Dry cured salami
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Monty
My wife gave me a book about 3 Christmases ago on making cured meats. I read the book and said fuck dis. It is really complicated and you need special temps, humidity, etc. to properly cure the meats.
The couple of times a year when they need extra help at the chef events I do a good job of cruising and talking to different chefs basically introducing myself and looking to see what they are doing.
These are some cured meats done by one of the local chefs. From what I gather it is a real art. Even among the chefs in my immediate circle they let one particular chef make all the cured meats. It is a true art. The chef I talked to who made the cured meats in the picture was bragging about how they do their own bacteria cultures and how long it was aged, etc. Simply put, it scared me away. I need to reread the book but I am a huge fan of cured meats, it left me saying Fuck. That is some complicated shit. We have a rainy weekend in store and I will pick it up again and relook/read it. At first blush it scared me away.
Good Luck!
Denny
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Let me reread this book this weekend and get some further thoughts. I can even call Chef Dave and pick his brain as we haven't worked out since Christmas or so. Guess my thoughts were it was easier to buy than attempt to make it.
A story I tell is I took my went wife with me to Hamburg Germany on a business trip. On the last day I hit a market and bought a bunch of cured meats to bring home. When my wife found out she acted like I was smuggling dope. What they hell are they going to day? Take it away?
On the other hand I was in Malaysia (Kumpulan Lumpur) and did my usual of cruising the markets. Saw some mounted butterflies that were gorges and bought some. When I got home I happened to find it was a $50,000.00 fine as some were endangered species. Oh well. Maybe I'm not the best person to listen to.
Denny
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Monty ,I see food poising in your future.......
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Thanks Denny!!
We were in Europe for several weeks and just got back last week. I really wish I would have bought some cured meats when I was there to bring back.. but as you know that can be a problem. It was dirt cheap there. We pay around $10 for 6 ounces here. There it was $2 for 6 ounces (around) and damn the stuff was some of the best I've ever had.
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I certainly hope not.. but I will give it a try.Monty ,I see food poising in your future.......
There is a book named Charcutterie(sp?) by the author Ruhlman. Those adventerous food types on my favorite BBQ Forum(eggheadforum.com) swear by it. I do not really fear sickness, but I am not willing to risk failure and the expense of the product ruined. If I were to do this I would only do bigger batches. Small quantities I might as well buy from a well known supplier of known great quality.
Some of the old timers or country folk swear curing/drying meats is nowhere near as difficult or dangerous as others lead us to believe. But who knows???
Jim
Some of the old timers or country folk swear curing/drying meats is nowhere near as difficult or dangerous as others lead us to believe. But who knows???
Jim
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Thanks a ton. I found this article online and it is very helpful.
http://mattikaarts.com/blog/meat-curing-safety/
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Same for the wine. On the Amalfi Coast I would hike up the steep coast and buy goodies from the local store. The wine was about $4.00 per bottle or less. The same wine here is twenty bucks in a store and $40.00 if you go out to eat.
Been one lucky SOB and eaten a lot of good food. Still one of my favorite meals. Really is.
Denny
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Years ago my Uncle Jerry would make supressa. He would hang it in the old equipment barn that was built into the side of a hill. In the dark against the back wall where he said there was the right amount of moisture, and air movement. Would develop quite a rind on it and get rock hard, but there was absolutely nothing like it. I can almost taste it now. Starting to drool just thinking about it. Memories.
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Monty
Very good article. Hate to say this, but it backs up what I said earlier and why basically I just buy it n get it over with. This takes ya through very, very basic techniques.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6932e/X6932E01.htm
Will reread the book this weekend as it caters more to culinary type people instead of simple food preservation with different recipes on different types of cured meats. My absolute favorite was a wild bore salami I got in Rome. To die for!! Just don't know if I want to die at home.
Denny
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Jim
The book I have is Salumi, by the same authors. Ruhlman and Polcyn.
Monty
You may be in luck on where to buy the stuff you need:
Butch and Packers supply
1780 E 14 Mile Road
Madison Heights, Mi 48071
248-583-1250
www.bucher-packer.com
Denny
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Monty
http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&cPath=108&products_id=775
May just be what you are looking for.
Denny
http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&cPath=108&products_id=775
May just be what you are looking for.
Denny
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Not salami but, last week I bought a package of what I thought was ordinary pizza pepperoni.
Wrong......boy is this stuff good, really strong pepperoni taste.
Like pepperoni on steroid's!!!
Citterio Pronti pepperoni.
If you can find it, give it a try.
Jim
Wrong......boy is this stuff good, really strong pepperoni taste.
Like pepperoni on steroid's!!!
Citterio Pronti pepperoni.
If you can find it, give it a try.
Jim
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20,381 Posts
Looks like a good time, and may be dangerous. Just like drag racing.
http://mattikaarts.com/blog/home-made-dry-cured-salami/
http://mattikaarts.com/blog/home-made-dry-cured-salami/
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Cool!
Let me read some more, n call chef Dave to pick his brain. When Dave says shit, I just want to know how high. He is the guy behind the chef events, puts them together. Man is a cool dude with a good mind. As temping as all this is..... fuck you Monty for the temptation.
still not sure if I want the temptations stirred. Boy, complicated stuff, but like all complicated stuff, just break it down as it really is simple if you do. Just a matter of digesting. Denny
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Rick
I can try. Basically curing is the difference say between roasted Pork for Pulled Pork and Ham. Bacon and Pork Belly. Corned Beef/Pastrami and Brisket.
Kinda get where I'm heading? It's curing salts Sodium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrite. You can preserve meat by salting which in effect removes the moisture and bacterial can't survive. This would be Uncured. Sometimes people will market their products as Nitrite free. More of a marketing gimmick as at one time Nitrites/Nitrates were considered a carcinogenic and perhaps bad for the cardiovascular system. Urban Legend. The AMA has come out in favor of having some Nitrates in the diet as some studies has indicated it to be actually beneficial. No dope. Don't believe everything you hear. (that included me also
)There are different cure mixtures but typically Pink Salt Cure #2 is used in long-term dry-cured Salami. Pink Salt #2 contains: 5.67% Nitrite and 3.63 Nitrate. Basically used to prevent botulism and flavor.
As I alluded to in my first post it takes a bit to digest making different cured meats as it really is complicated to include introducing beneficial bacteria which gives texture and flavor. So which one is best for pizza? Which do you like best? Apples or Oranges. Just in how they taste. No health benefit nor downside to either. What you like.
Denny
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