Dry Aging Salami

If you wish to give your nearest and dearest a real culinary delight, you should immediately set about equipping your dry aging fridge. Here is what you need to know about the dry aging time: salami needs quite a while to develop its full flavour.

Salami becomes spicier and drier the longer it hangs. Depending on the type of salami, this process can take between 2 and 12 weeks. The flavour of ham also improves with time, retaining its delicate consistency throughout the aging period.

This should be at least 10 days for fillet pork or a rolled fillet of ham, and up to 6 months for larger cuts from the haunch.

How to prepare salami for the DRY AGER

1. Preparation

For salami, you should use fresh pork, beef or game, e.g. venison. De-bone the meat, and remove tendons and silver skin.

Then mince it and put it in the freezer for two days.

2. Mixing

On the day of sausage production, chop bacon into small cubes, add to the mixer and stir in your spices. One the mixture starts to bond, beat it thoroughly.

Then form it into balls and throw these several times against the chopping board. This minimises any air bubbles that could otherwise discolour the meat or even cause it to turn mouldy.

3. Filling

Scrape down the rinsed intestines i.e. sausage skins, and fit them to the sausage filler. Then fill with the mince mixture, keeping it as free of bubbles as possible.

This take practice and a fair amount of dexterity.

4. Maturing

String up the finished sausages so that they do not touch one another, and leave them to sweat for a day (approx. 20°-24°C and 80% humidity), Then let them hang for five days at about 17°C and 70% relative humidity, spraying them everyday on all sides with brine.

If necessary, to preserve them, cold-smoke them, then hand them up to dry in the DRY AGER.

Tip: Season with roasted pine nuts, hazelnuts or truffles.