Another type of salami is pepperoni, a spicy type of sausage. It is also made from pork and is a popular sandwich ingredient. In Italy, salami can be bought at a price of 10-11 € per kilogram. Well-known producers are Negroni Groupe and Salumeo.

Ventricina

This is a fairly popular sausage in Italy. Her homeland is the Abruzzo region. Ventricina is made from pork and lard with salt and spices. Fennel, rosemary, pepper (sweet and hot), sometimes garlic and orange zest are used as spices. There are two main types - Vasto and Teramo.

Ventricina Vasto contains 20-30% lard. All ingredients are not ground into minced meat, but cut into cubes. Then pieces of meat and lard are rolled in spices and filled with the shell. The sausage matures within 120 days. The finished product has a piquant, spicy aroma and an uneven red color.

The fat content of Ventricina Teramo sausage is much higher - 50-60%. It also contains by-products, and all ingredients are passed through a meat grinder. The delicacy is eaten spread on bread and used to prepare meat sauces.

Both varieties of sausage are named after the localities where they are produced. Traditionally, porcine bladder is used as a casing for ventricina, but modern manufacturers can also use an artificial casing. Ventricina is made by Portalupi, Villani SpA, Alto Concetto and other manufacturers. You can buy sausage in Italy at prices ranging from 18 to 32 € per kg.

Kotekino

This Italian sausage contains pork neck, head parts, meat, lard, pieces of skin and cracklings. All ingredients are finely ground and seasoned with salt, pepper and spices. Sausage goes on sale raw, slightly dried. Demand for it increases on the eve of the New Year, since one of the traditional dishes on the New Year's tables of Italian residents is cotecino with lentils.

Sausage must be cooked before use. Basically, it is baked or boiled over low heat, after piercing the shell in several places. When cut, the finished product has a pink, almost red color. You can buy cotecino in Italy at prices ranging from 16 to 30 € per kg. One of the most famous sausage producers is Antica Ardenga Srl.

Salsiccia

These fatty sausages are made in many regions of Italy. And in each area, production and recipes have their own characteristics. In some areas, pork is used as the main ingredient - for this they take the back or thigh. In other areas, salsiccia may be made from turkey, lamb or beef, or with the addition of offal. The shell is used natural or artificial.

The ingredients are not chopped too finely. A mixture of herbs, fennel seeds, salt and pepper (allspice, bitter and paprika) are added to the prepared minced meat. Spices may also vary by region. In some Italian regions, coriander is added to these sausages, in others - garlic, in others - a little fortified wine and even cheese. The sausage has a small diameter and ring shape.

Salsiccia is also prepared in different ways. Some varieties are dried for two months, like Salsiccia Stagionata (its price ranges from 16 to 29 € per kg). Others sell it raw, like Salsiccia Fresca (it costs 13–15 €). These sausages can be baked or fried at home. Dried salsiccia is added to stews or used as a pizza topping. Among the manufacturers it is worth noting Salumeo and Casa Montorsi.

Where to try and buy sausage in Rome

The list of popular types of Italian sausages is not exhaustive. The sunny country produces many varieties, including many raw, dry-cured and smoked varieties. Local producers honor traditions, so the taste of some products has changed little since the Middle Ages, when they were served on the tables of the Italian nobility.

Buy the best varieties sausages in Italy can be found in the Volpetti shop in Rome (Via Marmorata, 47). The fantastic assortment of this gastronomic shop can amaze the most sophisticated gourmets. Each buyer will be helped to make a choice here, and tourists who buy delicious souvenirs before returning home will have their sausages vacuum-packed.

Another great place in Rome to buy authentic Italian delicacies is Antica Salumeria (Piazza della Rotonda 4/00186). The shop at this restaurant offers several hundred varieties of sausages, cheeses, dried meat products and wine Here you can buy and taste products from local producers. Large plate with different types delicacies will cost 15 €.

This time we will again talk about an Italian product that has firmly taken root on domestic tables. Salami is a type of hard sausage with lard, appreciated all over the world. Once upon a time in Italy it was enjoyed only by the privileged classes of the population. Today, almost everyone can afford salami at least for a holiday. “You had two pieces of sausage on the table!” - sung in popular song 90s But we will not tell you fairy tales, like the hero of the hit, but will present the most truthful story about salami.

