This recipe makes approximately 3-6 cacciatore salami depending on the size of the casings used.
Ingredients:
1kg pork (roughly 30% fat to 70% meat)
20-50ml red wine (depending on the dryness of the meat)
5g minced chilli
20g paprika
2g cayenne pepper
1/2 handful of fresh rosemary tips, chopped finely
30g salt
Natural or collagen casing
Equipment:
Meat mincer, manual or electric
Salami netting tube applicator
Salami netting
Salami Pricker
Vacuum sealing machine (optional)
Method:
1: Mince pork meat coarsely using your mincer. (or you can just purchase your minced meat from the butcher. Be sure to tell them the fat to meat ratio and ensure its from a female pig)
2: Mix in the wine, spices and salt with the meat. Use some warm water to dissolve the salt before mixing it in - its very important that the salt is evenly mixed through.
3: Put the mixture in a covered container and leave in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
4: Fill your casing with the mixture using your sausage filler, leaving a few centimeters free at the one end. Tie a knot (or use our round and tied end casings) making sure to squeeze out any air as you do this. When the salami casing is filled the salami should feel firmly packed - the more tightly packed the less chance of spoiling.
5: Use a salami pricker to remove any excess air bubbles that may appear under the casing.
6: Apply netting to salami using a netting tube applicator. Thread string through the end of the netting to make a loop for hanging. Make a note of the rough weight of the salami - it should lose 30% of its original weight when its finished curing.
7: Find a suitable location for curing - such as a well ventilated cellar or garage - and hang your salami. Make sure no vermin, flies or animals can reach it. The area must remain cool at all times but should not be draughty. Humidity during curing should be at least 60%. If the humidity is not high enough then some water in a bowl or moist sawdust on the ground beneath can help to increase it.
8: Assess if the salami has cured. This can take between two and four months, depending on the size of the product and the weather conditions. Towards the end of the curing times you can also assess the salami by squeezing it between your thumb and forefinger. The meat should be firm not spongy, it should not spring back.
9: Once the 30% weight loss has been achieved you can cut the salami to see if its ready. It should have no intense 'off putting' smells. Store in a vacuum sealed bag and place in the fridge.
Tips:
1: White and green mould or black spots usually indicate high humidity and / or a lack of airflow and can be removed by wiping the salami down with white-wine vinegar. Discard the salami if it turns black or smells bad.
2: If using nitrates or a curing compound carefully refer to the instructions on the packet and reduce the amount of salt accordingly.
