There are many kinds of salami. Most kinds are dry cured for many weeks, and they are neither cooked nor smoked.(In sausage maker’s jargon, dry curing has a special meaning; it means to dry raw sausage under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, until the sausage weight has been reduced by a certain percent.)
This product contains ingredients that are common in salamis, but the processing is more like that of bologna; it is not dry cured, and it is fully cooked. chicken Pork, Beef, or Wild Game
Ingredients
- 4 Fibrous Casings – 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) in diameter and 12 inches (30 cm) long
- 3 lbs (1362) Beef Chuck
- 2 lbs (908 g) Pork Shoulder Butt
- It is important to note if you wish to try different meat products, such as chicken or tuna, you must include the minced pork to act as the binder
- 7 1/2 tsp. (37.5 ml) Bradley Sugar Cure (Do not use more than this amount.)
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) salt (optional — see step #1, below)
- 4 tsp. (20 ml) black peppercorns, cracked
- 2 tsp. (10 ml) paprika
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) black pepper, ground
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) onion powder
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) allspice
- 1/4 tsp. (1.25 ml) cayenne
- 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 1 cup (240 ml) finely powdered skim milk
Note: If the meat weighs either more or less than 5 pounds (2.25 kg), the amount of cure mix applied must be proportional to that weight. For example, if the weight of the meat is 2 1/2 pounds (1.15 kg), then each ingredient, including the Bradley Cure, needs to be cut in half.
Preparation
The Casings and Meat
- Soak fibrous casings in water for 30 minutes prior to using.
- Grind the 3 pounds (1362 g) of beef chuck and 2 pounds (908 g) of pork shoulder butt with a 3/16-inch (4.8-mm) plate.
The Seasonings
- Mix the seasoning, water, and the powdered milk in a large bowl until the ingredients are perfectly blended. (For a normal salt taste, add the optional 1 teaspoon of salt; for a mild salt taste, omit the salt.)
- Add the meat to the seasoning mixture and mix thoroughly. Knead about 3 minutes.
- Stuff the sausage mixture into the fibrous casings. Insert the cable probe of an electronic thermometer in the open end of one of the sausages. Close the casing around the probe with butcher’s twine.
- Refrigerate the salami overnight.
Smoking and Cooling
Smoking
- Remove the sausage from the refrigerator, and place it in a smoker that has been heated to 150°F (65°C). Make sure that the damper is fully open while drying the surface.
- Maintain this temperature with no smoke until the casing is dry to the touch. (Alternatively, dry the casing in front of an electric fan.)
- Raise the temperature to 160°F (71°C), and smoke the sausage for 3 to 6 hours.
- After smoking for 3 to 6 hours, raise the temperature of the smoker to 320°F 160°C. for additional 2-3 hours until the internal temperature is 160°F (71°C).
Cooling
As soon as the cooking is finished, chill the sausage in cold water until the internal temperature drops below 100°F (38°C). Refrigerate overnight before using.
Instructions prepared by Warren R. Anderson, author of Mastering the Craft of Smoking Food.
