Salami 101

[Mercs Own]

My salami is almost all done for this year. Just waiting on the larger ones to finish off and also for the pancetta and capocollo to dry. happiest with a fistful of home made!!

 

[DU99]

looks good

 

[MattC]

Hey guys, I've been wanting to get into salami making for a while and now with the tax return in I'm in the market for a sausage stuffer. Im looking at a couple of models on ebay

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-5L-Sausage-Filler-Stuffer-Stainless-Steel-Two-Speed-Adjustment-/150959191362?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Restaurant_Catering_Equipment&hash=item2325de7542

or this one (but in the 5L)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ROVTEX-sausage-filler-stainless-steel-3L-sausage-stuffer-/260934787705?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Restaurant_Catering_Equipment&hash=item3cc0ece279

the Rovtex brand are a little more expensive but I cant seem to find any info on them and whether or not the extra price is justified.

Do any of you have any advice or experience with any of these models or in particular, what NOT to buy?

Cheers

 

[punkin]

Good job mate.

 

[Wolfman]

Hey guys, I've been wanting to get into salami making for a while and now with the tax return in I'm in the market for a sausage stuffer. Im looking at a couple of models on ebay

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-5L-Sausage-Filler-Stuffer-Stainless-Steel-Two-Speed-Adjustment-/150959191362?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Restaurant_Catering_Equipment&hash=item2325de7542

or this one (but in the 5L)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ROVTEX-sausage-filler-stainless-steel-3L-sausage-stuffer-/260934787705?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Restaurant_Catering_Equipment&hash=item3cc0ece279

the Rovtex brand are a little more expensive but I cant seem to find any info on them and whether or not the extra price is justified.

Do any of you have any advice or experience with any of these models or in particular, what NOT to buy?

Cheers

I got a horizontal one the other day. Works a treat. I did get the 3l one for $145. I think that is more than enough for my sausage making. I did really wont the vertical one but settled for the bench top.

Did make stuffing oh so much easier!

 

[AUHEAMIC]

Been a while
Great weather for salami this year.

 

[QldKev]

I think it would be great if someone could write a guide to making salami. A real beginners how to, that assumes the user has had no previous experience. Maybe it could cater for both fermented and non-fermented sausages. We could make it a sticky.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

That would be a great idea

 

[punkin]

You could just copy one from a sausage making forum


Or Just use Mercs

http://www.paulmercurio.net/?p=253

 

[QldKev]

You could just copy one from a sausage making forum


Or Just use Mercs

http://www.paulmercurio.net/?p=253

That page has feedback/chat about it, not a how to. When I click any link from that page to the archive it comes up bad link?

 

[punkin]

I'm sure he'll back to fix it now.

 

[Mercs Own]

I think it would be great if someone could write a guide to making salami. A real beginners how to, that assumes the user has had no previous experience. Maybe it could cater for both fermented and non-fermented sausages. We could make it a sticky.

QLDKev - if you read this thread from the beginning you will see that I take you through the complete process of making salami at home including pics. It has been good enough in the past that people here have used it as a guide to make their own salami at home. Also there is plenty of debate about using preservatives etc and lots of other people have added their experience and recipes for the salami they are making. Get your glasses on and get in to it!

 

[Mercs Own]

The link on my blog site no longer works however it was a copy of the stuff I put on here.

 

[MattC]

G'day charcutiers.....

Whilst I wait to get into salami making I thought I would start with pancetta since it is apparently pretty easy. My pork belly has been curing for 6 days in a rub that doesn't contain nitrites (may just use this first batch as cooking pancetta, as the nitrite debate hasn't really encouraged me to eat this batch without cooking). It is pretty thin and weighed approx. 1.3kg (thought Id start with a small piece for my first go).

I used about 1/2 cup cooking salt as I couldn't acquire any Kosher salt at the time, along with other spices (couldn't find juniper berries). I plan on washing it well tomorrow then tasting for saltiness and if too salty, soak in water for 30 mins, then repeat. I was going to leave it flat to dry but it is pretty thin in parts so I was thinking about rolling it. A few websites have recommended rolling it then wrapping it in cheesecloth and tying it up prior to drying. I cant find any info on how this would benefit the drying phase, or the final product at all. Has anyone else used this method and does it work, or am I wasting my time and should I just tie it?

cheers

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

The link on my blog site no longer works however it was a copy of the stuff I put on here.

