It's been a while

[LOUSANTELLO]

Well, It's been while since I posted, But I wanted to let you know that I haven't stopped making cured meats. Thanks for all of your help. Attached are some photos with explanations for each.





Culatello hung 6 months ago

Culatello @ 41% weight loss

Cutaway of Culatello

Cappicolla

Assorted Soppressata with pepper paste. I ran out of casings, so the big bung is the same recipe

Sliced dried 29-32mm italian sausage with hot pepper paste and red wine

Now using unused wine coolers for vac packed storage

Never tried this before Teramana ( 90% back fat/10%pork) Used as a spread

Dried Italian sausage stuffed in 24mm collagen casings

Ready for cleanup

Cleaned up and ready for vac packing

Whole peppercorn soppressata 55-60mm casings

This is what's hanging right now

[BBQBob]

Ooh my! That looks amazing! Nice work, Lousantello.

[Butterbean]

You have been busy! Nice work!

[Bob K]

Gees Lou that's a lot of stuff! Those dry Italian- are you pressing them by hand? How would you compare the pepper paste to the dried red pepper?

[redzed]

Wow! That's quite the production. Looks like you never rest! BTW how is that batch made without starter cultures?

[LOUSANTELLO]

Gees Lou that's a lot of stuff! Those dry Italian- are you pressing them by hand? How would you compare the pepper paste to the dried red pepper?

The Italian 24mm are not pressed. The photo below are the soppressata done in a 55-60 to 60-65mm beef middle, For a while, I used to wait about 10 days to get rubbery and give them a squeeze by hand until they held shape/ no pressing. This last batch in the photo, I rolled with a 3/4" doll rod , then flipped the doll rod 90 degrees and applied pressure down the middle to create that dimple on one side. It seems to work fine, but I have not opened enough of them yet to find out if I broke the bind doing so, but I think they will be fine. The pepper paste is definitely a completely different flavor. I will add it to my recipes, but that doesn't mean I am taking away the classic making of black peppercorn or red flake. I did try fennel in the soppressata. That will be the last time I make that recipe however. Fennel is for sausage. LOL

[LOUSANTELLO]

Wow! That's quite the production. Looks like you never rest! BTW how is that batch made without starter cultures?

I decided to make one batch without the use of starter cultures. I still used a cure along with the same dextrose. The only thing I changed in the recipe was the removal of 007 and the addition of 1.6% red wine. I let it ferment @69F for 60 hours and the PH was still at 5.6-5.7.
I got paranoid, so I transferred it to the chamber, which I am running slightly cooler now ( 51F). I was told I should've let it go longer, but I went into panic mode. Anyway, they definitely taste different. Slightly more like I remember when I was younger, but I can't say it was because of not using a starter culture. There were too many variables to say why it came out like it did. Was it the wine? Was it the "non-complete fermentation?" Hard to say. Will I make another batch? Maybe in my spare time, but who knows what bacteria that batch would be,,,Culture just seems to be very predictable, but I can say to find one you are happy with. I was definitely not happy with T-SPX. Once I tried 007, I haven't even tried anything else. I heard Canada is limited to some of these. What's the scoops?

[LOUSANTELLO]

Man, sorry I haven't replied. For some reason, I am not getting email notifications. I'm still trying to figured out this new forum,,,just when I was finally getting used the old one. I checked my settings and I should be getting email notifications, but I'm not.

[Bob K]

I checked my settings and I should be getting email notifications, but I'm not.

Make sure both the notification and email boxes are checked

[LOUSANTELLO]

I checked my settings and I should be getting email notifications, but I'm not.

Make sure both the notification and email boxes are checked

That's where the problem was. I'm on it now:)

[LOUSANTELLO]

Gees Lou that's a lot of stuff! Those dry Italian- are you pressing them by hand? How would you compare the pepper paste to the dried red pepper?

By the way, I used 5% pepper paste and 1.6% wine by weight. I am noticing that they are much softer versus the same weight loss that I normally pull them. So, if you're planning on using this much more liquid, you'll probably need to take that into consideration when you decide to pull them based on the texture you prefer. I may have to take these over 50% weight loss versus the 47 that I used to pull them at without the paste.

[Bob K]

Culture just seems to be very predictable, but I can say to find one you are happy with.

Try a simple culture like F-LC, it can be fermented at a variety of temps and speeds and also without a lot of the flavor enhancing properties that 007 and T-SPX have.

[LOUSANTELLO]

Culture just seems to be very predictable, but I can say to find one you are happy with.

Try a simple culture like F-LC, it can be fermented at a variety of temps and speeds and also without a lot of the flavor enhancing properties that 007 and T-SPX have.

I have an FLC in the freezer. I will definitely try that, although my wife ( who's a vegetarian) wants to know who's going to eat all of this. LOL

[Bob K]

By the way, I used 5% pepper paste and 1.6% wine by weight. I am noticing that they are much softer versus the same weight loss that I normally pull them. So, if you're planning on using this much more liquid, you'll probably need to take that into consideration when you decide to pull them based on the texture you prefer.

Does that pepper paste have olive oil in it?

[LOUSANTELLO]

By the way, I used 5% pepper paste and 1.6% wine by weight. I am noticing that they are much softer versus the same weight loss that I normally pull them. So, if you're planning on using this much more liquid, you'll probably need to take that into consideration when you decide to pull them based on the texture you prefer.

Does that pepper paste have olive oil in it?

According to the bottle, all it says is peppers and salt, but my first thinking is whether it makes it oilier. What is your take on this?