The Culture Cook - Make Pepperoni Sausages at home

Step 1

Clean, rinse, and rehydrate your casings

Step 2

Clean your meat of any silver skin, sinew, arteries and cut into small cubes.  Place the meat and fat in the freezer for an hour

Step 3

Grind chilled pork, fat, and beef through 4.5mm plate.

Step 4

Mix all ingredients with cold meat till very tacky

Step 5

Stuff firmly into 40mm-43mm beef rounds

Step 6

Ferment at 26C (80F) for 18 hours, 90-85% humidity till pH reads 4.6 - 4.8 (the lower it goes the tangier your pepperoni will taste).

Step 7

OPTIONAL: After fermentation lightly cold smoke the pepperoni for 2 hours

Step 8

Place pepperoni in a drying chamber set to 12C - 13C (55F) and 80% humidity. Dry for 4-10 days. (You are looking for a 20% weight loss)

Step 9

Once dried slowly cook your pepperoni till the internal temp reaches 57C - 63C (135-145F).  you can either do this by smoking or sous vide. For sous vide Cook at 60C (140F) for 2 hours