Smoked Rabbit Salami
Celebrate Sausage S02E26 — a cold-smoked, fermented dry-cured salami made from rabbit blended with pork shoulder and back fat. From twoguysandacooler.com. Uses the Flavor of Italy starter culture; instructions are written for that culture (every starter is different). Casings: protein-lined 61mm. Dry to 30–40% weight loss (the more you lose, the firmer the salami).
Ingredients
| 250 g | rabbit |
| 100 g | pork shoulder |
| 150 g | pork back fat |
| 12.5 g | kosher salt |
| 1.25 g | Insta Cure #2 |
| 1 g | dextrose |
| 1.5 g | black pepper |
| 1.25 g | garlic powder |
| 0.75 g | dry sage |
| 1.25 g | coriander powder |
| 0.5 g | orange zest |
| — | Flavor of Italy starter culture (rehydrate 1/4 tsp in 1/8 cup distilled water per kilo of meat/fat, 30 min) |
| — | protein-lined sausage casings (61mm) |
Instructions
- Debone and clean your meat. Cut the meat and fat into small chunks (small enough to fit into your grinder). Chill your meat to 32–34°F (0–1°C).
- Prepare the casing by soaking in lukewarm water and prepare the starter culture, which needs at least 30 minutes to rehydrate.
- Grind the meat and fat separately, each through a coarse plate (10mm or 8mm). Rechill after grinding.
- Add all of the spices, cure, dextrose and the rehydrated starter culture to the minced meat. Mix until it starts to get tacky. Finally add the chilled fat and continue mixing (about 30 seconds); when finished it should stick to your hand held upside down.
- Stuff the mince into your casings, prick with a sausage pricker, and weigh your salami. Record the weight, subtract 35% and record that number — that is your finishing weight. For a firmer salami dry to 40% loss.
- Ferment by placing the salami in an environment between 75°F (24°C) and 85°F (29°C) with high humidity for 18–24 hours. Achieve high humidity by wrapping in cling film to lock in moisture; a good place is your oven with the light on but the oven off. The goal is to reach a pH between 5.3 and 4.9.
- Once you reach the target pH, cold smoke the salami for 4–8 hours under 90°F (32°C). (Mine was smoked 6 hours with oak and cherry wood.)
- Transfer the salami to the drying chamber, set to 55°F (13°C) and 80% humidity. Leave until you lose 30–40% moisture. The more moisture lost, the harder the salami; a 35–40% weight loss is preferred.