"Polish" Salami

Adapted by StarChefs.com
October 2012
Yield: 1 salami

INGREDIENTS:

2.25 kilograms pork butt (70 percent-30 percent protein to fat)
15 grams salami f-rm-52 meat culture
50 grams distilled water, room temperature
39 grams kosher salt
20 grams dextrose
6 grams Instacure #2
7 grams freshly ground black pepper
6 grams toasted cardamom
grams confit purée

METHOD:

Clean pork shoulder of all veins, skin, bone, glands, and soft fat. Dice into ½-inch chunks and lay flat on tray. Place tray in freezer for 30-45 minutes or until surface of pork is hard but not fully frozen. Be sure to freeze grinder parts before using.

Mix culture with room-temperature water and set aside. Grind pork through 3/8 die into bowl set in ice. Once ground, mix pork with salt, dextrose, InstaCure, black pepper, cardamom, and garlic confit purée. Place in fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Remove from fridge and mix with culture mixture until evenly distributed.

Stuff sausage mixture into 65-millimeter protein-lined casings. Poke holes in casing to prevent air pockets. Tie with butchers twine to tighten salami. Weigh salami individually and label salami with weight and date. Hang salami in fermenting conditions (86°F, and 80 percent to 90 percent humidity) until pH has dropped to 4.8 or lower. Once desired pH is achieved, hang salami in dry box (53°F and 70 percent humidity) until salami has lost about 30 percent water weight.

Once fully dried, place salami in sous vide bag and let mature in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks.