[USA] Two Types Of "Quick" Pepperoni

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Chuckwagon
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[USA] Two Types Of "Quick" Pepperoni

Post by Chuckwagon » Sat Aug 20, 2011 06:30

Two Types Of "Quick" Pepperoni
(Semi-Dry-Cured Pepperoni)

Lots of folks like a bit of pepperoni but don`t like the idea of waiting months for it to air-dry. There are two relatively easy solutions for making quick pepperoni, but the sausage maker should be aware that crafting a fully-flavored, less-tangy, European-style pepperoni requires a long-term culture such as T-SPX in which a sausage may be fermented then air dried up to 90 days in a controlled environment.

In many countries, large companies have produced "quick-fermented" type pepperoni for so long that the public has now come to believe that all pepperoni must be "tangy" to be any good. Chr. Hansen in Denmark now produces a Bactoferm™ product (LHP) that is so quick that it can drop a pepperoni product safely below pH 5.0 in merely two days! And yes, it is tangy and popular with pizza lovers. Each 42-gram packet of LHP will treat 500 pounds (225 kilo) of meat. Any remaining culture may be re-frozen (up to 6 months).

"Powder Keg Pepperoni"
Type #1. Semi-Dry Pepperoni (fast fermented sausage using Bactoferm™ FLC)

7.0 lbs. pork butt
3.0 lbs. lean beef
105.00 g. salt
11.00 g. cure #1
118.30 g. ice water
45.50 g. powdered dextrose
150.00 g. soy protein concentrate
45.50 g. sugar
15.00 g. black pepper (coarse)
30.00 g. Hungarian paprika
14.50 g. fennel seeds
9.0 g. cayenne pepper (or 14 gr. for very hot!)
1.14 g. Bactoferm™ FLC culture

Place the grinder knife and plate into the freezer while you separate the fat from the lean meat using a sharp knife. Cut the meat into 1" cubes to keep long strands of sinew from wrapping around the auger behind the plate as the meat is ground. Grind the meat using a 3/8" plate then use a sharp knife to hand-dice the fat into the size cubes of your choice or grind it through a 3/16" plate. Place the fat into the freezer while you mix the Cure #1 with a little water (for uniform distribution) and add it to the meat. Work with small batches, refrigerating the meat at every opportunity. Next, mix the meat with all the remaining ingredients (except the frozen fat), kneading the mixture to develop the proteins myosin and actin, creating a "sticky meat paste" (primary bind). Finally, fold in the frozen fat and distribute it equally throughout the mixture. The sausage should be immediately stuffed into casings to avoid smearing (while the fat remains frozen), using 1-1/2" (38mm) synthetic fibrous casings or beef middles up to 60 mm. Next, choose one of the following options:

(a.) Hang them in a fermenting chamber at 100° F. (38° C.) in 90% humidity for 24 hours,

OR...

(b.) "Warm smoke" them at only 110° F. (43°C.) for eight hours in 70% humidity. (You may have to use a pan of water on a warm hotplate in your smoke house).

Raise the smokehouse temperature to 160°F. (71°C.), then gradually, only a couple of degrees at twenty minute intervals, raise the smokehouse temperature until the internal meat temperature (IMT) registers 145°F. (63°C.). This procedure must be done slowly to avoid breaking the collagen. Remove the sausages, showering them with cold water until the IMT drops to less than 90°F. (32°C.). This semi-dry-cured sausage remains perishable and must be refrigerated. Do not enclose them in a jar or plastic. Paper sacks are ideal for storing this type pepperoni.

"Poker Face Pepperoni"
Type #2. Semi-Dry Pepperoni (made with Fermento™)

7.0 lbs. pork butt
3.0 lbs. lean beef
105.00 g. salt
11.00 g. cure #1
118.30 g. ice water
45.50 g. powdered dextrose
150.00 g. soy protein concentrate
70.00 g. Fermento™
45.50 g. sugar
15.00 g. black pepper (coarse)
30.00 g. Hungarian paprika
14.50 g. fennel seeds
14.50 g. cayenne pepper

Place the grinder knife and plate into the freezer while you separate the fat from the lean meat using a sharp knife. Cut the meat into 1" cubes to keep long strands of sinew from wrapping around the auger behind the plate as the meat is ground. Grind the meat using a 3/8" plate then use a sharp knife to hand-dice the fat into the size cubes of your choice. Place the diced fat into the freezer while you mix the Cure #1 with a little water (for uniform distribution) and add it to the meat. Work with small batches, refrigerating the meat at every opportunity. Next, mix the meat with all the remaining ingredients (except the frozen fat), kneading the mixture to develop the proteins myosin and actin, creating a "sticky meat paste" (primary bind). Finally, fold in the frozen fat and distribute it equally throughout the mixture. The sausage should be immediately stuffed into casings to avoid smearing (while the fat remains frozen), using 1-1/2" (38mm) synthetic fibrous casings or beef middles up to 60 mm. Hang the sausages in your smoke house but "Warm smoke" them only - at just 110° F. (43°C.) for eight hours in 70% humidity. (You may have to use a pan of water on a warm hotplate in your smoke house). Next, raise the smokehouse temperature to 160°F. (71°C.), then gradually, only a couple of degrees at twenty minute intervals, raise the smokehouse temperature until the internal meat temperature (IMT) registers 145°F. (63°C.). This procedure must be done slowly to avoid breaking the collagen. Remove the sausages, showering them with cold water until the IMT drops to less than 90°F. (32°C.). Allow the sausages to "bloom" and lose about 30% moisture before consuming them. This semi-dry-cured sausage remains perishable and must be refrigerated. Do not enclose them in a jar or plastic. Paper sacks are ideal for storing this type pepperoni.

