Salami declared a winner!

winemakers · September 20, 2006, 11:49:03 AM

Texture can be tough to duplicate in sausage w/o casing. Packing the meat tightly ala summer sausage or pepperoni is necessary to get that dense product. The good news is it means another cool toy in a sausage stuffer. I will make breakfast sausage bulk w/o casing but not much else. (Chez alert) Mouth feel, or bite is important to me second only to taste.

mld

Chez Bubba · September 20, 2006, 06:40:39 PM

Naw,

It's not any fun if you know it's already anticipated it! ;D ;D ;D

Kirk

asa · September 22, 2006, 10:54:09 AM

Quote from: winemakers on September 20, 2006, 11:49:03 AM
Texture can be tough to duplicate in sausage w/o casing. Packing the meat tightly ala summer sausage or pepperoni is necessary to get that dense product. The good news is it means another cool toy in a sausage stuffer. mld

Hey, thanks! That's all the justification I need for a new toy! But on second thought, can I use the Kitchenaid for this?

winemakers · September 22, 2006, 11:14:41 AM

I have a Kitchenaid grinder with the stuffer that I have used with some success, however, in the next breath I will admit to having a dedicated stuffer which does a much better job. Far easier to control the tightness of the sausage, etc. I bought one from sausagemaker dot com but I have seen what appears to be a similar unit at of all places, Grizzly.com. Fun to start with the kitchenaid, get addicted, then spend the bucks for a stuffer.

mld

iceman · September 22, 2006, 11:51:11 AM

You can use the Kitchenaid but once you use a regular stuffer you'll never go back. They work a lot better and don't get all the air in the casing like the grinder/stuffer combos. You can stuff 15 lbs. of casing in minutes with them and get them as tight as you need to with little effort. Don't get the horn type. They make more of a mess than anything else. Have fun! ;)

asa · October 06, 2006, 07:06:19 PM

Here is the most recent beef salami experiment. What a treat, to be able to have a couple of slices of this with some cheese before dinner every night.

Those little yellow specks are the mustard seed - seems to be a common ingredient, along with nutmeg (of all things). For this one I used 4# of ground beef (2 were 20% fat and 2 were 7% fat) and the ingredients posted previously. Product texture is very lean - OK, with really good flavor, but you wouldn't want it too much drier. Next time, using all 80% beef might be better. Or mix some pork in with it as many recipes recommend. But this combo is good for those interested in less fat. I might even try it all with the 97% lean beef, and add a little more liquid to the mix - that is something I've not been very careful to do and will pay more attention to in the future. This time I added a splash of sweet & sour mix because I believe that lemon/citrus "brightens the flavor" of many things I cook. It wasn't detectable, so it certainly wasn't too much. May try a little more next time as my secret ingredient. I'm interested in anyone else's experiments with salami or similar sausage recipes.

iceman · October 06, 2006, 08:11:09 PM

75% / 25% has been a good combo for me on salami and summer sausage. Add pork if you want but it changes flavor. Hard back fat makes a difference also. Final temp and quick cool down can make or break texture also. Citric acid adds a great punch but be careful or it can turn the meat to mush real fast. What you made looks dynomite!!! :P What plate size are you using on your grinder?

asa · October 10, 2006, 03:41:57 PM

Quote from: iceman on October 06, 2006, 08:11:09 PM
75% / 25% has been a good combo for me on salami and summer sausage. Add pork if you want but it changes flavor. Hard back fat makes a difference also. Final temp and quick cool down can make or break texture also. Citric acid adds a great punch but be careful or it can turn the meat to mush real fast. What you made looks dynomite!!! :P What plate size are you using on your grinder?

Thanks for the comments. Sounds like sticking with no leaner than 80/20 would be best. I haven't tried grinding my own yet - this was just store bought pre-ground beef. Then I mixed it with spices in the kitchenaid and that will change the texture, depending on how long I mix. I've been mixing a fairly long time, until there is a certain smooth homogeneity to the mix. This has produced salami that has a texture like I expected. I imagine if I took the store bought grind and didn't mix it as much, it would come out more like a coarse sausage. Do you use a fine or coarse grind for your salami and summer sausage?

Also, are you suggesting a quick cool-down for best texture? And what final temps do you aim for?