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Sweet & Spicy Salami

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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 (below 35F) during the grinding process
  3. Rehydrate your starter culture (in non-chlorinated water) for 30 minutes prior to use.
  4. Mix your very chilled mince meat, 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 of each salami link
  7. Brush with protective mold culture
  8. Hang the salami to ferment for 18-24 hours (these parameters are for Flavor of Italy starter culture)
  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 this salami

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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5 from 2 votes

Sweet & Spicy Salami

A Dr. Pepper and Chocolate Habanero delight
Prep Time2 hours
Drying time61 days
How much do you want to make? 1000 grams

Ingredients

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Day 1

  • 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 32f-34f. Grind chilled meat and fat through a medium plate (6mm).
  • Add all of the spices, cure, dextrose, peppers, and Worcestershire Sauce to the meat. Mix to incorporate, cover, and refrigerate overnight

Day 2

  • If you are using a mold culture prepare at least 2-3 hours before you need it. This will give it a chance to "wake up".
  • Prepare the casing by soaking in luke warm water and prepare the starter culture as it needs to rehydrate for a least 30 minutes
  • Add the Dr. Pepper to a small pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the liquid by 75%
  • Add the Dr. Pepper syrup and the starter culture to the mince 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.
  • Tightly stuff the mince into your casings, prick with a sausage pricker, and if you plan on using mold this would be a good time to brush it on. Also weigh your salami and record the weight.
  • Ferment your salami by placing them in an environment that between 75F (24c) and 85F (29c) with high humidity for 18-24 hours. You can achieve high humidity by wrapping you 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.
  • 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 30% – 40% moisture loss. The more moisture that is lost the harder your salami will be. I personally like 35% – 40% weight loss.

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7 thoughts on “Sweet & Spicy Salami”

  1. keith Cagnolatti

    Good Afternoon Eric,

    Really neat looking salami! I’m betting it was the high fructose corn syrup in the Dr. Pepper that gave the lower than expected pH reading. So, how much less dextrose would you add in order to hit target pH of around 5? 1 gram? 1.25 grams?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Eric

      Yes. That’s exactly what happened. I’ve adjusted the recipe to .15% but I bet bringing it down to .1% would work as well. I could have checked it sooner and have hit my target…

      Reply
      1. keith Cagnolatti

        That should work well. Either that or eliminate the dextrose entirely and increase the Dr. Pepper for more flavor and use the high fructose corn syrup as the simple sugar in the recipe….

        -Keith

        Reply
  2. RaymondRamonRivera

    5 stars
    Very good recipes learning to start sausage making.work in food service & restaurants have some equipment new grinder need stuffer for sausage making.thanks very

    Reply

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