Many people love salami, and therefore they produce it in most civilized countries of the world. But, as you know, sausage is different from sausage, and in order to appreciate the original taste, you definitely need to go to its homeland - Italy. There are also a huge number of manufacturers in the republic. However, only some products are awarded special marks - . These abbreviations in the name indicate dedication to the tradition of manufacturing and high quality Italian salami.

Salama da sugo IGP

Salami da sugo is a sausage typical of the province (Ferrara), but completely unusual in appearance. It contains pork meat, tongue and liver, wine, salt and spices (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, pepper). It is shaped like a melon and tied with twine. May be covered with a coating of white mold that appears naturally during ripening. The weight of the heads ranges from 0.7 to 1.4 kg. The color is dark brown, the aroma is intense, the structure is soft and grainy. Minimum term aging 6 months.

The peculiarity of salami da sugo is that it is most often additionally prepared before use. Soak in cold water to soften the plaque, carefully wash with brushes, and then cook for at least 4 hours. It is important that the skin of the sausage is not damaged. The finished product is eaten warm with potato or pumpkin puree, cut into portions.

Salame Cremona IGP

Cremona salami is made from pigs raised in the area where Parma ham (Prosciutto di Parma) and (Prosciutto di San Daniele) are produced. It is a mixture of fresh pork with salt and crushed garlic, stuffed into the intestines of pigs, cattle, sheep or horses.

Ripening period from 5 weeks to more than 4 months. Salami has the shape of a cylinder with a diameter of 65 mm and a length of 150 mm. The weight of the finished product is 500 g. The sausage is cut softly even after long-term aging. The color is intensely red, the aroma is rich, the taste is spicy. Cremona goes well with vegetables, fruits, breads and cheeses.

Salame d'Oca di Mortara IGP

Salami di Mortara is produced in the province of Pavia. It is prepared from pork and goose meat. In the last 3 months of life, geese should eat exclusively green food and grain and weigh at least 4 kg before slaughter. The casing for the sausage is goose skin. The texture is uniform and does not crumble. The cut color is dark red interspersed with fat. The smell is spicy, the taste is delicate and soft. The size of the sausage ranges from 0.3 to 4 kg. Salami di Mortara goes well with fresh and stewed vegetables.

Salame Sant'Angelo IGP

Salami Sant'Angelo is a sausage made from pigs raised in Nebrodi. It has an elongated cylindrical shape and a natural white coating. The consistency is delicate and compact. The color of the meat is ruby ​​red, the fat is white. The smell is delicate, the taste is spicy, aromatic, obtained due to the special microclimate of the valley. The holding time ranges from 30 to 90 days. The size of fat inclusions is larger compared to other varieties. Salami Sant'Angelo is eaten as an appetizer or appetizer.

Salame Felino IGP

Salami Felino is a product from the city of the same name in the province (Parma). In addition to meat and spices, the sausage contains dry white wine, which distinguishes it from other varieties. The weight of the sausage stick varies from 0.2 to 4.5 kg, the shape is cylindrical. The texture is compact, not elastic. The color is ruby ​​red. The aroma is delicate, the taste is sweet. The minimum ripening time is 25 days. The size of the slices is very important for consumption. Traditionally, Felino salami is cut quite thick (7 mm) and long (the cut is made diagonally). It is served in combination with bread and Parma ham.

Salame Piemonte IGP

The Piedmontese salami production area is limited to the territory of the region of the same name. In addition to seasonings, the sausage is flavored with red wines from Nebiollo, Barbera and Dolcetto grapes. The salami stick has a cylindrical shape and weighs at least 300 g. The cut is ruby ​​red, the texture is compact and uniform, interspersed with lard and pepper grains. The taste is sweet and delicate due to the short aging (10-50 days depending on weight). Piedmontese salami has the aroma of aged wine and garlic. Slice it just before serving. Eat with fresh bread, mustard, cheeses and salads. Sausage is also served with various cereals and mashed potatoes.

