This is one of the large-diameter salami’s I made
back on January 26th. Of the
three I made, this is the last one I cut open and I’m just thrilled with the
results of all three. Packed into a beef
bung casing, these were made with Berkshire pork and spiced in three different
ways: fennel pollen and white pepper; a five peppercorn blend; and a plain
salami as my “control” subject. It was
probably 6-8 weeks between opening the first salami and cutting into this last
one, but they held up very well. They
never got too dry or hard, and really had a perfect texture.
I believe I can continue to do better as I gain more
experience, but this is the best I’ve made so far. Using a less acidic culture allowed the
savory taste of the pork to shine through, without too much of a “bite,” as you
might find in summer sausage. In the
coming fall, I think I’ll make more of these large salami, as they age very
well and don’t get overly dry or hard, even over several months.
This particular salami was spiced with black, white,
green, and pink peppercorns. The fifth pepper
was “Jamaican pepper,” which is an old name for allspice. I was hoping the peppercorns would keep their
individual shades and create a nice mosaic of colors. The individual colors faded during the curing
process, however, giving a more muted effect.
Still, it’s delicious. Plus, the
large size makes these salami’s great to slice up for a family get-together.
Once autumn comes around and cools things of
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