*Fermento is not a fermentative culture. It is a dairy-based, tangy flavoring product made by The Sausagemaker™.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Last edited by Chuckwagon on Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:01, edited 3 times in total.
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by uwanna61 » Mon Sep 05, 2011 13:30

CW
I currently have a 10# batch of the powder keg pepperoni in the smoker. I wanted to try method (A) but went with method (B) due to time constraints. I had to use the LHP, thought I had FLC culture but no go on that. I was thinking, when complete from the smoker, I would let them hang in the curing chamber at 50 degrees for 2-3 days to bloom.
Wally
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Post by uwanna61 » Wed Sep 14, 2011 01:41

CW
Finally getting around to posting a few pic`s of my semi dry cured pepperoni. This is the best pepperoni I have tasted! I took a 24" stick to work and it disappeared. The consensus "from the guys at work" how can I make this better. They all get a kick out of the recipe title "powder keg pepperoni". Thanks for posting!
Wally
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VERY NICE!!

Post by toolhawk1 » Wed Sep 14, 2011 03:35

CAN ALMOST SMELL IT :mrgreen:
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Post by Chuckwagon » Wed Sep 14, 2011 09:06

Wally ol bud, I'm tickled pink! Thanks for your kind remarks. I enjoyed reading about the guys at work making two feet of it disappear. Great photos too! I'm really happy that the recipe worked out for you. Sounds like you'll be making some more. I'm really curious about one thing though. By adding the SPX instead of the FLC, how much longer did it take to cure your smaller diameter pepperoni?
Now, if I could only get you to admit that I probably have the best lookin' moustache in the Western Hemisphere!... oh well... all in good time... :roll:

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by uwanna61 » Wed Sep 14, 2011 17:27

CW
The pepperoni was made with LHP not the SPX, the LHP is what I had saved from an earlier project. When all was said and done, I left the pepperoni in my curing chamber at 52 degrees and 70% humidity for 5 days before I sliced the first one. Came out really good, definitely will make this again, again and agian!!
Now, if I could only get you to admit that I probably have the best lookin' moustache in the Western Hemisphere!... oh well... all in good time
Ok, Ok if it will make you feel better. My wife saw your picture on the site and muttered "boy he is a handsome feller". Happy :wink:
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Post by Chuckwagon » Thu Sep 15, 2011 00:07

Ah-Ha... I knew it! I knew it! Some of us have THE moustache - others... well, they are "follicly challenged"! Yes, yes... your wife has impeccable taste! :mrgreen:
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by uwanna61 » Thu Sep 15, 2011 00:38

LOL! Yes she does...
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Pepperoni

Post by randalleg » Wed Apr 04, 2012 16:08

I did a similar version recently but didn't want a smoked flavor so I did the fermentation stage, then poached them to be fully cooked. Basically the recipe from marianski but poached not smoked. I wish I was more picture savvy since you all on this site seem to have a knack for photography!!!
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Post by Chuckwagon » Wed Apr 04, 2012 19:58

Naw, Randall...
No picture savvy here. I'm the world's worst photographer. I switched to Photobucket and found it easier to use. Once you get the hang of it, posting a picture isn't hard at all. Yell if you need some help.

How did your pepperoni taste? Classic pepperoni is not smoked. Was the texture alright?
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by Chuckwagon » Thu Apr 05, 2012 06:19

Topic Split by Chuckwagon 040412@2316 See sticky post: "How To Post A Photo On Wedliny Domowe" in "For Beginners" forum.
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by randalleg » Thu Apr 05, 2012 15:10

Thanks for the video!! Easier than I expected!! Heres the pepperoni, a bit fuzzy but hey... I warned you :)

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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Apr 06, 2012 00:13

You're mighty welcome pal, and your pepperoni looks "good 'nuff to eat". Hey, I like your smoker too. Let us know how the pepperoni tastes! I've got 20 lbs. of kabanosy going on today. :roll: Can I borrow your smoker? :lol:

Hey Randall, how about clicking on this link and posting a photo of yourself? http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=4967 This is the forum for our member's photos. My mug is first up but now I'm dyeing my mustache and yup, (ahem... ahem...) the chicks are back! Have you ever seen a better lookin' mustache in all your born days? :shock:

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by checkerfred » Sun Apr 08, 2012 04:39

I'm gonna have to try this! Wonder how it would be with venison?
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Post by Chuckwagon » Sun Apr 08, 2012 09:08

Checkerfred, it's great with venison, but be sure to use pork fat in making venison sausage - a minimum of 20% pork butt (with its fat) is needed, but 30% pork butt (with its fat) is better yet and it still gives the deer a wonderful flavor and a nice balance.
You may also like "Stray Bullet" Italian Style Deer Sausage http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?p=3709#3709

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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