Pepperoni Questions

[smokeitall]

I found this recipe online.  It states to hang the pepperoni for 6-8 weeks and has a link on how to, but the link doesn't work.  I believe this is a dry-cured with maybe a cure#2, has anyone made something similar to this or have a recipe that is great that you wouldn't mind sharing?  You can also PM me if you want.  Thanks, SIA

Makes: 10 pounds
7 pounds pre-frozen or certified pork butt, cubed, fat included*
3 pounds lean beef chuck, round or shank, cubed
5 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoons crushed anise seed
1 teaspoon garlic, very finely minced
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid
1 teaspoon saltpeter
6 feet small (1/2-inch diameter) hog casings
Grind the pork and beef through the coarse disk separately.
Mix the meats together with the remaining ingredients.
Spread the mixture out in a large pan, cover loosely with waxed paper, and cure in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours.
Prepare the casings (see instructions below).
Stuff the sausage into the casings and twist off into then-inch links.
Using cotton twine, tie two separate knots between every other link, and one knot at the beginning and another at the end of the stuffed casing.
Cut between the double knots. This results in pairs of ten-inch links. The pepperoni are hung by a string tied to the center of each pair.
Hang the pepperoni to dry for six to eight weeks (see Instructions for Home Curing Pork bedore proceeding). Once dried, the pepperoni will keep, wrapped, in the refrigerator for several months

[Tenpoint5]

Scott I was looking around trying to find the answer to your question and I happened to find this thought it was interesting.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4885669_make-pepperoni-bradley-smoker.html
I'm still looking.

[smokeitall]

Thanks Chris, that one is interesting and similar to my last attempt which failed miserably.  Now that I keep looking I think I may be looking for a dry cured recipe.  I'm really trying to find something close to the pepperoni sticks that I buy in Ashland, WI.  Well use to buy, its way to expensive now, they really raised there price.
Thanks,
SIA

[Tenpoint5]

You might want to start this project as well Scott I bookmarked the page for myself.
http://www.sausagemaker.com/tutorials/chamber/curing_chamber.html

[Roadking]

My father and Grandfather used to talk a lot about making dry-cured sausage all the time. Grandfather and his brothers would make 50 lbs, of sausage at a click and stuff it. They would all take a cut of the days work and bring it home to cure in there cellars. When they would consume it they always said this one brothers sausage tasted the best. The only difference when they made it was the temperature and humidity where it cured.
My father said if you don't have the those two thing perfect you might as well not do it. Now your further north then us where it's cooler I would give it a shot, say on a couple pounds. Get yourself a good book on it and read, read, read.
Good Luck

[Caribou]

Hi SIA,
I don't know if this will be useful to you but I recently made venison pepperoni using this recipe on the bottom of page 119:
http://books.google.com/books?id=YL4M5xEwajIC&dq=venison+sausage+cookbook&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=93LbSrG-CIGOswOay6yxCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CCUQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=&f=false
It uses MTQ.  The amount is not correct it should be 1.5 tsp per pound of meat.  But with the exception of needing a little more heat, like cayenne, it was a pretty good pepperoni.  I ran it through the food processor using a thin slicing blade and it great on pizza.
Maybe you could modify it to fit your taste and make a quick batch while you figure out the dry-cured thing  :)
Carolyn

[Habanero Smoker]

For pepperoni there is dry cured sausage and semi-dry sausage. The recipe you posted is for a dry cured version of pepperoni. Saltpeter will work, but Cure #2 is more reliable and saltpeter cannot be purchase in the U.S.; at least not retail. You should use two teaspoons of cure #2 for the recipe you posted. The type that 10.5 is referring to is a semi-dry sausage which requires cure #1, because it is cooked, and then can be hung to furhter dry. There are few semi-dry pepperoni recipes located in this forum, which show how to air dry further after it has been cooked.

I agree with Roadking, that to make successful dry cured sausage you need to control the humidity and temperature; but you still need cure #2. The critical information that is missing for the recipe is the steps it takes for dry curing. I've almost have everything in place to begin my first batch of dry cured sausage. I'm currently just hung up on the humidifier I want to purchase.

[deb415611]

Scott I was looking around trying to find the answer to your question and I happened to find this thought it was interesting.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4885669_make-pepperoni-bradley-smoker.html
I'm still looking.

That's Stickbowcrafter's recipe from the recipe site!   

[smokeitall]

Thanks everybody for the replies.  Habs please keep us posted on your setup and let us know how the first batch comes out.  I would like to see the setup that you built when you have it complete. 
SIA

[Habanero Smoker]

Thanks everybody for the replies.  Habs please keep us posted on your setup and let us know how the first batch comes out.  I would like to see the setup that you built when you have it complete. 
SIA

I sure will. I'm also writing it up for the recipe site. For me it kind of funny and frustrating that the two pieces of equipment that should have been the easiest to select; a heat source and a humidifier, have given me the most difficulty in selecting. The heater is for the fermentation stage, if I am not using the Bradley.

The problem with selecting the humidifier is that I have hard water, and don't want to have to purchase filters or spend a fortune on distilled water. I have found one humidifier with a permanent filter, but it is  a little taller then I would like. If I don't have a filter, the minerals in the water will be deposited as a fine dust on any surface inside the refrigerator, including the meat.

Most likely for my first sausages, I will probably make pepperoni, and chorizo.

[deb415611]

Habs,

I'm interested in your setup too.  Do you think it will work for cheese aging as well?  I spent too much time reading the cheesemaking.com website this weekend  ;)   I noticed they have a fridg thermostat on their website.

Deb

[NePaSmoKer]

SIA

I have made pepperoni like this but i use cure #2. Habs is right saltpeter is not as good but if you need some i can get it from one of my bomb making buddies  :D (kidding) but i can get some in 1lb jars.  You need some 50-60% RH with this kind of recipe, i use a small humidifier with built in humidity control.


nepas

[Yooper Jim]

Saltpetre is available from amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Humco-SaltPetre-Powder-Potassium-Nitrate/dp/B000NC4Z60/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1255984677&sr=8-3

[Roadking]

Saltpetre is available from amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Humco-SaltPetre-Powder-Potassium-Nitrate/dp/B000NC4Z60/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1255984677&sr=8-3

Read the reviews - It's not food grade.
" it's a technical grade saltpeter, not food grade. There is no mention in the product description that this is a technical grade saltpeter, not a food grade... meaning this probably shouldn't be used to cure meats.       Disappointing."

[Habanero Smoker]

Saltpetre is available from amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Humco-SaltPetre-Powder-Potassium-Nitrate/dp/B000NC4Z60/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1255984677&sr=8-3

I don't know where this store is located, but I wouldn't purchase anything form them when they give the discription of Saltpeter:
"Product Description
INDICATIONS: Humco SaltPetre Powder is a natural mineral with many uses in commerce and in magic. Magically speaking, Saltpetre has a long, long, long history in hoodoo as an agent of magical protection in spritual baths and floor washes. " ???  :)

Habs,

I'm interested in your setup too.  Do you think it will work for cheese aging as well?  I spent too much time reading the cheesemaking.com website this weekend  ;)   I noticed they have a fridg thermostat on their website.

Deb

Deb;

I plan on using if for four things; one as a regular refrigerator during the summer months; two, as a dry curing cabinet; three, dry aging beef; and four cheese making, during the fall, winter and spring.

I haven't seen that setup. I'll go over there after I log off.