First salami with Umai dry

[hs1149]

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.

 

[Rhumbline]

Those look good. I also used Umai for my first trials. I had very good results from the Italian Salumi.

I've got to do some more batches but I think I want to try the paper or cellulose casings now that I have a proper fermentation chamber.

If you haven't already, try the duck prosciutto recipe from that book. It's the food of the Gods.

 

[hs1149]

I will put the duck prosciutto on the list! All of my friends are hunters. I should have no problem getting duck. These duck, obviously, are wild. They to not have not the big breasts like the commercially available duck. Think is would still be OK?

 

[Rhumbline]

It will be fine. The first batch I did was from wild duck.

 

[kaffeenjunkie]

If you haven't already, try the duck prosciutto recipe from that book. It's the food of the Gods.

Yes indeed!

 

[KCBrewer]

Nice. I just started my first Capicola a few days ago with the Umai bag. It's my first attempt at dry aging. I plan to stick with the bags until after I move and can build a proper curing chamber.

 

[passedpawn]

I've got peperroni hanging in my freezer right now. Actually, they are pretty hard, I think it's time for harvest

 

[hs1149]

I've got peperroni hanging in my freezer right now. Actually, they are pretty hard, I think it's time for harvest

Reading the Ruhlman & Polcyn books, I was really surprised that pepperoni is traditionally made from beef NOT pork. All of the commercial (ie grocery store) pep is pork & lots-O-fat.

Pls post a pic!

 

[hs1149]

Nice. I just started my first Capicola a few days ago with the Umai bag. It's my first attempt at dry aging. I plan to stick with the bags until after I move and can build a proper curing chamber.

Did you extract the coppa muscle from a Boston Butt and place the whole muscle in bag or did you cube the pork butt, cure it and stuff the umai bag?

 

[Rhumbline]

I did a Capicola the traditional way, it was ok.

Oh, and the Pancetta? Man, that's good stuff. I didn't care for the Bresaola so much.

And if you haven't already tried this, grind your own hamburger meat, top round is cheap, throw in maybe 20% pork and pork fat and a few slices of bacon. You don't know what you're missing.

 

[KCBrewer]

Did you extract the coppa muscle from a Boston Butt and place the whole muscle in bag or did you cube the pork butt, cure it and stuff the umai bag?

The full coppa muscle. It still has 2 days left in the cure before it goes in the dry age bag though.

I did a Capicola the traditional way, it was ok.

Oh, and the Pancetta? Man, that's good stuff. I didn't care for the Bresaola so much.

And if you haven't already tried this, grind your own hamburger meat, top round is cheap, throw in maybe 20% pork and pork fat and a few slices of bacon. You don't know what you're missing.

What did you not like about the Bresaola? I was planning to start one next since I have several roasts left from the last half cow I bought.

I have quite a bit of ground beef I'm needing to use up as well and was planning to do summer sausage with a lot of it. I'll try adding some pork/fat/bacon to some. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Rhumbline]

I made the Bresaola per the recipe and thought it was just bland. Also, being a thick cut it formed a hard crust on the outside and the very center seemed to be un cured.

 

[ctufano]

Is the Ruhlman Charcuterie a good book to get started in this? Id love to make my own cured meats

 

[passedpawn]

Is the Ruhlman Charcuterie a good book to get started in this? Id love to make my own cured meats

Salami is excellent from that book.

Don't make the pepperoni recipe in there. Very mediocre - I think pepperoni needs at least some pork. His recipe has no pork and isn't spicey enough for me.

 

[passedpawn]

Salami is excellent from that book.

Don't make the pepperoni recipe in there. Very mediocre - I think pepperoni needs at least some pork. His recipe has no pork and isn't spicey enough for me.

I have to take this back. I just realized that the Ruhlman pepperoni (pepperone) is awesome. It just isn't tasty without being heated. Once heated, it becomes super super delicious. Not sure why.

 

[ctufano]

Cool, thanks! Im really interested in trying some cured meats. The whole humidity issue kind of scares me in South Florida tho

 

[hllywd]

I made the Bresaola per the recipe and thought it was just bland. Also, being a thick cut it formed a hard crust on the outside and the very center seemed to be un cured.

A chewy, jerky like outside and soft center is actually what's know as case hardening. You can minimize it by vacuum bagging the finished product for a couple weeks.

 

[KCBrewer]

Finally cut into my capicola. Turned out nice.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1458411112.969391.jpg

 

[hs1149]

That looks just awesome. I can only hope mine turns out looking like that. 😀