Mortadella: 'Fancy' Italian Bologna

[Fisher]

Nice job again Kevin! Your photos are always great too!

[anthony]

I just tried to take a bite of my screen.  Nice job.

[SouthernSmoked]

Thud! that was my jaw hitting the floor!

Kevin, Looks pretty darn tasty!

[OU812]

Niiiiiice!

[Mr Walleye]

Wow Kevin!

Nice job!

Man... I always look forward to reading your "well" documented projects and excellent pictures!

Awesome!  8)

Mike

[pikeman_95]

Kevin
Again you knock it out of the park. That sausage looks very interesting. I would love to taste something like that. If retirement ever happens I should find some time to do some of these fun projects. I got your box ready last night but guess what? It was a holiday so it won't go our until tomorrow.
Kirby

[Kevin A]

Kirby, here's the recipe if you get a hankerin' to try making it sometime.
This recipe makes approx. 5 pounds.
PLEASE NOTE: ***Cure amount is on the low side in this recipe. Cure is added for texture and color ONLY.
This sausage is meant to be cooked thoroughly at a higher temp (165°), NOT smoked.
If one wishes to smoke it, the cure amount needs to be adjusted per meat weight in the proper proportion (1 level teaspoon of cure should be used for every 5 lbs. of meat)

Mortadella

INGREDIENT              METRIC      U.S.

Pork Butt/Shoulder       1150g     2.5 lbs
Beef                              525g    1.25 lbs
Pork Fat                        225g      0.5 lbs

Non-Fat Dry Milk              60g      2 Tbls
Corn Syrup solids             47g      2 Tbls
Coriander; ground           5.0g     2.0 tsp
Mace; ground                  1.5g     0.5 tsp
White Pepper; ground      4.5g     1.5 tsp
Garlic powder                   5.0g     2.0 tsp
Paprika                            2.0g     1.0 tsp
Kosher Salt                       35g       ----
Allspice                            1.0g        ---
Cure#1                            1.8g    .25 tsp


Black pepper; whole           4.0g   1.0 tsp
Pistachio Nuts                    60g  1/2 cup

• Cut well-chilled pork fat into 1/4" dice.
  Chill & set aside for later.
• Grind chilled meat through medium plate.
• Add salt & cure, mix well then refrigerate for several hours to allow meat to cure.
• Add remainder of spices (except whole peppercorns) to meat & blend thoroughly.
• Regrind through smaller plate (3.0mm); adding 1/2 cup of ice water if necessary
• Add in cubed fat, peppercorns and pistachios; mixing well to disperse ingredients
  in the meat paste.
• Stuff into fibrous casing.
• Poach in 165° water until IT of 155° is reached.
• Ice-bath to cool down.

Chill very well before slicing thin. Serve.

- Kevin

[drunknimortal]

Im going to make this next week. You think I could use olives instead of pistachios

[Kevin A]

Im going to make this next week. You think I could use olives instead of pistachios

Absolutely.
In fact olives are pretty common in some morts.

-Kevin

***See my NEW note in the recipe regarding cure amount & food safety:
Cure amount is on the low side in this recipe. Cure is added for texture and color ONLY.
This sausage is meant to be cooked thoroughly at a higher temp (165°), NOT smoked.
If one wishes to smoke it, the cure amount needs to be adjusted per meat weight in the proper proportion (1 level teaspoon of cure should be used for every 5 lbs. of meat)

[MTFiddler]

Kevin,

I can only dream of that quality; the presentation, the pictures, and the product are absolutely wonderful.  Outstanding job!!  Thanks for the recipe and all the hard work.

One more to add to the list.

[drunknimortal]

What size an type casing did you use? I ordered 2 different ones, a synthetic 124mm fibrous an one 120mm high barrier casing. Also what type of olive would you use? I have a couple of Italian friends I want to give some to, hope it comes out looking as good as your.

[Kevin A]

What size an type casing did you use? I ordered 2 different ones, a synthetic 124mm fibrous an one 120mm high barrier casing. Also what type of olive would you use? I have a couple of Italian friends I want to give some to, hope it comes out looking as good as your.

I'd use the 120mm fibrous. I'd find a nice green olive that you enjoy. part of the fun is trying a variety until you find one that everyone likes. No rules against using more than one type. Now if you want to use 'stuffed' olives, that might be interesting. I just had a flashback from my youth of eating olive loaf with pimento-stuffed olives!  ;)

[anderson5420]

Kevin, I really appreciate that you lay it all out so well!  Thanks!  I might try this, I have some 3" fibrous casings, that would be about 75 mm.

How do you maintain the water temp for the poach?

[Kevin A]

How do you maintain the water temp for the poach?

I heat the water to temp (165°) and use one of the dual probes from my maverick to monitor the poacher's water temp. The other probe goes into the chub.
My poacher keeps the temp pretty constant (almost 'set & forget') despite being 60+years old, so once it gets to temp, very little adjustment is needed. I wish my smoker required this little attention.  ;)

- Kevin

[pikeman_95]

Kevin
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe it is definitely going on my to do list. You are doing such a great job on your sausage and your presentation. I bet your boys have enjoyed your work so much. They will never forget these times. I still think about the times that my dad and I made sausage.
Kirby