O colonial salami is a Brazilian salami very common in southern Brazil, colonial salami was adapted from revenues coming from Europe by immigrants mainly Germans and Italians. Colonial salami is generally made without using an air-conditioned environment during the process. As Brazil has a much warmer climate than Europe throughout most of the year, salami had to undergo some adaptations to be able to be made in our climate.
The water loss/maturation process was reduced and a smoking stage was added (smoking in salami is common in Germany). Smoking applies a layer of smoke to the outside of the salami and guarantees more protection against contamination and insects. To be able to be made at a higher temperature, colonial salami goes through a smoking process and is then hung at room temperature for a very short period of time, which is around 7 to 15 days. Because it dries for a short time, colonial salami has a softer consistency than traditional salami, especially Italian ones, which are left hanging for 30 days or much longer.
To make production even easier, in this recipe I skipped the smoking step and applied liquid smoke to the outside of the salami. Powdered smoke can also be used, just dilute it in water before applying.
Personally, I prefer firmer salami, so I used a thin 30mm casing, which resulted in a firm salami even after hanging for a short time.
Apply a mold-type culture to salamis to obtain the white mold coating that protects against other unwanted molds. Unwanted mold is the most common problem. To learn more about mold in salami, click here.
Colonial salami ingredients
- Pork shank – 1000g;
- Salt – 20g – 2%;
- Curing salt 2 (6% of nitrite, 3% of nitrate and 93.75% of salt) – 3g – 0.3%;
- Garlic powder – 4g – 0.4%;
- Onion powder – 4g – 0.4%;
- Ground black pepper – 3g – 0.3%;
- Ground white pepper – 2g – 0.2%;
- Red wine – 50g – 5%;
- Ground nutmeg – 2g – o.2%;
- Liquid smoke – 10ml
Preparation of colonial salami
- Clean the meat, removing bones, hard tissue and keeping the fat;
- Cut the meat and fat into cubes to pass through the grinder;
- Grind using the fine disc or chop finely with a knife;
- Add the ingredients and mix with an orbital mixer or your hands until the dough is very sticky;
- Embed in collagen casing, straight or crooked, in sizes between 30 and 45. I used 30 caliber crooked bovine casing;
- With a needle, pierce the air bubbles that were trapped inside the salami;
- Apply liquid smoke to the outside of the salami. Cover the entire exterior well;
- Hang in a ventilated place, protected from insects and away from light. I used a semi-closed plastic box with a fan installed inside to force light and constant ventilation; click here for more box details
- Spray a mold-type culture on the salami if you want the white mold coating that protects against other unwanted molds; To learn more about mold mold culture, click here.
- After 7 to 15 days the salami will be ready.
English 
Português do Brasil
Hello goodnight!
I have a question: this salami, according to the recipe, has a curing time of 7 to 14 days. I have read about type 2 curing salt and there is a recommendation that it has a minimum curing time of 20 days, to be safe regarding the concentration of nitrite in the meat. I would like to know if it is not dangerous for health to consume a product that has been cured for less than 20 days. where type 2 curing salt was used? Thank you!
Hi Vinicius. Curing salt 2 contains nitrite and nitrate. Nitrite is reduced in a very short time, as we have an article showing this (Nitrite conversion time in cured meats), while nitrate needs more time, as it is reduced over time and converted to nitrite, only then acting on the meat. The amount of nitrate is very small compared to the nitrite in curing salt 2. In any case, in a traditional diet, nitrate is mostly ingested through many vegetables and legumes that naturally contain high amounts of nitrate, so its intake is quite safe and common even for those who do not eat processed meats. The suggested amount of curing salt used in our recipes is quite low, it is the minimum to help with protection. Another point is that these products are consumed slowly, it is difficult for a single person to eat a salami in a few days. During this storage time, the remaining nitrate continues to be converted and helps with protection. Therefore, from my point of view, there is no risk in using it in minimal quantities, so much so that many commercial barbecue sausages currently use salt.… Read more "
Good morning!! My salami sometimes has internal cracks and is not compact. What could be happening?
Hi, you can mix the dough for a little longer until it becomes very sticky, to have good cohesion. Try to insert it without letting air enter the middle and press a little to compact it well. Another thing that can generate internal spaces is excess acidity, if you are using wine, you can reduce it a little, if you are using starter culture, reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe a little. Another thing that can generate spaces is some unknown contamination that generates carbon dioxide, but is generally also associated with discoloration in the region.