Enough said.

 

[benno1973]

A few websites have recommended rolling it then wrapping it in cheesecloth and tying it up prior to drying. I cant find any info on how this would benefit the drying phase, or the final product at all. Has anyone else used this method and does it work, or am I wasting my time and should I just tie it?

cheers

Hi Matt,

Wrapping in cheesecloth will just slow the drying process and ensure that you don't get a hard, crusty exterior. It's not totally necessary, I've done it both ways and it does as described above, but if you don't do it, you'll still make delicious pancetta.

 

[MattC]

Thanks Kaiser, as I have now got the wife to dig through 4 boxes of fabric to find the cheesecloth.....I think I will use it this time

 

[Mercs Own]

G'day charcutiers.....

Whilst I wait to get into salami making I thought I would start with pancetta since it is apparently pretty easy. My pork belly has been curing for 6 days in a rub that doesn't contain nitrites (may just use this first batch as cooking pancetta, as the nitrite debate hasn't really encouraged me to eat this batch without cooking). It is pretty thin and weighed approx. 1.3kg (thought Id start with a small piece for my first go).

I used about 1/2 cup cooking salt as I couldn't acquire any Kosher salt at the time, along with other spices (couldn't find juniper berries). I plan on washing it well tomorrow then tasting for saltiness and if too salty, soak in water for 30 mins, then repeat. I was going to leave it flat to dry but it is pretty thin in parts so I was thinking about rolling it. A few websites have recommended rolling it then wrapping it in cheesecloth and tying it up prior to drying. I cant find any info on how this would benefit the drying phase, or the final product at all. Has anyone else used this method and does it work, or am I wasting my time and should I just tie it?

cheers

It is a bit late in the season to be hanging pancetta usually you would be hanging this in June so as to have the colder months to dry it out over 5 or so weeks. The temps are starting to go up now... I rolled my pancetta last year but it didn't dry properly (hung for 6 weeks) so it went in the bin, probably my fault for not salting it enough and maybe I should have let hang longer but it got warm! This year I have left mine flat and they dried very well pics below. I have maybe left them a little too long this year so next year I hope to get it right. If you are going to hang you pancetta I would probably hang it unrolled due to the fact that it is late in the season and you probably want it to hang and dry quicker. If you roll, it will take longer to dry in the middle and being we are mid August I am not sure that is so good. What do others think?

Also you will notice my capocollo: I wrap it in wet collagen skin and then put it in the elastic sock and hang it that way. The skin is the same I use for salami only it comes in large pieces of "paper" type flat sheets. It is great when stuffing salami and you get a small blow out - instead of ditching that skin and re stuffing you can soak the flat sheet in water and then wrap it around the blow out and it seals it up fine.

Where do you live that you couldn't buy juniper berries??

good luck with it and let us know how you go.

 

[MattC]

Thanks Mercs, you have now convinced me to go back to plan A and hang it flat, which is what I was originally going to do but as it was very thin in parts, I thought about rolling it.

Your pancetta in the picture looks quite dark, do you re-season them after rinsing and prior to hanging?

I just moved to Broken Hill at the start of this year and you cant get everything you need out here. I had an extensive look around woollies but could not find the juniper berries anywhere, or kosher salt. It was a very last minute thing to try this as we bought some pork belly (from woollies, thought Id go budget just to try it for the first time) as we were having it for dinner and it was a fairly large piece so I thought id do pancetta with the other piece.

Will be rinsing it this arvo and hanging it. As I didn't use nitrites, when it is ready I might start by cooking it first, then trying it next time cooked a little less and then work up to eating it totally uncooked, rather than go in head first.

Thanks for the advice, a great thread that I will be referring to frequently when the sausage filler is purchased.

Cheers

 

[benno1973]

...I would probably hang it unrolled due to the fact that it is late in the season and you probably want it to hang and dry quicker. If you roll, it will take longer to dry in the middle and being we are mid August I am not sure that is so good. What do others think?

Yeh, good point. If you're hanging in Broken Hill, which I assume gets pretty warm, I'd try and get it dried as quick as possible.