Make Yourself Some Great Sopressata!
Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 04:19
Project "S"
Sopressata
I just checked the price for Southern Italian Sopressata Salami. It is more than $13.00 per pound. This alone is a very good reason to make your own. Made from several cuts of pork, this dry-cured version is sometimes smoked in northern Europe. However, in southern Italy, it is generally left to collect beautiful white mold.
[USA] "South Pass Sopressata"
(Dry-Cured Spicy Pork Salami)
4 kg. (8.8 lbs.) Pork Butt
1 kg. (2.2 lbs.) Pork Back Fat
140 g. [3%] (7 tblspns.) Salt
12 gr. (2 level teaspoons) Prague Powder Cure #2
(Do NOT use Cure #1 in this recipe)
10 gr. ( 4 tspns.) Powdered Dextrose
15 gr. (2 tblspns.) Black Peppercorns (cracked - coarse grind)
1.8 gr. (1 tspn.) Red Pepper Flakes
1.8 gr. (1 tspn.) Ground White Pepper
113 gr. (1/2 cup) Corn Syrup Solids
5.6 gr. (2 tspns.) Garlic Powder
2.8 gr. (1 tspn.) Chili Powder
0.6 g. (1/4 tspn.) Bactoferm™ T-SPX
Bactoferm™ Mold 600 (*optional - see instr. below)
Preliminary steps: Keep a logbook! Record everything you do. Write down dates, times, measurements, etc. Believe me, you`ll refer to it several times during the process. Save your notes for the next batch. They will be invaluable. Don`t ignore this step. It only takes a few seconds to write down the information you may really need later on.
Thaw the Bactoferm™ T-SPX following the directions on the package, and measure .6 gram (1/4 teaspoon) of the culture, mixing it with a little distilled water, allowing the bacteria time to "wake up". Freeze the back fat and nearly-freeze the lean meat. Place the grinder plate and blade in the freezer too - (20 minutes is plenty). Chop the meat into 2" cubes for the grinder.
Sopresatta is known for its higher fat content and larger size dice. Using a sharp knife, cut the frozen back fat into 1/4 " - 1/2" dice or grind it using a half-inch or 5/16" plate. It is important to freeze the fat before grinding to avoid "smearing". Place the diced fat back into the freezer and add the remaining ingredients to the meat mixture, distributing them well. Mix the meat until the primary bind develops, becoming sticky. Work in small batches, refrigerating the meat at every opportunity. Finally, fold the frozen fat into the meat, distributing it equally. Stuff the sausage into 2-3/8" (61 mm.) synthetic fibrous casing or medium hog middles about a foot long. Hog middles are sold in "sets" about seven feet long. Be sure to rinse them well before using them.
Weigh each salami and record its "green weight". Record it in your logbook and tag each salami.
Ferment the sopressatas at 68°; F. (20°; C.) for 72 hours, in 85% to 90% humidity. Inspect them regularly adjusting the relative humidity and temperature to develop the "equalibrium". Next, you must make a choice of the type of sopressata you wish to make.
Option #1. If you prefer a smoked, northern Italian or northern European style sopresatta, dry the sausages completely then cold-smoke them (below 65°F.) 60 hours in 80% relative humidity for great mahogany color and smoked flavor. Place them into a drying cooler at 50°F. (10°C.) in 75-80% relative humidity up to ten weeks until 30% weight loss has been achieved. Note that throughout history, smoking has been used to discourage the growth of mold, therefore smoked sopressata is not generally treated with Mold-600. Important: Smoke the sopressata using "cold smoke" only. It must remain below 65°;F.
Option #2. If you prefer a southern Italian or southern European style sopresatta having a white, flaky, protective mold covering, use Bactoferm™ Mold-600 (penicillium nalgiovense) following the directions on the package. Spray the sausages with a misting sprayer or dip them into the solution. Dry the salamis at 57°; F. (14°; C.) in 80-85% humidity for one month. Lower the humidity to 75% and continue drying them until a 30-35% weight loss is achieved after about another month. During the drying period, inspect the casings daily and wipe off any colored or "fuzzy" mold with a little vinegar on a cloth. Mold on sausage must be white in color. When safely lower than .85 Aw, the Sopressata will yield only about seventy percent of its original weight and should ultimately weigh just over 7 lbs. Store the sopressatas at (+or- 4°;) 55°; F. (13°; C.) in 75% humidity.
