After a trip to Italy last summer & over indulging on all things cured, I have been reading a lot on the art of Salumi & charcuterie. Although I have made fresh sausages multiple times, I never attempted to cure & dry.
I followed Ruhlman & Polcyn basic salami recipe for ingredients. The only things I changed was the grind (I like to salami to have a more rustic chunkier look and texture) & instead for hog casing I used Umai Dry
Partially frozen pork and back fat
The grind
Stuffed Umai casings I a warm place to ferment
The following day I placed them in my kegerator in a wire rack. RH was between 52-70% with a small cpu fan for air circulation. 24 days later the sausages had lost 35% of the weight.
The flavor is good, although I like them spicier. The texture at the ends is what I was hoping for, but the center of salumi is still a bit soft. I plan on letting them dry further, but wanted to have some on my xmas antipasto platter.
Once I use up the remaining umai casing, I'll try hog casings. In the meantime, I am getting the parts together for a dedicated curing/drying chamber.
I followed Ruhlman & Polcyn basic salami recipe for ingredients. The only things I changed was the grind (I like to salami to have a more rustic chunkier look and texture) & instead for hog casing I used Umai Dry
Partially frozen pork and back fat
The grind
Stuffed Umai casings I a warm place to ferment
The following day I placed them in my kegerator in a wire rack. RH was between 52-70% with a small cpu fan for air circulation. 24 days later the sausages had lost 35% of the weight.
The flavor is good, although I like them spicier. The texture at the ends is what I was hoping for, but the center of salumi is still a bit soft. I plan on letting them dry further, but wanted to have some on my xmas antipasto platter.
Once I use up the remaining umai casing, I'll try hog casings. In the meantime, I am getting the parts together for a dedicated curing/drying chamber.