The Salam D’la Duja has been ready for a little while now, but I haven’t had a chance to post about it. The one pictured here on the left is about 10 months old. I tried some at 4 months and the flavor is pretty similar. This one might be a little more intense.
 | Here is my tub of lard. There are more salamini under there, buried in their fat tomb. |
 | The 10 month old salame extracted and wiped off a little. It’s still very soft obviously as it doesn’t really lose any moisture during its aging time in the curing chamber. |
| | And here is the salame sliced. It’s very soft. It feels pretty much like raw meat. I must admit it is very disconcerting eating a salame that hasn’t lost any moisture. It’s texture is soft, it’s not really spreadable as the acidification has bound up the meat. Imaging eating a beef tartare and that’s about the texture. The flavor is, surprisingly, incredibly mild. Slight sourness from the fermentation and a faint meaty flavor, but not much else. |
I’m glad I made this singular salame as I always have fun trying new stuff, but to be perfectly honest, I don’t know that I care to make them again, they just aren’t to my taste I guess. The texture is disconcerting and the flavor too mild. Maybe if I used a super high quality pastured pork the flavor would be better.
4 comments:
Disconcerting is the correct word. Too bad because the flavor is quite nice and mild.
Totally understandable! I've found that, in the few cases of trying food that I probably wouldn't eat again, it was due to texture every time. (Sea urchin roe sushi, jellyfish salad, and chicken feet are the on;y things that come to mind.)
Carissimo Jason,
actually that salame is looking quite good!
The salame d'la duja is very typical of the area where my father is from and I enjoy great quantities anytime I go visit relatives. The salame is actually mostly used in a dish called Panissa, which is typical of the Vercelli and Novara area and is a very thick and dry risotto with local beans and salame d'la duja which is also referred to as "salame sotto grasso" in common Italian. Our family sometimes enjoys it like a real salame but in most cases it is used in cooking due to it's soft and un-spreadable texture. There is a similar delicacy they produce in the Bra area in the Langhe, it's called "salsiccia cruda di Bra" and it's just lightly seasoned vitellone sausage mixed with pork fat. Consumed raw have the same texture. I am sure you heard of it.
Judging from the images yours look pretty appetizing I have to say...and thank you for your passion at attempting such authentic preparations and giving a new life to old world crafts.
Bravo,
Daniele
Thanks Daniele. I do know of the salsiccia di Bra, i hear it is some fantastic stuff. I'll be sure to get some this summer!
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