and 80% humidity. Leave it in here for at lest 6-8 weeks
Awesome video and thank you for all the detail. You mention you can use a smaller casing for the Nduja, if you were to go that route, would hanging time be quicker? Or is hanging time, as you mentioned, purely for flavor development? Thanks!
Hanging time is partly drying and partly flavor development. If you case this into a smaller casing it will be ready sooner though. If you use cure #2 you’ll want to make sure you allow the nduja to hang and dry for at least 31 days before you cut into it to allow the cure to work properly. Often what I would do is cut a small portion off the bottom (after it was ready) and retie the casing to let it hang longer.
Awesome, thank you! Looking forward to making this. I’ll be sure to report back once I taste it.
Looking forward to hearing about it. This is one of our favorites..
MIKE bear in mind Cure#2 needs a good 30 days to convert the Nitrate to Nitrite and make it safe to consume. Shorter cure times will mean you are consuming higher levels of Nitrate.
Thank you so much for this lovely recipe. I done my first batch and it taste amazing. So now I need to make my own chilli paste. Your page ROCKS 👍👍👍
That’s awesome! This is one of my favs!!
I noticed in one of your reply’s you said make sure there is no vinegar in the chili paste. But I looked at the ingredients of the one you have in the recipe link and it does contain vinegar. Is that one ok to use.
Hey Guy. Very keen eye. These peppers are packed in oil so even though there’s a little vinegar mentioned these peppers are good to go. If they were packed in vinegar then I would suggest finding a different pepper.
Great recipe, I’ve made this before and it was a big hit amongst friends. Can I ask why to avoid the peppers that have more vinegar in them?
The vinegar tends to affect the flavor. It’s technically not that big of a deal if you don’t mind that flavor
The calculator is not right
Meat and fat I did put 1000
And it show 3.333 pork shoulder and 3.333 back fat ? How come that is a 1000
It’s clearly 6.666
Hi Robert. Thanks for your message. The calculator works but the wording is a little funny (mainly because this sausage is so unique). I’ve changed the wording to say “How much do you want to make?”. I think this is better. So just enter how much nduja you want to make (in grams) and the recipe will calculate the ingredients for you. I hope that helps.
Hi Eric! I’m about to try this recipe with some left overs from butchering a fresh man for culatello. I notice you have Calabrian chili paste in the ingredients list but I don’t see you using it in the video (unless I missed it). Is it optional? Which way do you prefer it?
Pete
Hi Pete. The pepper paste is added at minute 3:50 in the video. It’s a pretty necessary ingredient as it not only adds to the awesome flavor but it also aids in the spreadable quality..
Thanks Eric…
I missed it! I made the nduja. I may have screwed up and purchased some chili paste that was too acidic. It has “acid stabilizer” listed as an ingredient. The mix was 5.1 when I stuffed it. I wasn’t sure if I should still ferment but then read some recipes that called for more acidic pH. Anyway, it’s in the smoker now, as it decreased to 4.8.
Thank you for a great recipe and video!
Pete
Hey Pete. I think you are right. Either way sounds like you are on track though. Let it smoke and start the drying process. What size is your casing?
I used some hog casings that I had. I’m dying to try it, so I thought thinner was good!
Excellent. They will be done in no time!!
Howdy Eric,
Was curious about the shelf life for Nduja after it’s cured. Do you eat immediatley? Can it be frozen?
Thanks!
Blake
Hi Blake,
You can do both. You can eat it immediately or place it in a vac sealed bag in the refrigerator for up to a year. Or you can leave it in your chamber and let it keep drying and aging..
You can also freeze it..
Eric
No! No proper Italian cured meat should EVER be frozen! Please!
Hey Eric. I love watching your videos and have done 3 of your refrigerated muscle recipes, the Spanish Lomo, Calabrian Pork Tenderloin and the Capocollo and all have turned out well. I still don’t have a drying chamber but want to make this Nduja. I was thinking about substituting the Pork shoulder & back fat with a mix of store bought already cured Salami’s and grinding them up. Besides eliminating the Insta cure #2, the Flavor of Italy starter culture, Mold 600 and reducing or eliminating the salt (to taste), what else would you recommend? After a day or 2 of letting the ingredients meld together, I would have a finished product. Certainly won’t be as good as this recipe and probably will have to freeze the leftovers, but at least I would have some. Your thoughts?
I think you nailed it. Other than those things I wouldn’t change anything. You could always taste it after it’s finished and adjust salt as necessary
Hi Eric,
2 questions:
1) why 3.4 g of Cure #2? Shouldn’t it be 2.5g per kilo of meat?
2) what is the purpose of putting stuffed casings into the net?
Regards
This recipe isn’t for a kilo, it’s 1362 grams. and the netting was added because it looked cool, no other reason😉
Tried your recipe. All is great except it was too salty for my wife’s and my taste. Any suggestion? Is there a possibility that calabrian paste was salty as well?
could be. The total salt content shouldn’t exceed 2.5% – 2.75%
Hi Eric. I have started to develop a few tiny blue spots on my Mold 600 coating after about a fortnight. Is this an issue?
I would wipe it down with vinegar