For Reference:
Process:..................Temp:......Humidity:.......Length Of Time:
Fermentation........... 68°; F........85-90%..........72 Hrs.
Drying...................... 57°; F........80-85%..........2 - 3 months
Storage.................... 55°; F........75%...............until consumed
Meat Starter Culture Bactoferm™ T-SPX
(Slow: Assists with drying a month or more) Also: Semi Dry Cured
Bactoferm™ T-SPX is a freeze-dried culture well suited for all fermented sausages where a relatively mild acidification is desired. T-SPX is particularly recommended for the production of Southern European type of sausages, low in acidity with an aromatic flavor. The culture is suitable for molded as well as smoked fermented sausages. (Semi Dry Cured)
Note: Cultures must be stored in freezer and has a shelf life of 14 days un-refrigerated and 6 months frozen.
Contains: Pediococcus pentosaceus and Staphylococcus xylosus
Bactoferm:Mold 600 (Previously M-EK-4) Meat culture for production of moulded dried sausages with a white/cream colored appearance. Mold-600 is a single strain culture containing spores of Penicillium nalgiovense in a convenient freeze-dried form.
P. nalgiovense is a fast growing, traditional white mold culture for controlling the surface flora.
Mold-600 is particularly recommended for the production of traditional sausages dried at low temperature and/or low humidity. It suppresses the growth of undesirable organisms such as indigenous molds, yeasts and bacteria. The culture has a positive effect on the drying process by preventing the emergence of a dry rim. Furthermore, the mold degrades lactic acid during maturation resulting in a pH increase and a less sour flavor.
Note: Cultures must be stored in a freezer and have a shelf life of 14 days un-refrigerated, while about 6 months when frozen.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Sopressata
I just checked the price for Southern Italian Sopressata Salami. It is more than $13.00 per pound. This alone is a very good reason to make your own. Made from several cuts of pork, this dry-cured version is sometimes smoked in northern Europe. However, in southern Italy, it is generally left to collect beautiful white mold.
[USA] "South Pass Sopressata"
(Dry-Cured Spicy Pork Salami)
4 kg. (8.8 lbs.) Pork Butt
1 kg. (2.2 lbs.) Pork Back Fat
140 g. [3%] (7 tblspns.) Salt
12 gr. (2 level teaspoons) Prague Powder Cure #2
(Do NOT use Cure #1 in this recipe)
10 gr. ( 4 tspns.) Powdered Dextrose
15 gr. (2 tblspns.) Black Peppercorns (cracked - coarse grind)
1.8 gr. (1 tspn.) Red Pepper Flakes
1.8 gr. (1 tspn.) Ground White Pepper
113 gr. (1/2 cup) Corn Syrup Solids
5.6 gr. (2 tspns.) Garlic Powder
2.8 gr. (1 tspn.) Chili Powder
0.6 g. (1/4 tspn.) Bactoferm™ T-SPX
Bactoferm™ Mold 600 (*optional - see instr. below)
Preliminary steps: Keep a logbook! Record everything you do. Write down dates, times, measurements, etc. Believe me, you`ll refer to it several times during the process. Save your notes for the next batch. They will be invaluable. Don`t ignore this step. It only takes a few seconds to write down the information you may really need later on.
Thaw the Bactoferm™ T-SPX following the directions on the package, and measure .6 gram (1/4 teaspoon) of the culture, mixing it with a little distilled water, allowing the bacteria time to "wake up". Freeze the back fat and nearly-freeze the lean meat. Place the grinder plate and blade in the freezer too - (20 minutes is plenty). Chop the meat into 2" cubes for the grinder.