Thank you very much for the tips!!
Good morning. Sorry for bothering. I have one last question. Can I make this same recipe in the box with the fan and humidity control in the refrigerator? I managed to leave the box at a temperature of 10C and 70% of humidity. Would it still be 15 days under these conditions? Or will it take longer?
Hi Andriel, yes you can do it, great environment in these conditions. There are still 15 days for the softest traditional colonial salami, which is still a little raw. If you want a more Italian-style salami, drier, firmer, just leave it in this same environment for longer, until you lose 40% to 45% of weight. You can test and maintain for as long as you think is ideal for the desired product. This point is very much to my liking.
Good morning. Can I make this recipe inside the closed box with the computer fan just to control the humidity by leaving it outside the refrigerator? The temperature here is between 17 and 25 degrees. What about the environment, does it need to be in a dark place or can it be a bright environment?
Hi Andriel, this salami, if it is well smoked, can be left in a non-refrigerated environment at the temperature you mentioned. Colonial producers do it this way, but it is a salami that hangs for a short time and is finished while it is still very soft, around 15 days old. If it stays at this temperature for a long time, there is a high risk of it spoiling.
I used liquid smoke and hung it in a ventilated box with a little water to keep the temperature from going above 25. It's working. So after 15 days, how should I store it? Is it dangerous to leave hanging like the ones we buy at the market?
Hi Andriel. The ideal is, after 15 days, to take it to the refrigerator, to keep it cool and protected. You can vacuum pack it or with plastic film or you can just leave it in a cold drawer, but it will quickly dry the outside without wrapping it (if you don't consider it a problem, you can leave it). This colonial salami, which is still very moist, I don't recommend leaving it hanging at room temperature any longer. The heat and availability of water are very fertile for fungi and bacteria, only the driest salamis, like Italian ones, last longer at room temperature. But many markets and producers end up leaving more time exposed, depending on the revenue and the guarantee of safety they want to have.
Good morning Eduardo, I'm just starting out in the world of charcuterie, I made colonial salami for the first time, however the pieces after maturation are not pretty, but the flavor is ok, what could it be?
What did you dislike about the appearance?
Can I do hot smoking? If yes, what internal temperature and fermentation time is required?
Hi Luiz, you can, but you will have a cooked product and not matured. The correct option is to smoke it up to a maximum of 40ºC and then hang it to ferment and mature, gradually losing moisture and developing the flavors and blackberries of maturation. The fermentation temperature must be 25ºC.
Hello, I would like to know, it has been over a year since I have been making colonial salami, smoked bacon and Tuscan sausage, which are frozen, in my recipes I only use curing salt2, at a rate of 0.25% per kg of meat, other ingredients in natural powder.
Everyone who consumed it here at home didn't complain or feel sick.
Am I on the right path, or do I have to change my recipe, so I can market it in the future.
Hello! Is it possible to use a larger caliber casing?
If you use larger caliber casing, the times change. The larger the caliber of the casing, the longer the salami needs to hang to lose weight.
In the recipe it is red and smooth or dry wine…50 Gr and equivalent to 50 ml….
Preferably dry wine. Red or white, whichever you prefer. 50g or 50ml, will make little difference in the variation in the density of water and wine (alcohol and other compounds), you can use whatever measure is easiest.
And if necessary, turn on the fan or just leave it hanging in a cool, airy place….
An airy place is enough. You only need a fan if the place has very little air circulation, like a closed basement, for example.
Another question is whether the liquid smoke goes inside with the meat mixture or just on the outside…
In my region the temperature varies between 13°
at 28° what to do in this case…
You can add the liquid smoke to the dough, along with the seasonings, and then pass it through the oven to ensure more protection. At 13ºC it is perfect, while 28ºC may be acceptable if it is more occasional and for a short period of time. Do it when it's going to be colder, follow the forecast.
Good evening, I'm about to make it but I have some doubts as soon as I season it and I can bag it now.
Something else doesn't go in the fridge at all
Yes, you can bag it right after seasoning. As this salami is very quick, you can leave it out of the fridge. Ideal to do when the ambient temperature is below 25ºC.
Hello, could you clarify if I can use any carneo yeast in this production? The climate here in the region is around 15 to 24 at this time, I wanted to let it cure in a well-ventilated room with good humidity, but without climate control.
You can use a fermenting culture. In these conditions, I believe you will not have any problems without climate control.
I made my second production of salami, I embedded it yesterday and it looks beautiful, I changed some things I did wrong due to anxiety in the first one, small details, besides we are entering autumn here the weather is perfect for curing the salami, it is so beautiful I will send a photo then for everyone to see, the first one was good but this one will be infinitely better, thanks for the tips and the prompt service to resolve any doubts.
I want to venture into a hamburger salami, it will be the next production
Hi Robson, send the photos when you can! A big hug.
Good afternoon, I made this salami recipe and it has been curing for 4 days, some have already lost 40% in weight, I'm going to let it cure more as it's not quite hard yet and I can smell from the smell that I need to refine the seasonings more, but they look beautiful, they created the mold on the outside, I believe that in another week it will be at the point I want, I also applied liquid smoke.
I feel like it still doesn't have that cured salami smell, is that still normal?
Remembering that there are 4 days of healing?
Thanks
Hi Robson, in 4 days the loss of 40% was very quick. The environment must be very dry for this to occur. After 4 days it is normal for it not to have developed the smell of cured salami. Colonial salami has a quick process and consequently does not have the flavor and aroma of longer salami, lasting 30/40 days. It also tends to have a softer crumb. It is a feature of this product. You can leave it for up to 15 days if you want it to become firmer and take on the more intense smell of cured salami.
Good morning, in the colonial salami recipe you skipped the smoking stage, and in the case of smoking, what is the temperature during the process and the culture do I spray after or before smoking?
Hi Alexandre, yes, we chose to use liquid smoke instead of smoking, to speed up and facilitate production for those who don't have a smoker. The temperature I recommend is up to 35ºC and the time can vary greatly depending on the intensity of smoke you want to incorporate. At least 4 hours. Spray the penicilium nalgiovense culture after smoking.
Hello Eduardo,
Your recipes are really cool.
I have a question, regarding this salami, you don't use the start culture but you add wine, which will also acidify the product.
My question is regarding pH control, for those who don't have a pH meter, how do you know if the acidification process has been carried out and the salami is suitable for consumption? If it is inappropriate, will it have any characteristics?
Hugs,
Hi Mauricio. Without a pH meter there is no way to be sure, but it is possible to follow the recommendations. With the starter culture we have in the store, for example, when adding 0.5% of sugar to the recipe, fermentation will culminate in a pH close to ideal. With wine it is more difficult, as the wines can vary from one another. When using wine without a starter culture we are going blind. Wine will give a little more protection, but the result is imprecise. The final product does present changes, generally the high pH (more alkaline) results in a salami with a weaker color, a less intense red. A low pH (acidic) generally results in a salami with a bad texture, brittle and sour.
Thank you Eduardo.
My salami has a beautiful color on the outside, it is 10 days old and has lost almost 20% in the chamber.
Let's see if it won't be sour when it's ready! LOL
hugs,
Hello, I'm a resident of Mato Grosso, I want to get into the sausage and salami business, the question I have is whether the salt, curing salt and other ingredients have to be measured according to the weight of the clean meat (without fat) or measured according to the total volume (meat and fat). Another question is the proportion of garlic powder to minced garlic, as I prefer to use it normally without powder and most of the time your recipes call for powder. Would you help me? Thank you very much in advance.
Hi Mateus. You can consider the total weight of the meat, with the fat. There is no need to disregard the fat as the amount of curing salt we suggest is the minimum recommended, so even if there is some fat it won't make much of a difference. Regarding garlic, using fresh garlic can double the amount. Raw garlic has a lot of water, so it is much less concentrated.
Thank you very much for the brief answer, this applies to common salt too, right?
Yes, it applies to common salt too.
Good afternoon, Eduardo,
I made this salami some time ago, I strictly followed the recipe and it was perfect.
A few days ago the crop that I bought on your website arrived and the weather here, although very hot, seems like it will improve with the announced rain. I want to take advantage of this window and make some salamis and this one is at the top of the list….only this time I wanted to use the culture, is it worth it? It gets better?
My intention is also to do cold smoking, instead of using smoke... in this case, what is the recommended time for this smoking?
Thank you very much in advance!