Salame di Varzi DOP

Salami di Varzi comes from the municipality of Varzi in the province of Pavia. Sausage is a mixture of fresh meat and coarsely cut lard. The fat content is approximately 30-33% of the total weight of the product. The shape of the product is cylindrical, the cut color is bright red with white inclusions of lard. The consistency is elastic, the texture is compact. Aging time depends on weight and variety: Varzi-Filzetta (0.5-0.7 kg, aged 45 days), Varzi-Filzettone (0.5-1 kg, aged 60 days), Varzi-Sottocrespone (1-2 kg , ripening 120 days), Varzi-Cucito (1-2 kg, ripening 180 days). The taste is sweet and delicate. Salami di Varzi is cut into thick slices and complemented with vegetable salads with vegetable oil, cheeses and wines.

Salame Brianza DOP

Salami Brianza is produced from pigs raised in the regions (Emilia-Romagna), (Lombardia) and Piedmont. In addition to salt, pepper, garlic and wine, sugar can be added to the product. The shape is cylindrical, the consistency is compact and not elastic. The cut color is ruby ​​red. The smell is delicate, the taste is very sweet. Ripening time depends on size and varies from 15 days to more than 5 months. Salami Brianza is served as an appetizer for alcoholic drinks. It is used in many recipes.

For example, the salad that we call “Olivier” is called “Russian salad” (Insalata Russa) in Italy and they put salami in it.

Salame Piacentino DOP

Piacentino salami is made from the meat and fat of pigs in the province of Piacenza. The fat content is from 10 to 30%. The finished product has a cylindrical shape and weighs from 400 g to 1 kg. The texture is compact. The cut color is bright red with clearly visible inclusions of fat. The smell is characterized by a delicate aroma of meat with a slight hint of spice. The taste is delicate, almost unsweetened, becoming more intense with age. Exposure depends on weight and is at least 45 days. Piacentino salami is eaten as an appetizer and used in recipes.

Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora DOP

Italian Cacciatore salami is produced in 11 regions of Italy.

Its name translates as “hunter”. This is due to the tradition of people taking salami as a snack when hunting.

Sausage differs from other varieties by its rich history. The shape of the product is cylindrical, length about 20 cm and diameter 6 cm. Weighs on average 350 g. The texture is dense, not elastic. The cut is ruby ​​red with evenly distributed lard grains. The aroma is subtle, the taste is sweet and delicate without sourness. The minimum ripening time is 10 days. Cacciatore is eaten with unsalted bread and complemented with good sparkling wine, cheeses, fruits and vegetables. Fits perfectly in salads.

Salame di Milano

Salami Milano is not included in the DOP and IGP categories. However, it is one of the most famous varieties among Italian salamis. It is made from a mixture of finely minced pork and beef, which is seasoned with salt and a small amount of seasoning and stuffed into a natural or synthetic casing. Exposure time is about 3 months. The cut color is bright red, almost ruby. The taste is delicate. Milano salami is served as part of a meat plate. Milanese eat it with traditional michetta bread.

Origin

The history of salami on the territory of modern Italy began in the period. The name of the product comes from the Latin word salumen, but it appears only in the Middle Ages and means that the product is stored with salt. This was the name given not only to meat, but also to fish. However, over time, the term "salami" became more and more associated with pork.

Mass production of salami began in the Middle Ages, when the first large pigsties appeared in close proximity to milk processing sites. Waste from the production of cheeses and cottage cheese is ideal for pig feed. The birth of such an industry and the unique microclimate of Italy creates ideal conditions to spread the art of meat preservation. Minced pork was mixed with wine and spices. This salami was sent to the ceremonial tables of nobles and feudal lords.

In the 12th century, at the court of the Malaspina family, they served a “new” sausage, aged in wine cellars and “flavored” with smoke. And in 1581, the word “salame” appears for the first time in a cookbook and refers to pork sausage. Previously, sausages were referred to as insicia. Later, salami moved onto the tables of rural residents, when raising pigs became an indispensable resource for survival.
The art of making salami developed differently depending on the region of Italy. Which inevitably led to a variety of varieties of Italian salame, even in the same region.

Production

The quality of Italian salami is maintained not only in the production workshop. Even the territory and food for raising pigs, whose meat is used in making sausage, are regulated. Animals weighing 160-180 kg are sent for slaughter. The basis of their diet consists of grains and milk by-products. As a result of such nutrition, raw materials are rich in saturated fatty acids and have low cholesterol levels.

Salami, however, may contain not only pork, but also meat from sheep, goats, horses, geese, donkeys, wild boars and their offal. Although the fat part is taken only from pigs because of its organoleptic properties.

Before cooking, stringy areas and fatty tissue are removed from the meat. It is thoroughly cleaned and cooled to a temperature of 7 degrees. Which parts of the carcass are used to make salami, as well as the fineness of grinding, depend on the type of sausage.

Salt and spices are added to the minced meat, the presence of which is determined by the type of product. Spices used include garlic, black and white pepper (ground or beans), dill, nutmeg, cloves and others. In some regions of Italy there are unusual salamis. For example, with walnuts or pistachios. A non-standard method can also be called adding milk or wine to the raw material. The law allows the use of sodium nitrite as a coloring agent and weak preservative.

Sausage dough is stuffed into a natural (pigs, sheep, cattle and horses intestines) or synthetic (cellulose) casing. To pre-dry, the sausage is sent to warm rooms for 3-7 days. Further ripening occurs at a temperature of 10-15 degrees. Aging times vary depending on the variety. The final stage of preparation for certain types of salami may be slight smoking to impart a specific aroma.

Calorie content and benefits

The calorie content of salami, like other products, directly depends on its variety. It is not possible to consider everything, so we will focus on Salami Milano - the most famous and best-selling Italian sausage in the world. The number of calories per 100 g is 384 kcal, which consists of:

• Protein 25.4 g (101.4 kcal);
• Fat 31 g (278.4 kcal);
• Carbohydrates 1.1 g (4.2 kcal).

Salami Milano is a product with high energy value. However, the lard in it is easily digestible due to the development of beneficial microflora during the ripening of the sausage.

Pork meat is very rich in protein, which is necessary as a building component for the human body. In addition, fermentation of proteins during aging of the product leads to better absorption.

In addition, sausages are one of the important sources of bioavailable iron, zinc and other minerals. Salami is rich in vitamins B1 and B3. They participate in metabolism, ensure the normal functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, as well as the digestive organs.

Salami is recommended for nutrition for people with reduced weight and lack of appetite, during periods of mental and physiological stress, and during recovery. If you do not belong to any category, but still love salami, you should know that you can spend calories from 100 g of salami:

1. Cleaning the house for 2.5 hours;
2. Brisk walking 1 hour;
3. Running at an average speed of 27 minutes;
4. Playing football for 34 minutes;
5. Swim for 40 minutes.

The disadvantage of the product is the high content of sodium chloride (salt), excessive consumption of which contributes to the formation of arterial hypertension.

Homemade recipe

Often, home lovers of culinary exploits settle on the most exotic and irresistible options. One of them can be called salami. If you search for a recipe for it at home on Italian websites, then at best you will find a way to prepare sweet sausage for dessert.

We will share with you a simple recipe for homemade sausage. But, in fairness, we note that it is impossible to cook real Italian salami in your kitchen. So, we will need:

• Pork – 850 g;
• Lard – 150 g;
• Salt – 25 g;
• Dry wine – 10 ml;
• Pepper – 5 g;
• Garlic – 5 cloves;
• Spices to taste;
• Pork intestines.

You can use a variety of spices in the recipe (cloves, nutmeg, ginger, etc.). It all depends on your taste. The intestines are usually sold clean, but still, they should be washed additionally under running water. Why do we take pork? They are optimal in diameter.

Grind lard (10 mm thick slices) and meat (small cubes). Place the pork in the freezer until it is slightly frozen (but not frozen). We twist the meat in a meat grinder with large diameter holes, and finely chop the lard by hand.

Add salt, wine and spices to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Using a sausage attachment, fill the intestines with minced meat. We make constrictions along the length to form sausages. Carefully inspect the resulting sausage for the presence of air bubbles. If there are any, then they need to be pierced.

We wrap the sausages with twine and hang them in a cool room with low humidity for about 7 days. During this time, the product will lose some of its moisture and acquire the required consistency.

Cooked sausage “ala salami” should be stored in the refrigerator. It will be an excellent snack for alcoholic drinks. You can also make a salami pizza by adding cheese, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, onions and slices of your homemade masterpiece.

Price

Conquering Italy and acquiring salami at the same time is a rather interesting holiday option. Moreover, you can easily find it, with virtually no effort. The famous Milano salami in its homeland can be purchased at prices ranging from 12 to 25 euros per 1 kg.

Domestic stores offer 1 kg of Italian product for 3000-3500 rubles. Russian-made products with the name “Salami Milano” are priced at 1,500 rubles per 1 kg.

The not at all sad story about salami has come to an end. Eating a piece of sausage with some crusty bread and then going for a run around the city seems like the perfect way to start the day. Live brightly, love secretly, travel deliciously and remember: “You don’t go to Italy with your own salami!”

↘️🇮🇹 USEFUL ARTICLES AND SITES 🇮🇹↙️ SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS

I vote yes with both hands healthy eating and I agree with nutritionists: if you love sausage, eat homemade! We order dry-cured sausage from the farmer, 10 kg for our family, we prepare it in November, hang it in the “Cantina” (cold cellar), it’s ready in March, this is its peak taste. We eat it quickly, we treat our friends and relatives. It’s very tasty, but we don’t have the conditions for drying, so I found a wonderful recipe for our urban conditions. I’m happy to share with you! For those who have a dark, unheated, ventilated room, recipe No. 2 . and 3;and 4

I do not recommend using an artificial casing! Agree with the butcher and buy a natural one. Most often, pork intestines are divided into two parts: 32 mm - 35 mm and 35 mm - 38 mm. We tend to lean towards size two because we like our sausage big....we're going to go through this like adults!!!

The intestines are stored in salt. Rinse them thoroughly in warm water. Then wash each inside under running water.

This is one of the most difficult preparatory work.

When producing sausage, it is very important what kind of meat you use. We buy the front shoulder. This part is located on the front leg from the elbow to the back. The lard/meat ratio is ideal for sausage.

1 - blade

Pork shoulder makes excellent roasts, meatballs and cutlets.

2 - loin, small rib

The loin can be used to prepare langets, escalopes, pork medallions and cutlets.

3 - bacon

Some of the most delicious fried foods are obtained from the top part.......

4 - rear ham

Used for cooking steaks, brisoles and schnitzels.

5 - peritoneum

This part is best used to make pork rolls.

6 - neck

Pork neck usually makes the most delicious kebabs, ideal steaks and cutlets.

7 - front steering wheel

As a rule, it is used for minced meat, but can also be used to prepare a rather interesting dish “Aisban” (stewed shank)

8 - rear steering wheel

Very tasty dish- hind shank baked in a sleeve.

This was a small digression for the uninitiated :)

If you have the opportunity to have the meat cranked at the butcher, do so. There is a special function for minced meat. Or chop the meat finely with a knife. Take the part of the meat that you will use. Put the rest in the refrigerator.

Adding spices:

Hot Sausage. Spicy sausages. Sweet Sausage.Sweet sausages.

4.5 kg pork 4.5 kg pork

1 cup cold red wine 1 cup white wine

1 cup cold water 1 cup cold water

10 tbsp salt. 10 tbsp salt

2 tbsp. garlic powder 2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp black pepper 5 tbsp black pepper

3 tsp cayenne pepper 4 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp. chopped chili pepper

10 tbsp paprika

Mix the spices separately and add to the meat. The main task is to mix everything evenly. The meat should be well cooled - it will be easier to pass through the meat grinder.

Before starting work, drop a little olive oil into the funnel of the machine.

Pull the bowel tight and tie a knot at the end.

Our meat was prepared and chopped in advance, we proceed to the next stage of work together - one pushes the meat, the other supports and guides the intestine, places it on a tray so that the too long intestine does not tear and is filled evenly, this experience came to us through trial and error and our sausages now look beautiful and appetizing.

At the end of the intestine, tie a knot; to do this, make it longer, with a margin.

Now turn it by twisting it evenly with your thumb and forefinger 3 times! through a certain distance into beautiful sausages! Remember that the next scroll must be done in the opposite direction! The sausage is ready, put it in the refrigerator and proceed to the next one.

Mike and I developed good system for sausage packaging.We pack according to preference between spicy and sweet sausages.For my family it's 5 and 3 savory and sweet, for Mike it's 2 and 2.Mike's vacuum sealer works great for packing sausages. We shipfor storage in the freezer.

Like everything in life that is good, there is always an element of work.I think it would be easier to just go to the store and buy, but making your own sausages tastes healthier, tastier, and cheaper!

