Mint Salami
"A real mind bender" — a fermented dry-cured salami of lean pork and beef with pork back fat, flavored with mint and whitened with titanium dioxide. From twoguysandacooler.com. Uses the Flavor of Italy starter culture and optional Mold 600. Dry to 38–40% weight loss.
Ingredients
| 200 g | lean pork |
| 150 g | lean beef |
| 150 g | pork back fat |
| 12.5 g | kosher salt |
| 1.25 g | Insta Cure #2 |
| 1 g | dextrose |
| 1.25 g | white pepper |
| 1.5 g | garlic powder |
| 0.38 g | mint |
| 0.38 g | titanium dioxide |
| 10 g | non-fat dry milk powder |
| 0.3 g | sodium erythorbate (optional, keeps the meat from oxidizing) |
| — | 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) |
Instructions
- If using a mold culture, prepare it at least 2–3 hours before you start processing your meat so it can "wake up".
- 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.
- Prepare the casing by soaking in lukewarm water and prepare the starter culture, which needs at least 30 minutes to rehydrate.
- Combine the cure and the spices and set aside. In a small container, weigh out the titanium dioxide and mix in 1–2 tablespoons of cool water.
- Add the cure, spices and starter culture to the mince and mix well until thoroughly incorporated; it should feel tacky and stick to your hand held upside down.
- Add the titanium dioxide liquid and mix another 20 seconds until everything is well combined.
- 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 (38–40% weight loss preferred).