Sopresatta is known for its higher fat content and larger size dice. Using a sharp knife, cut the frozen back fat into 1/4 " - 1/2" dice or grind it using a half-inch or 5/16" plate. It is important to freeze the fat before grinding to avoid "smearing". Place the diced fat back into the freezer and add the remaining ingredients to the meat mixture, distributing them well. Mix the meat until the primary bind develops, becoming sticky. Work in small batches, refrigerating the meat at every opportunity. Finally, fold the frozen fat into the meat, distributing it equally. Stuff the sausage into 2-3/8" (61 mm.) synthetic fibrous casing or medium hog middles about a foot long. Hog middles are sold in "sets" about seven feet long. Be sure to rinse them well before using them.
Weigh each salami and record its "green weight". Record it in your logbook and tag each salami.
Ferment the sopressatas at 68°; F. (20°; C.) for 72 hours, in 85% to 90% humidity. Inspect them regularly adjusting the relative humidity and temperature to develop the "equalibrium". Next, you must make a choice of the type of sopressata you wish to make.
Option #1. If you prefer a smoked, northern Italian or northern European style sopresatta, dry the sausages completely then cold-smoke them (below 65°F.) 60 hours in 80% relative humidity for great mahogany color and smoked flavor. Place them into a drying cooler at 50°F. (10°C.) in 75-80% relative humidity up to ten weeks until 30% weight loss has been achieved. Note that throughout history, smoking has been used to discourage the growth of mold, therefore smoked sopressata is not generally treated with Mold-600. Important: Smoke the sopressata using "cold smoke" only. It must remain below 65°;F.
Option #2. If you prefer a southern Italian or southern European style sopresatta having a white, flaky, protective mold covering, use Bactoferm™ Mold-600 (penicillium nalgiovense) following the directions on the package. Spray the sausages with a misting sprayer or dip them into the solution. Dry the salamis at 57°; F. (14°; C.) in 80-85% humidity for one month. Lower the humidity to 75% and continue drying them until a 30-35% weight loss is achieved after about another month. During the drying period, inspect the casings daily and wipe off any colored or "fuzzy" mold with a little vinegar on a cloth. Mold on sausage must be white in color. When safely lower than .85 Aw, the Sopressata will yield only about seventy percent of its original weight and should ultimately weigh just over 7 lbs. Store the sopressatas at (+or- 4°;) 55°; F. (13°; C.) in 75% humidity.
For Reference:
Process:..................Temp:......Humidity:.......Length Of Time:
Fermentation........... 68°; F........85-90%..........72 Hrs.
Drying...................... 57°; F........80-85%..........2 - 3 months
Storage.................... 55°; F........75%...............until consumed
Meat Starter Culture Bactoferm™ T-SPX
(Slow: Assists with drying a month or more) Also: Semi Dry Cured
Bactoferm™ T-SPX is a freeze-dried culture well suited for all fermented sausages where a relatively mild acidification is desired. T-SPX is particularly recommended for the production of Southern European type of sausages, low in acidity with an aromatic flavor. The culture is suitable for molded as well as smoked fermented sausages. (Semi Dry Cured)
Note: Cultures must be stored in freezer and has a shelf life of 14 days un-refrigerated and 6 months frozen.
Contains: Pediococcus pentosaceus and Staphylococcus xylosus
Bactoferm:Mold 600 (Previously M-EK-4) Meat culture for production of moulded dried sausages with a white/cream colored appearance. Mold-600 is a single strain culture containing spores of Penicillium nalgiovense in a convenient freeze-dried form.
P. nalgiovense is a fast growing, traditional white mold culture for controlling the surface flora.
Mold-600 is particularly recommended for the production of traditional sausages dried at low temperature and/or low humidity. It suppresses the growth of undesirable organisms such as indigenous molds, yeasts and bacteria. The culture has a positive effect on the drying process by preventing the emergence of a dry rim. Furthermore, the mold degrades lactic acid during maturation resulting in a pH increase and a less sour flavor.
Note: Cultures must be stored in a freezer and have a shelf life of 14 days un-refrigerated, while about 6 months when frozen.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon