Italian Cacciatore Salami
An Italian hunter's salami made from fatty pork shoulder — a two-day process of seasoning, fermentation and long drying. From twoguysandacooler.com. Prep time 2 hours; drying time 61 days. Uses the Flavor of Italy starter culture and optional Mold 600. Casings: protein-lined 61mm.
⏱️ Prep: 2 min
Ingredients
| 500 g | fatty pork shoulder (70/30) | |
| 12.5 g | kosher salt | |
| 1.25 g | Insta Cure #2 | |
| 1 g | dextrose | |
| 0.5 g | black pepper | |
| 1.5 g | granulated table sugar | |
| 0.5 tbsp | 7.5 ml | red wine |
| 3.5 g | minced garlic | |
| — | Flavor of Italy starter culture (rehydrate 1/4 tsp in 1/8 cup distilled water per kilo of meat/fat, rest 30 min) | |
| — | Mold 600 (rehydrate 1/2 tsp in 1/2 cup non-chlorinated water; covers ~5–10 lb salami; rest at room temp at least 5 hrs before use) | |
| — | protein-lined sausage casings (61mm) |
Instructions
Day 1:
- Combine the wine and the garlic and let marinate for a few hours.
- Clean the meat of any sinew or silverskin and cut the meat and fat into small chunks (small enough to fit into your grinder).
- Chill the meat to 32–34°F (0–1°C). Grind chilled meat and fat through a coarse plate (10mm or 8mm). Rechill after grinding.
- Add all the spices, cure, dextrose and the wine/garlic to the minced meat. Mix to combine, then cover and refrigerate overnight. (Do NOT add the starter culture at this step.) Day 2:
- If using a mold culture, prepare it at least 2–3 hours before you need it so it can "wake up".
- Prepare the casing by soaking in lukewarm water and prepare the starter culture, which needs at least 30 minutes to rehydrate.
- Take the seasoned meat out of the refrigerator and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once rechilled, add the starter culture to the mince and mix well until thoroughly incorporated; it should feel tacky and stick to your hand held upside down.
- Stuff the mince into the casings, prick with a sausage pricker, and if using mold, brush it on now. Weigh the salami and record the weight.
- Ferment by placing the salami in an environment between 75°F and 85°F with high humidity for 18–24 hours. Wrap in cling film to lock in moisture; a good place is your oven with the light on but the oven off. The goal is a pH between 5.2 and 4.9.
- Once the target pH is reached, transfer the salami to the drying chamber, set to 55°F and 80% humidity. Leave until you lose 30–40% moisture; the more moisture lost, the harder the salami (35–40% weight loss preferred).