Have you ever heard of the Italian Cacciatore Salami? It’s incredible. The word cacciatore means hunter in Italian and this salami is appropriately names a hunters sausage. This sausage was often take out in the field and used for food by hunters as it was shelf stable and didn’t require refrigeration.
There are many variations of this salami. The size of the casing, the proteins that are used, and even the spice profile. For this recipe we decided to keep it very simple and allow the pork to shine through. When you make this at home feel free to play with the ingredients and tweak it to your liking!!
There are a few unique ingredients in this recipe. The first is Insta Cure #2. We use Insta Cure #2 to protect our meat against harmful bacteria (botulism) and because the processing time will be longer than 30 days to dry. Another unique ingredient is dextrose. Dextrose is a simple sugar that is used to feed the bacteria in our salami. Speaking of bacteria the final unique ingredient we will be adding is a bacterial starter culture called Flavor of Italy.
Flavor of Italy contains several different family groups of lactic acid producing bacteria (much like sauerkraut or pickles). Under the right conditions, these bacteria eat the added sugar (dextrose) and release lactic acid. It’s this very process that starts to acidify your meat, lowering the pH. When it comes to salami making the “safe zone” is a pH that’s under 5.3. Each start culture is slightly different but for Flavor of Italy our target ph will be between 5.2pH and 4.9pH.
The absolute most reliable way to test the pH of your salami is with a pH meter. If you plan on getting into this hobby you’ll want to get a reliable pH meter. This isn’t something that you want to go cheap on. A good quality pH meter will last you a long time and offer you the peace of mind of knowing that you are producing a safe product to eat. We use the pH meter from Apera Instruments PH60S-Z. This Pocket pH Tester has blue tooth capability, can be calibrated for extreme accuracy, and is very easy to use. They also make a (non bluetooth version) PH60S. The great thing about pH meters is that you can use them for all sorts of things other than salami making. We use ours to make beer/wine, cheese, fermented foods (kim chi, sauerkraut, hot sauce), kombucha, and gardening/hydroponics. There are many different styles of pH meters but if you stick to the ones that I linked above (the swiss spear units) you can do everything i mentioned without a problem.
The last thing and quite possibly the most important thing you need in order to make this salami is a place for it to dry. This salami is very unique in the sense that it will require a very long drying time. Mine too around 6 months to get to it’s target weight loss of 40%. A typical salami can take between 4-6 weeks to hit it’s target, so 6 months is a very long time and a lot can go wrong. You will need an area to hang your salami where the temperature and humidity (as well as air flow) are nearly perfect. Salami was often hung in basements or cellars as the temperature was typically cool with a fairly high humidity. If you have a basement or cellar that’s not very drafty and has an average of 55F (13C) with a high humidity (80%) then you can hang your salami in there with no worries, but for the rest of us, the best option is to have a drying chamber. A drying chamber chamber provides a controlled environment so that your salami can dry evenly. Building a drying chamber is relatively easy but if you don’t want to build one and have some rainy day money laying around buying a drying/curing chamber is even easier.
Follow basic salami preparation practices when making this sausage.
- Clean and Sanitize all of your equipment.
- Keep your meat and grinder parts super cold (below 35F) during the grinding process
- Rehydrate your starter culture (in non-chlorinated water) for 30 minutes prior to use.
- Mix your very chilled mince meat, seasonings, and starter culture till the mince becomes very tacky
- Tightly stuff the mince into casings and prick out any air pockets
- Record the starting weight and the target of each salami link
- Brush with protective mold culture
- Hang the salami to ferment for 18-24 hours (these parameters are for Flavor of Italy starter culture)
- After the pH target has been hit, hang the salami to dry till the weight loss target has been achieved.
