How to make artisanal salami at home

Making salami at home may seem like a very difficult challenge at first, but with good reading and following the basic procedures you will realize that it is easier than it seems. There is no point in finding a recipe, because in the production of cured meats, such as salami, it is more important to understand how each process works than a specific recipe. It is more advantageous to create your own basic recipe following the principles of the process than to take a ready-made recipe and apply it without understanding what is happening.

In this post I will try to elucidate each of the steps involved so that you can have autonomy and create your own product, understanding why each key ingredient and step in the process is present.

Step by step on how to make homemade salami

We have some recipes for artisan salami with step-by-step production, but we recommend that you read the entire text before starting with the recipe.

Handmade salami
Italian Salami Tuscan Finocchina
salami recipe
Mixed salami appetizer in 3 days
Handmade homemade salamitos
Lamb Salami from the Island of Sardinia
Handmade salami made in the fridge
Colonial Salami Recipe
Hamburger Salami

What is a salami?

According to the Technical Regulations on Identity and Quality, salami is understood as a meat product obtained from pork or pork and beef, added with bacon, ingredients, embedded in natural and/or artificial casings, cured, fermented, matured, smoked or not and desiccated.

The curing/maturation/drying stage in charcuterie is where the gradual reduction of the amount of water present in the meat occurs, also known as aw reduction, and also the stage in which complex flavors and aromas are generated. Curing/maturation/drying is carried out by the action of time and the favorable environment. The combined action of salt, time, temperature and humidity are key components in the success of any salami. Salt is essential for the protection given to the product during the process, it is the main protection barrier. Meat exposed to the weather for weeks and sometimes years, like Parma ham, is only possible due to the protective action of salt and the reduction of water activity. Curing salt is also important in protection, but we will talk about curing salt later.

What meat should I use to make salami?

It is possible to make salami with pork or a mixture of these meats. Do not include birds as they are more susceptible to contamination. The recommendation is to start with pork, as it is the most used in the production of salami, but feel free to mix it with beef. Industrial salamis use meat scraps, that is, trimmings from prime cuts. But when making it at home, you can, and should, use whole cuts such as shank, shoulder, loin, needle point, soft thigh, rump, etc. The important thing is to buy a piece of good origin, preferably not frozen.

Milling

Meat can be chopped finely by hand with a knife or ground using discs with holes between 6 and 12mm. The fat can also be finely chopped or ground. Depending on the recipe, these recommendations may change as there are products that intentionally use larger or smaller pieces of meat and fat. Sometimes the fat is partially ground and cut into pieces that remain visible, decorative in the sliced salami.

Which fat to use to make salami?

The ideal fat is rigid pork fat, the fat that is between the skin and the meat. A good source of this fat is pork belly, also called bacon, which is often used to make bacon. The fat present in the ham is also a great source. When purchasing a piece of ham, for example, you can remove the existing fat and use it in the recipe. Pork jowls – pork cheeks – are also a great source of fat. Do not use lard, as this fat has been melted, processed, filtered and has a completely different flavor and melting points. If in doubt, go to the butcher and ask for a piece of pork belly/pancetta.

How much fat to use to make salami?

The general recommendation is that there should be between 20% and 30% of the salami's weight in fat. But here we enter a point where taste is more important than technical aspects. There are those who really enjoy salami made only with the fat already present in the chosen cut of meat, without adding additional fat. There are those who prefer to add more fat to have a juicier, more unctuous final product. The fat will not help so much with the process, but a lot with the taste. In fact, fat is, to some extent, a problem, as it is a source of lipid oxidation (rancidity). To avoid rancidity, it is recommended to add antioxidants, but this is explained separately in this post.

Working the salami dough

It is recommended that the salami dough is always chilled (close to 5°C) since grinding. The grinder disc and crosshead of your grinding machine must “always” be properly sharpened for good grinding. Mix the dough well with your hands or with an orbital mixer for about 2 minutes or until the dough becomes sticky, sticky and has a good bond, this will give the salami firmness.

Should I use curing salt on salami?

It is recommended to add curing salt that contains sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, known as curing salt 2. Salami is a product that is exposed to the weather and the curing salt helps protect it, as well as adding flavor and preventing the fat from going rancid. Is required? To sell, yes, to make at home, no! Understanding the action of curing salt is essential for anyone who wants to make charcuterie products. Whether for your own consumption or to sell. Practically all delicatessen products use curing salt. To better understand what curing salt is and how to use it, read the post Curing salt, what it is and how much to use

Does salami need to ferment?

Fermentation in salami is carried out by adding bacterial starter cultures which consume the carbohydrate (normally sugar) present and in return generate lactic acid, which lowers the pH and protects the product from microbiological contamination. It is not a mandatory step, but recommended. Alternatively, wine or, for example, citric acid can be added to acidify and simulate this step, but natural fermentation gives much superior aromas and flavors. Therefore, it is not mandatory to ferment the salami, you can skip this step, but higher quality salami is generally fermented.

Can salami be smoked?