Here is the recipe for dry-cured sausage:

Our love for sausage is ineradicable. She is our everything.

Spring and autumn are the perfect time to make your own sausage. It is at this time of year that we have a fairly stable moderately cool temperature, and this is almost the only difficulty for homemade sausage making. After all, the longest and most important stage in sausage-making is the drying of the sausage; it lasts 6-8 weeks and should take place at +15 degrees C in a well-ventilated area. A glazed balcony or an unheated cottage without mice is the only thing that comes to mind for this matter. Below or above t or poor ventilation will lead to either obvious spoilage of the product or uneven drying, i.e. reduction in quality.

There are many recipes for dry-cured or raw-smoked sausages based on beef, horse, pork and (probably) lamb meat. I decided to make my first test using duck breasts and beef. Everything written below is based on what I read in the book "Good Kitchen. Canning."

So. Stage one - preparing the meat.

I cut the beef (850 g) coarsely (the size of half a fist), layered the lard (500 g) into slices ~1.5 cm thick, left the duck breasts (1300 g) as is, generously sprinkled with coarse sea salt, and put them in the refrigerator for a day. The next day, I wiped off any excess moisture and remaining salt from the lard, and dried the meat with paper towels - each piece separately. Cleaned the beef from veins and films. I weighed it - 750 g of beef remained, duck - 1000 g. Thus, the meat-fat ratio, which should be approximately 2:1 or 3:1 (otherwise the sausage will be dry), is quite satisfied, taking into account the fact that there is quite a lot on the breasts lard

Stage two - make minced meat.

I turned the beef and a little lard through a meat grinder with a fine grid, cut the rest of the lard into 1 cm cubes, and cut the breasts into about 2 cm cubes.

I poured in about 50 ml of cognac, in which I dissolved 2-3 tbsp. l. honey, and added about 70 g of coarse salt (it should be about 3.5% of the weight of the product). Mix without diligence - otherwise the minced meat will become greasy. Divided the minced meat into three parts of equal weight. To one I added a Chinese mixture of five spices (wuxiangmian) and a little freshly ground black pepper, to another pink pepper crushed in a mortar and the same black pepper, to the third - a noticeable amount of black and green pepper, which were roughly crushed in a mortar, a couple of allspice peas crushed finely with a piece of nutmeg and a few cardamom seeds. I mixed the minced meat and spices (which amounted to about 0.5-1 tsp per serving of minced meat). According to the books, saltpeter is added to minced meat to preserve the pink color of the meat. After my experiment with drying duck breast, I decided not to add any saltpeter - firstly, I don’t have the required quality (analytical grade), and secondly, the color of the dried breast suited me quite well.

Stage three - stuffing.

We remove the mesh from the meat grinder, insert a tube for stuffing sausages instead, and put washed and pre-processed pork (or whatever) casings (intestines) on the tube, checked for the absence of holes. We tie the intestine with a double knot and stuff the sausage very tightly - the air inside will contribute to spoilage.

We tie the sausages, making them the required length - mine turned out to be from 15 to 35 cm long. It is better to separate the sausages, after tying them with twine, from each other, and not leave them as a garland, this way it is more convenient to work with them further.

Stage four - withering.

We tie the sausage with twine, simultaneously piercing the sausage with a thin needle (stitching) and releasing air if bubbles with it are still discovered during the tying process. There is no need to tie sausages made from pork or lamb intestines as often as I did; it is enough to tie them lengthwise and crosswise a couple of times - this will help them keep their shape.

We hang the sausage in a cool, well-ventilated room at +15 degrees C. It is recommended to turn thick sausages from time to time to avoid the minced meat “flowing down” and becoming pear-shaped. The room should be dark (unfortunately, this cannot be done on the balcony, but it’s worth at least covering the sausage from bright light with thick paper). You should not hang sausage in sunlight, especially direct sunlight. It is ideal to hang it in the dark, in a summer house that is empty during the off-season, in a place inaccessible to mice.

This is what the sausage looks like 18 days after the start of withering. She has noticeably lost weight, the ropes dangle freely on her, and she has become noticeably harder to the touch. According to the book, it may become covered with white, harmless mold - this is a sign that the process is going correctly.

Continuation.