- Remove from the drying chamber, slice thinly, and enjoy
Here are a few things you might find useful when making this salami
- Iodophor Sanitizer
- Hog Bladder
- Digital Smokers (I use the model 4D WiFi)
- Bella’s Cold Smoke Generator
- MK4 Thermapen (Accurate Thermometer)
- Sausage Pricker
- Dry Curing Cabinet
- Kotai Chef Knife (for 15% off use discount code – 2guys )
- Sausage Stuffers
- Meat Grinder
- Meat Mixers
- Stuffing Horn Cleaner
- Butcher Twine & Dispenser
- Small accurate Scale for spices
- Large Capacity Scale (33 pounds)
- Drying rack and tray
- Custom Cutting Board
- Apera pH Meter with Bluetooth
- Dextrose
- InkBird Controllers temp & Humidity
- Dehumidifier Eva Dry 1100
- Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier
- Heavy Duty Kitchen Vacuum Sealer
How do you store your salami when it’s finished
Storing your salami properly is just about as important as making your salami. You’ve spent so much time patiently waiting for your salami to dry properly the last thing you want is to have it ruined by storing it incorrectly. In all my years of salami making the advice I’m about to give is from personal experience.
I have found that the best way to store your salami is by vacuum sealing it then placing it in your refrigerator till you are ready to eat. This method will keep your salami in “stasis” for as long as a year! By vacuum sealing your salami will keep it from losing any more moisture and as an added bonus the time it remains in the refrigerator will help equalize the moisture that inside and allow the salami to “age” which will develop its flavor. It’s a win win!
Can you freeze your salami? Technically you can and many people do BUT freezing your charcuterie (salami or whole muscles) will affect the texture when it’s thawed and eaten. As the salami thaws moisture crystals (that were frozen) will be released changing the overall texture. I don’t personally recommend freezing but if you don’t mind the texture change it is certainly an option. If you are looking for an affordable vacuum sealer, consider checking out the Heavy Duty Kitchen Vacuum Sealer from the Sausage Maker. This vacuum sealer is versatile and really does a good job. It has lots of features and really makes a tight seal on your meats (which is what you want). A more economical option for more short-term storage is this Hand Held Vacuum Sealer with Zip Lock Bags also from The Sausage Maker. This is a great option for fast convenient vacuum sealing especially if you plan on taking slices off your salami frequently. This option allows you to use a small handheld sealer with special bags that can be reused time and time again.
The only thing you need to remember about vacuum sealing your salami is that all of the exterior mold coverage needs to be removed. Mold needs oxygen to survive and the moment you vacuum seal a salami with mold on it, the mold will begin to die and turn slimy. To remove the mold just wash the outside of your salami with vinegar. That should take care of it.
Enjoy the video and the recipe. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away. If you make this at home, I’d love to hear about how it came out!!
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Eric, I like simple… I like garlic… This recipe looks awesome…
Eric,
Can this salami be ‘pressed’ like a soprasatta?
Yes
Hi Eric, How are you?
If I add the starter culture directly to the meat (without hydrating) will I have problems?
You might. I wouldn’t advise to do it that way. Adding it to water and rehydrating first allows the starter to “wake up”. This gives the bacteria head start over all of the other bacteria present on the meat..
Eric, love your salami recipes. I like the Reaper and Buffalo Hot Wing. Two keepers for me so far :). I’m going to try this one this weekend. Was thinking about tweaking it a little. Do you think i can add cured green olives? Whole stuffed with pimento or chopped? Keep up the great videos.
Ciao,
Donato
Sure. The olive cavity might pose a problem during the drying stage as the oxygen will likely cause bacteria and mold to grow. I would probably chop them first..
Eric, Thanks for all of your expertise! I also want to throw props to the production of your video’s. Very well done and only getting better. Just got another batch of salami’s going for the drying chamber with your help. keep fighting the good fight Chef!
Cheers
Romano Paoletti
Hi, great channel. I use 29-32 casings for both my dry and fresh sausage if I use that size for the cacciatore salami should I use cure #1 since the drying time will be less. I think 3 to 4 weeks
I would use cure 1. A casing that small should finish in 30 days or less
if you used a Cure #2 and it is finished in less than 30 days, would that create an issue? if so what would it be?
thanks
Yes. The issue is unconverted nitrates. I would vac seal it and place it in the refrigerator till that 30-35 day mark has been reached
Eric,
I like the look of this recipe could I use the Umai salami kit with this spice blend
yes
I love this recipe, I tweak it by cold smoking them and pulling them at 32% to make a tender sandwich meat. 👍