October 03, 2011

I used to make this delicious salame a few years ago at the butcher shop where my Salsicce Ubriache are made.  When you sliced it, the aromas would fill the room.  These are the aromas and taste that only proper fermentation and maturation over a few months make possible. Unfortunately, due to new very stringent food safety laws it is no longer possible to produce this salame commercially.  Nowadays the salami you see in any shop are very safe and very bland.  To make a traditional fermented product is an art.

I made the first batch a few years ago using the Henry of Pelham off dry Riesling that is made from grapes of their own vineyard in th Short Hills Appellation wine area.

For the last couple years I have been experimenting to reproduce the climatic conditions, so to be able to ferment and mature the salame in a safe way without using a system that will destroy all the flavours.  So far I have had few successes and many learning disasters!  I feel I experimented enough to give it a good try this winter.  I just built a separate fermentation chamber and will follow religiously follow the teachings of old timers coupled with modern food science.  Wish me luck!

Next week Fred will deliver a whole shoulder and ham. Berkshire of course.

Berkshire, Back Fat, Shoulder and Ham.  Kosher Salt Pepper a little garlic and Henry of Pelham Short hills Reserve Riesling 2008.

I made the Salame one size bigger that usual.

October 24 2011

The salame are growing a nice white mold:  

This weekend I processed another batch.

December 12 2011

Here it is!  Yesterday I processed the first two batches.  Only one salame did not turn out good. I believe that I did not properly stuff this particular one. The aging took place at different degrees on the individual salame.  Some are a little drier and some a little soft. I believe is because the excessive ventilation of the air conditioner.  I should not have this problem now with the natural cold temperature.  They all have an amazing aroma and flavour. 

They should be evaluated again in a few weeks as the vacuum pack makes the texture of the salame all the same inside out.

             Note the outside is darker than the inside.  In a couple of weeks, due to the vacuum packaging, the inside moisture should effect the outer part.  Like my sausages, the texure of the salame is not uniform and the delicious hand diced back fat is visible.