Emilia Romagna might be the unofficial capital of salumi in Italy. It’s the home of Prosciutto and culatello. The variety of cured meats from this region alone is endless!
Part of what I like about this hobby is the research and study of all the different salumi, finding one that is little known and making it. My latest finding is the Zia Ferrarese. I’m not sure where the name comes from or why it’s “the aunt from Ferrara”, but the fact that it’s a salame that is little know even in Italy, and one that books claim is very challenging to make because of what it’s cased in, meant I had to go for it!
The main features of the Zia Ferrarese are the use of a hog end cap casing, and garlic in the mixture.
 | I used pork leg for this salame. I prefer this to shoulder as there is less trimming to remove sinew and less fat, making controlling the fat quantity easier. Used Caw Caw creek fatback. |
 | Spice mixture, starter culture and curing salts. |
 | Meat and fat ground through 1/2” plate, ready to be mixed. |
 | Meat paste mixed and ready to stuff. Note the myosin on the bowl surfaces indicating a good bind was achieved and the salame wont be crumbly. |
 | Stuffed into a hog middle cap casing. This is a large casing, holding all of the above mixture. It’s comparable to a gigantic hog middle. This was sprayed with an M-EK4 mold solution. The salame was fermented in the fermentation box at 70-72 degrees, and then put into the curing chamber. Given the size i’m expecting this to take 3-5 months! |
21 comments:
Did you stuff that beast by yourself, or did you have some help?
Just myself...just have to be careful about air pockets. We'll see how successful i was in a month or 2
Hey Jason--
Two questions:
1) Can you describe how long (and how vigorously) you mixed the meat & fat to get the right binding?
2) Where did you get the hog middle cap casing?
Thanks!
--Matt
Im a chef and Im new at making sausage, but I was wondering if it is possible to hang the salame's in my walkin frig? I was thinking of buying a proofer to hang in but Im scared the health inspector won't like it. I live in California and they can be a bit anal. Do you have any suggestions for me?
Thanks a million for this blog
brent
Matt: In a stand mixer with a paddle takes about 1-2 minutes on low speed. By hand maybe 3-5 minutes.
Make sure everything stays cold. If the fat starts smearing, stop , and cool your mixture in the freezer.
Check with http://www.sausagedebauchery.com/ for casings.
Anonymous: you'll have to look into your local health regulations and requirements. If your fridge is held at fridge temps but the humidity is high enough, it should, theoretically work. See if Craig Deihl from Cypress can help you. He cures in walkins.
Thanks Jason could you tell me what kind of equipment I could use to cure in my restaurant kitchen. I don't think they would like me using a modified frig.
Thanks again
Brent
Not really brent. I don't work in a restaurant, nor do i know what you have available.
There's a lot of cured meat in the market. Make sure to choose fresh and clean and the process of preserving is right because it is more prone to bacteria.
Well here is another one to add to my list to try. Looks very interesting.
The Chardonnay is it a green-skinned grape or did you add it as a wine?
I added wine not grapes.
Nice work, I always love reading your Blog dude
Gotta say I love pork. I don't know anyone that didn't like bacon or salami. The only thing that sucks is that most places put nitrates into their bacon and salami. If you can find grass fed bacon or salami from pastured raised pigs. This will not contain nitrates or any other garbage.
Mike, I would also avoid eating spinach, beet greens, celery, carrots and many other vegetables if you don't want to eat nitrates.
Grass fed and pasture raised have nothing to do with teh addition of nitrates.
Hi Jason
Your blog is brilliant and your work inspiring. Can you recommend the best books on curing you've come across or use as part of your resources.
Regards Adam
Adam, there is a list of books on the right column. Start there.
Hi Jason,
Congratulations for the blog! Excellent advices and recipes!
I have a question regarding the culture usage: you are using relatively small quantities of culture (~ 0,04%) and two days at 70 F for fermentation.
Did you ever tried to use bigger quantity of culture, at higher temperature for a shorter time? M. Ruhlman in his book recommends using 10 times more culture (10g for 2250g of meat), at 80 F, for only 12 hrs!
Thanks a lot for your input.
Kind regards,
Radu (from Romania)
there is no need to use that much culture, it won't make any difference.
The fermentation time is dependant on the culture used. Some need warmer, some cooler. Ruhlman calls for the use of an "american" style culture which acidifies rapidly at high temperature. I don't like the taste.
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your input.
What do you think about the idea of fermenting the salami at the ambient room temperature, which is anyhow around 70 F, with the salami wrapped in clingfilm, not to loose the moisture? I think it might be practical, especially if you don't use molds... Or vacuum packed and kept in a water bath at the desired temperature (sous vide method)?
Radu
If you use the correct culture (T-SPX for example) which is a lower temp culture, fermenting at room temperature is fine.
I've read in the marianski books about fermenting in a water bath...so i guess it would be ok...
Hi Jason,
Thanks again for your input!
I see you use to spray molds culture on all salami; if you do so, the molds are not contaminating the surface of guanciale or pancetta, where you don't normally use molds cultures? Or you don't cure them in the same time?
Radu
i spray the mold on cased items. If the mold jumps to uncased items i just wipe it off with vinegar/water. no biggie
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