Next time I made the sausage a little differently. I gave up pork, gave up most of the duck fat in favor of pork - unfortunately, duck fat begins to age over time and this clearly affects the taste (it lasts 2-3 months). The final composition of lard was 1/3 duck, 2/3 pork, meat - 2/3 duck and 1/3 beef. Practice has shown that cardamom and the traditional Chinese “duck” spices - star anise, Sichuan pepper, cloves - are very suitable. This year, apparently due to more favorable conditions than before, the sausage, as expected, was covered with a thick layer of white dry mold, which gives the characteristic aroma of salami and a special taste. I took this sample for Christmas - a great gift for myself! And note - what color, and not a gram of saltpeter.

Homemade dry-cured sausage

I would like to share my experience in making homemade sausages. We are not talking about kupat or fried homemade sausage, but about dry-cured sausage.

I want to say right away that preparing such sausage is not a quick process. If you see a recipe that says that such sausage can be prepared in a few days, then, to put it mildly, this recipe is incorrect. There is a sausage I would be wary of (at least the one made from pork).

As for the time, it took me 30 days from salting the meat to taking the sample.

Unfortunately, when I bought the meat and decided to make sausage from it, I did not take a photo of the original product. So, take my word for it.
I bought pork shoulder and boneless brisket with skin (about 50/50) with a total weight of 2 kg 700g.

I have roughly (very roughly) divided the whole process into three parts.
1. Fermentation and salting.
The meat was cut into large enough pieces so that they would subsequently pass into the mouth of the meat grinder. Salt at the rate of 20 grams per 1 kg of meat. And one more thing, I used nitrite salt. At this stage, it is advisable to leave the meat in a cool place with a temperature of +2...+4 degrees Celsius and low humidity for several days. In my case, the meat stood in the refrigerator at a temperature of +3 degrees for four days. Every day I stirred the meat so that it did not dry out and covered it with cling film.
Four days later, I took the meat out of the refrigerator.

Don’t be confused by the photo of the plate, it’s not a plate, but a deep bowl, all the meat fits in it. By the way, it should be noted here that if pork and, for example, beef were used, they would be prepared in different dishes and the preparation time would probably be different in time. I used brisket, which is quite fatty. If the meat is lean, then fresh (unsalted) lard, finely chopped, should be added at the next stage.

2. Preparation of minced meat, stuffing sausages.
A lot of controversy arises over how to grind meat: with a meat grinder or with a knife. If you cook, decide for yourself, I put it in a meat grinder. Although, if lard was added, I would chop it up.
To ensure that the minced meat in the sausage is homogeneous, there is, in my opinion, a very smart solution - roll part of the meat (large, with fat) through a large grill, and about a third or a quarter through a small one.

Now about the spices.
This is a personal matter for every Indian :), with the exception of salt, sugar (don’t be surprised), pepper.
Cognac. It’s a must, but... No matter how you look at the recipes on the Internet, and our doc is no exception, it’s always 50 grams or half a glass. Error. 250 ml of skate is added per 100 kg of meat. Don’t think that if you swell it more, the sausage will taste better. Not at all, the quantity you see in the photo is quite enough. It is better to use excess cognac for its intended purpose - for mood. :)

In the photo next to the glass there is a little sugar and cumin. Following photo-black pepper, cilantro seeds (coriander), a few cloves of garlic, hot red pepper (dried). I added more (at the tip of a knife) ground nutmeg.

Do not use fresh chili peppers. There is no whole thing that you need to grind yourself, then buy ground in a bag. At the same time, I’ll share with you where I got the pepper from. I've had it since the fall, a couple of these bushes

They made me happy last year until late autumn, and then I harvested and dried it. :)
I didn’t grind the cumin, I crushed it with my fingers, but I ground the red and black peppers and coriander in a mortar.

Before grinding the meat for minced meat, I took the salted intestines out of the freezer and soaked them in water.

Ground meat. In principle, there is nothing to explain here, the main thing is not to forget to use grating holes of different diameters.

I put the minced meat in a larger container to make it easier to mix.

Stirred and left for half an hour.

The filling process itself.

I made small sausages on purpose.

It took about thirty minutes of fiddling around. The result is nine sausages, slightly different in size.

The sausages were streaked (pierced) with a toothpick and placed under slight pressure in the refrigerator (+2...+4) for 7 days.

