Step 1

Debone and Clean your meat and cut the meat and fat into small chunks (small enough to fit into your grinder). Chill your meat to 32f-34f.

Step 2

Prepare the casing by soaking in luke warm water and prepare the starter culture as it needs to rehydrate for a least 30 minutes

Step 3

Grind the meat and fat separately. Grind chilled meat through a course plate (10mm or 8mm). Then grind the fat through a course plate (10mm or 8mm) separately. Rechill after grinding.

Step 4

Add all of the spices, cure, dextrose, and the rehydrated starter culture to the mince meat. Mix till it starts to get tacky. Finally add the chilled fat to the meat and continue mixing (30 seconds). It should stick to your hand if you turn your hand upside down, when finished.

Step 5

Stuff the mince into your casings, prick with a sausage pricker, and weigh your salami. Record the weight then subtract 35% and record that number.. (that's your finishing weight) If you like a more firm salami you can let it dry to 40%.

Step 6

Ferment your salami by placing them in an environment that between 75F (24c) and 85F (29c) with high humidity for 18-24 hours. You can achieve high humidity by wrapping you salami in cling film. This locks in the moisture. A good place to ferment is in your oven with the light on but the oven off. (EVERY STARTER CULTURE IS DIFFERENT. THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR THE FLAVOR OF ITALY STARTER CULTURE). The goal of fermentation is to reach a pH between 5.3 and 4. Once you have reached the target pH you can cold smoke your salami.

Step 7

Cold smoke your salami for 4-8 hours under 90f (32c). I smoked mine for 6 hours using oak and cherry wood.

Step 8

After cold smoking transfer your salami to the drying chamber.

Step 9

The drying conditions should be set to 55F (13C) and 80% humidity. Leave it in here till you lose 30% – 40% moisture loss. The more moisture that is lost the harder your salami will be. I personally like 35% – 40% weight loss.