Making Home Made Salami

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Making Home Made Salami

Dear Folks,

I have previously posted about making home made "Dry Cured Salami" using a pork tenderloin and it turned out fabulous.

Today I am sharing an oven-baked Salami.

Curing involves salt, sugar and spices to create a flavorful product. In my Dry Cured Salami (above) version the meat is marinated overnight and then dried in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks. Like the method I use to refrigerator-dry my herbs, the constant removal of moisture by our modern refrigerators creates a "freeze-dry" effect.

Unlike many curing recipes I choose NOT to use curing salts which contain sodium nitrite. I use a combination of organic sugar and sea salt (do not use iodized salts for curing), whether in my homemade corned beef or in this recipe for an oven cooked salami. For something this small I can use my toaster oven and avoid a lot of heat from the big oven.

We are gifted on a regular basis with venison by family and friends who are hunters, and while we do not hunt, I have learned how to handle venison so it is tasty, and I decided to use my salami recipe on venison recently. I have previously made the salami with grass-fed beef and a combination of ground turkey and pork. Both were good.

This is another TWO day process, which requires an overnight in the frig before baking so plan accordingly.

My Homemade Salami

Ingredients:

1 to 2 pounds ground beef OR venison, chicken, turkey or pork 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
4 teaspoons organic sugar
2 teaspoons on non-iodized salt, like sea salt) 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 teaspoon liquid hickory smoke flavoring (optional)
1 tablespoon melted uncured bacon fat (use with venison or other low fat meat)

Instructions:

Have a large piece of aluminum foil ready. In a large bowl, mix together the ground meat, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard seed, salt, sugar black pepper and liquid smoke and melted bacon fat. Roll the mixture into a 2 inch diameter log, and wrap tightly in aluminum foil and twist ends to make a snug package. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Make a few slits in the bottom of the roll to allow the fat to drain when cooking. Place roll onto a broiler pan, and fill the bottom part of the pan with about 1 inch of water to keep the salami moist. (Or use a pan with a rack so the meat package is held above the water.)
Bake for 90 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from pan and cool completely before unwrapping the salami. Slice and eat as lunch meat, or serve on a tray with crackers and cheese.