Venison Salami - With a French Accent

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redzed
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Venison Salami - With a French Accent

Post by redzed » Sun Aug 07, 2016 15:24

This is a French style saucisson sec made with venison and pork. To complement the flavour of venison, I adopted the spice blend for game in The Professional Charcuterie Series, Vol. 1. The blend is multipurpose and intended for all game in different charcuterie products, so I decided to give it a whirl in a salami. The flavours in the finished product are certainly different from other venison salami that I have sampled. Difficult to describe, but none of the spices dominate, but you can taste the pepper immediately and then the blend which is quite pungent, and perhaps slightly bitter. In a way it reminds me of a tannic dry wine. No clear consensus whether it is a go to venison salami, since a couple of friends thought it was the best item on the charcuterie board, while others did not return to it after having a taste. Not a chance of it ever becoming a favourite, but I would make it again just to create variety, as it differs from the the Italian style dry cured flavours.

Venison Salami - With a French Accent

Meats

400g Class I venison (lean with no connective tissue)
400g Class I (lean with no connective tissue) pork from loin and ham 80%
200g hard back fat 20%

Ingredients per 1000g (1 kg) of meat
Salt, 25g
Cure, #2 2.5g
Black pepper, coarsely ground, 3g
Marjoram, .3g
Garlic, granulated, .7g
Nutmeg, .3g
Juniper, .3g
Thyme, .2g
Ginger, .2g
Cloves, ground, .2g
Dextrose 4g
S. erythorbate, .5g
White wine 50ml (oaked chardonay in this instance)
Mondostart 2M culture, level 1/2tsp used for the 4kg meat block

Instructions
1. Cut meat into 3-4cm. cubes, and back fat into slightly smaller ones. Keep the fat and meat separate.
2. Add the salt, #2 and cure to the meat and rest in fridge for 48 hours. . Add salt to the fat and also place in fridge. Make sure that the meat and fat are covered well.
3. Freeze the fat and and semi-freeze meat before grinding. Combine the meat and fat and grind everything though the 6.5mm. plate.
4. Combine the rest of the seasonings, the rehydrated culture and wine with the ground meat. Mix thoroughly, but be careful not to overwork and warm the meat to avoid fat smearing.
5. Stuff into beef middles or appropriate collagen casings. I used the 60mm protein lined casings from the Sausagemaker.
6. Ferment at 20-22C and 90%+ RH until pH reads 5.3 or lower, but ideally not below 5.
7. Dry at 75-85% RH until weight drops by 35%. I kept mine in the chamber a bit too long, with a weight loss of 40-42%
8. Surface starter optional but recommended.

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Bob K
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Post by Bob K » Mon Aug 08, 2016 16:18

Looks A-1 Chris, beautiful color! Unfortunately most "Game Recipes" try to overpower the "gamey" taste. If well cared for venison can be the star, in taste and unique aroma.

I see Zip ties have invaded the traditional sausage world!
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