Yes, but be careful with the temperature, you need to smoke slowly at a low temperature to avoid cooking the meat. Salami must be smoked and then cured, if it is cooked it will no longer be possible to cure it as the structure of the protein will be altered. The salami smoking temperature must be up to 35ºC. The time may vary depending on the intensity of the desired flavor, but in general, smoking lasts 8 hours. Smoking, in addition to flavor and aroma, also acts as a natural preservative. The compounds present in burning wood are microbial and antifungal agents. Alternatively, it is possible to use the powder smoke Or the liquid smoke to impart the flavor and aroma of the smoke. read Smoking temperatures

Which casing should I use to make artisanal salami?

For those who are starting out, I recommend using 45-gauge collagen casing, then use thicker casings and natural straight bovine casing. Pork intestines are generally thinner and caked, but can also be used. For those who are just starting out, the ideal option is a low caliber collagen casing as narrower casings speed up the drying process. Thicker salami takes much longer to cure/dry.

The collagen casing for salami is not edible and must be removed before consumption. Due to its practicality and hygiene, it is widely used in the manufacture of industrial salami. It is a little less porous and may take a little longer to dry than natural casing, but due to its ease, hygiene and uniformity it becomes the ideal casing for most productions.

Natural casings must be rinsed well to remove the salt used to preserve them. Collagen casings do not need to be rinsed, they are generally just pre-hydrated in water and salt to soften the material and improve the adhesion of the collagen to the embedded meat.

Artisanal salami production processes

Salami goes through three distinct phases: processing, fermentation and drying (maturation/drying). Ideally, each phase should have a specific temperature and humidity.

Processing

Here the meat is cleaned, grinded, seasoned and additives are added, especially curing salt. The curing salt will protect, add flavor and color to the salami. The curing salt will inhibit the proliferation of possible harmful organisms, especially the one responsible for botulism. After this process of treating the meat, seasoning and adding curing salt, the dough is stuffed into the casing. The curing salt will continue to act during the following processes (fermentation and drying/maturation). Below we will talk more about curing salt.

Inlay

When filling, the dough must be well compacted in the bagging machine/cannon tube to prevent air bubbles from remaining inside the salami. Air bubbles facilitate the oxidation of fat, which can create dark spots in these areas. Pierce the areas where there are visible bubbles with a needle. Place dough balls in the tube and tamp them down so that there is no air left. When filling, fill the casing well, with reasonable pressure.

Do I need to pierce the salami casing?

As mentioned in the inlay, the drilling process is only necessary if you see visible bubbles. Natural and collagen casings are porous and do not require perforations to perform their transpiration function.

Salami fermentation

So that the starter culture added starts to act, let the salami rest for 2 to 3 days in a dark place, with an ideal temperature close to 24ºC and very high relative humidity, close to 90%. You can use a humidifier to keep the environment always humid. It is essential that bacteria thrive and begin the production of lactic acid, which will modify the pH of the product and inhibit the proliferation of harmful organisms. The bacteria in the starter culture consume sugar (common refined sugar or dextrose), which should be approximately 5g per kg of recipe dough. Too much sugar will cause excessive fermentation, making the salami very acidic and crumbly in texture. The salami must remain in this fermentation chamber for the time recommended in the starter culture or, if you have a pH meter, until it reaches pH 5.3.

The maturation and drying of salami

After the fermentation period, drying or maturation of the salami begins, which aims to reduce the humidity of the salami and develop more complex flavors and aromas. The process is carried out in a cold and dark environment, with a temperature close to 12ºC. This phase can be done in the refrigerator, but be careful with the power of the refrigerator, as too much cold can delay fermentation excessively. Another important factor is humidity, a product exposed in a dry environment tends to have a very dry exterior. Very gentle and constant ventilation is also important for this stage.

The drying stage “wrinkles” the salami because at the end it will have removed between 35% and 45% of the initial weight of the salami. It generally takes 20 to 60 days to reach a good level, but can take up to 8 months depending on the thickness, environment and type of casing used. Natural casings are more permeable and dry more efficiently, collagen casings are less permeable and take a little longer to eliminate the internal moisture of the salami. Delay is not necessarily a bad thing, as the longer the salami hangs, the more elaborate the flavor will be.

Mold in salami

It is very likely that mold will appear around the salami. This is natural and even desirable in generating flavors and controlling moisture/weight loss. The general rule is that white, dry mold is “good” and “green,” “dark” or slimy mold is a negative sign. To decide what to do with a product with “strange” mold, I recommend that you research and read about the types of mold, as it is essential to know exactly what is happening before consumption. If you want to remove mold, even white mold, apply potassium sorbate or rub a cloth with brine and vinegar around the salami. Read more about mold in the post Mold on salami and other sausages.

Recommended literature

Curing salt what it is and how much to use
Mold on salami and other sausages
Salumi: Savory Recipes and Serving Ideas for Salami, Prosciutto, and More
Salumi: The Craft of Italian Dry Curing
http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-types/fermented-sausage
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