Pineapple Mango Habanero Salami

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE RECIPE I FEATURED IN MY VIDEO. THERE IS A REVISED RECIPE ON THIS POST WITH THE SUGGESTED CHANGES I THINK WOULD BENEFIT THIS SALAMI.

Prepare the Salami

• Start by grilling the pineapple till you reach an internal temperature of 180f (82c). This deactivated the bromelain enzyme.
• Clean your meat of any sinew or silverskin and cut the meat and fat into small chunks (small enough to fit into your grinder)
• Chill your meat to below 34f (1.1c). Grind chilled meat and fat through a medium course plate (6mm). Rechill after grinding.
• Prepare the casing by soaking in luke warm water for 15-20 minutes
• Rehydrate the starter culture in non chlorinated water for 30 minutes prior to using.
• In a blender add a little pineapple, mango, and habanero and blend. Once you have a smooth puree set to the side. In a small container add the amount of puree that this recipe calls for along with the water and baking soda. This will neutralize the acid in the pineapple. Set to the side.
• Add the starter culture to the meat and mix to incorporate. Then add the rest of the ingredients (except the frozen cubes of feta cheese) to the meat and continue mixing. 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. Finally add the frozen cubes of feta and mix only to incorporate.
• Stuff the mince tightly into your casings, Be sure to take a small amount of mince meat and wrap it in some cling film. This is what you will be testing the ph of your salami with. Prick with a sanitized sausage pricker, weigh your salami and record the weight. For a firm salami I would target a 40% weight loss. If you like your salami a bit softer you can target a 35% 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 below 5.3. I generally try to target anything between 5.2 and 4.9.

Cold Smoke your salami

• I generally cold smoke during the fermentation step (which is a lot easier). Just make sure there's a tray of water in your smoker and keep the temps between 70f and 85f. For a lightly smoked salami cold smoke for 3-6 hours. For a smokier flavor, cold smoke for 9-12 hours. During the smoking step your salami should not be wrapped in cling film…
• Check the ph of your salami sample after 17-18 hours. Once you have reached the target pH you can transfer your salami to the drying chamber.
• The drying conditions should be set to 55F (13c) and 80% humidity. Leave it in here till you lose 35% – 40% moisture loss. The more moisture that is lost the harder your salami will be.
• once you hit your weight loss target, slice thinly and enjoy

Storage Instructions

• To store your salami, remove the casing and wash the salami with either vinegar or wine. Place your salami stick in a vacuum sealed bag and refrigerate.

This is a revised version of our Salami Recipe

Prepare the Fruit Puree

• Start by grilling the pineapple till you reach an internal temperature of 180f (82c). This deactivated the bromelain enzyme.
• In a blender, combine the habanero, mango, and pineapple and blend till you get a smooth puree. Measure out the amount that this recipe calls for in a small bowl and to that add the baking soda. This will neutralize the puree. Set to the side.

Prepare the cheese

• cut the feta cheese into small cubes and place them into the freezer.

Prepare the meat

• Clean your meat of any sinew or silverskin and cut the meat and fat into small chunks (small enough to fit into your grinder)
• Chill your meat to below 34f (1.1c). Grind chilled meat and fat through a medium plate (6mm). Rechill after grinding.

Bring Everything together

• Rehydrate the mold culture in non chlorinated water and let rest for 1 hour prior to using.
• Rehydrate the starter culture in non chlorinated water for 30 minutes prior to using.
• Prepare the casing by soaking in luke warm water for 15-20 minutes
• Add the starter culture to the meat and mix to incorporate. Then add the rest of the ingredients (except the frozen cubes of feta cheese) to the meat and continue mixing. 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. Finally add the frozen cubes of feta and mix only to incorporate.
• Stuff the mince tightly into your casings, Be sure to take a small amount of mince meat and wrap it in some cling film. This is what you will be testing the ph of your salami with. Prick with a sanitized sausage pricker, weigh your salami and record the weight. For a firm salami I would target a 40% weight loss. If you like your salami a bit softer you can target a 35% weight loss.
• Spray on your prepared mold culture at this point
• 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 below 5.3. I generally try to target anything between 5.2 and 4.9.

For this revised version I decided to not cold smoke the salami

• Check the ph of your salami sample after 17-18 hours. Once you have reached the target pH you can transfer your salami to the drying chamber.
• The drying conditions should be set to 55F (13c) and 80% humidity. Leave it in here till you lose 35% – 40% moisture loss. The more moisture that is lost the harder your salami will be.
• once you hit your weight loss target, slice thinly and enjoy

Storage Instructions

• To store your salami, remove the casing and wash the salami with either vinegar or wine. Place your salami stick in a vacuum sealed bag and refrigerate.