Abs
Good evening José. Yes, use culture, it’s worth it! To smoke and use the culture, follow the recipe, adding, along with the other ingredients, the starter culture and 5g of sugar per kg of meat, bag but do not pass through liquid smoke. Hang for 2 or 3 days at room temperature to ferment, then cold smoke for 4 to 8 hours, depending on the desired smoking intensity. Hang for 7 to 15 days until you lose the desired weight. Remove or reduce the wine a little from the recipe as the culture will acidify the salami.
If you want an additional reference, there is this recipe for hamburger salami that is cold smoked: https://charcutaria.org/receitas/salame-hamburgues/
How long can it be stored once ready?
Salamis last an average of 90 days. Store well packaged in the refrigerator.
Hello Eduardo.
What is the desirable temperature to keep colonial salami? If I want to use powdered smoke, I must reduce the salt in the seasoning.
The ideal temperature is 12ºC. I believe that the amount of smoke powder is small and does not significantly influence the salt concentration of the product, but, if you want, you can reduce the salt in the recipe a little according to the amount of smoke powder you use.
Hello, what is the ideal temperature to keep colonial salami?
Hello Eduardo!!
As always, your recipes are infallible and look sensational… This was another one of the many that I follow.
It's a shame I can't buy the inputs from you, shipping is prohibitive.
The photo hadn't gone!
Great! It looked great. I'm glad you're approving the recipes. A big hug!
Hello Rodrigo. For some regions shipping is really expensive, a shame!
Good evening, Eduardo,
I made a cup (artisan cup, but I used wine to replace the culture), it spent 15 days in the fridge and is now maturing in the plastic box solution...I also made the salami cacciatore. For the salami I used yakult and brie cheese shavings. It fermented for 48 hours, a lot of very small white dots appeared, but now some white/greyish spots are appearing, with some hairs…tomorrow I must remove these spots…if I buy the starter culture, after cleaning the canopy and salami, I can apply the culture ? How do I conserve culture? because I'm going to use very little, as it's not cheap, I wanted to know if I can store it without loss of quality. Thank you very much in advance! The culture I want to buy is in the website store.
Hi José Roberto. The culture must be stored in the freezer. Use what is necessary, seal tightly in the original packaging and keep in the freezer. It has good durability this way. The culture for white mold should be the penicillium culture, which is different from the bacterial starter culture.
Penicillium culture: https://charcutaria.org/produto/cultura-mofo-mold-penicillium-nalgiovense/
Good morning! I see a lot of charcuterie recipes and, whenever the source is Brazilian or American, curing salt is used and many still highlight its importance. However, on Italian channels and websites it is the opposite; In the recipes I saw, only normal salt was used. In fact, in Italian government documents that determine the standards of certain products protected by origin, curing salt is generally optional or not even mentioned.
I would like to know the reason for this difference in approaches to cured products.
Thank you very much in advance and congratulations on your work!
Hi Guilherme, in Brazil the use of curing salt in sausages intended for sale is mandatory, with few exceptions such as Brazilian jerky. Many other countries also adopt this exception policy, such as Italian Parma ham. We have an unfavorable climate and the cold chain (transport, refrigerators and refrigerated counters) is not the best, so we have this legal obligation, it has become a culture that is part of the Brazilian palate. Sausage without curing salt has a different color and flavor. The nitrite in curing salt has gone through decades of very thorough studies and it is well documented that its use is safe within limits. Inhibits dangerous pathogens, increases shelf life, fixes the red color of myoglobin and reduces oxidation. I always use the minimum recommended amount. The alternatives they found and use, mainly in Europe and the USA, are natural sources of nitrate (vegetables), which have the complication of requiring a reducing agent (nitrate to nitrite) and in the end it is exactly the same chemical compound, but extracted from vegetables and with the term “natural cure”. Another factor that you should pay attention to in products without curing salt is the salt concentration,… Read more "
Don't you need to ferment salami?
Fermentation is optional and should only be done when using a starter culture. For faster salamis, I generally do not do the fermentation as the additional protection is less necessary and there will not be much time for the more elaborate flavor to develop from long maturation in conjunction with culture.
If I use the starter culture and need fermentation, should I use liquid smoke before or after fermentation?
Apply smoke immediately after the fermentation stage as it can inhibit proliferation.
Good morning…can I use starter culture 0.15 gp/1kg of meat and still spray the mold? Can I use both in the same piece, or one or the other?
Hi Célio, you can use both cultures. The bacterial starter directly in the salami dough and the mold culture on the outside after sausage.