Hard salami dates back to the Roman era when cured meats were a staple. Today it’s a great way to utilize game or meats you’ve stored in your freezer too long because when roasts went on sale for $2 a pound you got carried away and were going to make jerky but then forgot. The foremost thing that distinguishes hard salami from other kinds of salami is that it is made from fermented meat and can be stored outside the frig for months. The tricky part is that if you don’t ferment the meat properly and don’t cure it correctly, you could get sick eating it. That means you need to be careful even if the process is straight forward. At typical ratio of proteins and fats in a salami is 2 parts pork + 2 parts beef (or game) + 1 part pork fat (preferably back fat). The fat can be an issue to find since most modern grocery stores no longer have meat processing. My friend and fellow outdoorsman Dwight, suggests using bacon pieces, when you can’t find back fat.* Two very important ingredients in hard salami are the curing salt and the cultures used for fermenting. You must use curing salt #2. If you use curing salt #1, your salami will need to be refrigerated and you won’t be able to air dry it.
Another important part of making salami is grinding. I follow a three step process; first, I cut the meats and fat into 1″ cubes and mix them together. Then I freeze them. I also place my meat grinder parts in the freezer, or outside in winter, to chill. Second, I grind the meat and fat twice, first using a 0.5″ plate and then using a 1/8th” plate. In between grinds, I rechill the meats. If the meat gets too warm, it will become mushy, especially the fat and that will alter the texture of your salami. Another trick is to mix the dry spices together and seep them in boiling water. Cool the water and then mix the spices into the meat between the first and second grind. You can cold smoke the salami early or late in the curing process. I tend to do it early because I feel the meat better absorbs the flavors then. You can convert your hot smoker into a cold smoker with a bit of engineering that will dazzle and amaze your friend. Finally, do not use natural casings, instead, use fibrous synthetic casings that allow moisture to escape during curing, but do not have to become part of the curing process. I am providing the ingredient list for weights versus measures. To be consistent in your recipes, it is best to get a good scale and use the weighed method.
Ingredients
- 3,000 g Lean Pork (3 kg)
- 3,000 g Game or lean beef (3 kg)
- 1,500 g Pork fat – back fat prefered
- 180 g Kosher salt – or any non-iodized salt
- 22.5 g Curing salt #2 – also called Prague salt
- 135 g Dextrose – can used table sugar but not as good
- 30 g White pepper – ground
- 30 g Garlic powder
- ~0.6 tsp T-SPX – follow the manufacture’s measure for the amount of salami you’re making
- 5 oz distilled water – for starting the T-SPX cultures
- Salami casings – recommend 1.5″ diameter synthetic fibrous.
Process
- Lightly freeze the meat and fat and cut into 1″ cubes.
- Mix the meats and fat and lightly re-freeze until firm. Also chill the grinding parts.
- Grind the meat and fat using a coarse plate, (1/2″ recommended).
- Rechill the grind until cold. Also chill the grinding parts.
- Mix your dry ingredients together and seep in just enough boiling water to cover them. Put film over your container as a they seep and allow to cool.
- Start the T-SPX cultures.
- Grind a second time using a 1/8th” plate. Slowly add the spices and cultures as you grind.
- Mix the meat well for several minutes to further spread the spices the cultures evenly.
- Soak casings per package instructions.
- Stuff casings tight, if any air pockets form, prick the casing with a needle.
- Once the salami is packed and the casing sealed, wipe the outside of the casing with white vinegar to help prevent mold spores from forming. It is common to have white mold form on the casings, you see it in most deli salamis.
- Weigh each salami – this is important.
- Ferment at 68 deg. F. and 90% humidity for three days. You can use an ice chest or small refrigerator with a bowl of water in it.
- You can cold smoke the salami now if you want. I generally smoke 12 hours at 65 deg. F.
- Continue fermenting by hanging the salami in a well ventilated area around 55 – 60 deg F. 85% humidity until the salami has lost 35% of it’s weight. This should take around 6-8 weeks.
- You can store the salami for months on the shelf and even longer if you freeze it. Once you cut the casing open though, you should store the stick in the fridge. If you slice the stick it will dry out faster so try to keep the stick un-sliced as much as possible.
Note*: Two advantages to using bacon pieces for the fat is that it is already cured and usually has a nice smokey taste. The down side is that pig bellies, were bacon comes from, has a different texture than back fat and you have no idea how the bacon was cured or smoked. There could be chemicals in the meat packing process you don’t want to consume and they may have used curing salt #1 and not #2, which is a critical distinction when making hard salami since meats cured with curing salt #1 have to be refrigerated.