In the photo they are on top of each other, but this is not good, so the next day I laid another cutting board between them. During these seven days, I turned them over once a day.

3.Drying.
Seven days have passed. There was a need for a cool, ventilated place. In cool weather it’s somewhere from +6 to +14, no more. My balcony is not glazed, so there is only one way out - the window sill in the kitchen. All that remains is to build a “hanger” for the sausage.

Of course, my design is far from perfect and it’s difficult to look at it without smiling, but it coped with its task.

This is what it looked like inside.

A couple of times the sausages were removed for “inspection” for the appearance of unwanted plaque (white mold) on the casing. Although this is not critical, it worked out.

I straightened the knife.

And here it is - the “reward” for your efforts.

A week later and in a slightly different light.

A few words after.
Shrinkage (“shaking”) was 40-45%.
That is, the output was about 1.4 kg. I didn’t think to weigh it right away. I judge by the weight of 1 sausage - 140-170 grams.
Taste.
Whatever I say, it will be difficult for you to check, but he made me happy. The spices were just right, it’s good that I restrained myself and didn’t overdo it. With salt, too, I guessed right.
The structure of the sausage.
Sujuk, I think almost everyone has tried it, somewhere close. Well, the photos speak for themselves.

Dried sausage (sujuk)

.

Dry sausage of the highest quality at home

.

Despite the fact that Italian cuisine was one of the first to come to the Moscow market, some of its names have not yet become familiar. Today we will begin to introduce you to the main gastronomic terms of Italy, so that next time you don’t get confused in a restaurant and know for sure what to grab from the store shelves in Milan besides a new bag.

We look at seven types of Italian ham, sausage and meat snacks that are worth getting to know better. Short and to the point - bookmark it and wait for the continuation.

The history of meat preparation in Italy is rich and the range is outstanding.
The reason for this is the ancient tradition of drying meat so that it can be stored longer, the special passion of the Apennines for gastronomy since ancient times, as well as the climate, ideal for dry-cured sausages (in terms of air humidity). Excellent conditions for raising livestock also contribute to the proper taste of meat. So let’s cast aside illusions: good Italian sausages and hams can only be made there.
So what to look for on restaurant menus and in Macelleria butcher shops in Italy?

In Italy, by the way, there is a recognized master among butchers - Dario Cecchini. If you suddenly find yourself in Tuscany, be sure to visit Panzano in Chianti at its Antica Macelleria Cecchini.

Details
www.dariocecchini.com

Not many countries can boast such a variety of delicacies and a developed meat industry as Italy. What makes sausage from this corner of our planet so different from others? Perhaps by the preparation, the spices used, or the process of raising animals. You will learn about this in our article.

World leader

It’s hard to imagine, but back in the days of the Roman Empire, this region was considered a recognized leader in the variety of technologies aimed at preserving meat. At the same time, pork was and remains the most used. In addition to it, beef, venison or even wild boar are often used.

Italians themselves can easily tell in which region of the country a particular sausage was prepared, focusing not only on the name, but also on appearance or aroma. This situation has arisen due to the fact that residents of southern Italy prefer hotter and spicy ingredients, unlike their compatriots from the north.

Italian sausage often appears on tables as antipasto, that is, an appetizer before the main course, or as one of the main ingredients.

Favorite of millions

The most popular sausage with a marbled cut and tiny pieces of fat is called, of course, salami. Italy is the birthplace of this world famous smoked product. Perhaps it is the most recognizable Italian sausage in the world.

Today, salami is produced in almost every corner of the planet. But only in Italy you can try the most traditional recipes her preparations. And it is worth noting that there are several dozen of them in different regions of the country. Different recipes differ both in the color of the finished product, which varies from bright red to dark burgundy, and in aroma.

The most piquant varieties of salami are complemented with cayenne or red peppers. More restrained ones contain black pepper or simply various aromatic herbs.

No worse than sausage

One cannot ignore such an Italian meat product as prosciutto ham. Its closest relative among delicacies can be called jamon. Prosciutto is made from a whole pork ham, which is salted for a long period of time.

Many foreigners do not understand what is the difference between this type of meat and jamon. The Italians themselves don’t understand how they can be confused. Prosciutto has a softer texture and does not have as strong a salty taste. That's why this delicacy can safely be called ham.

You can separately distinguish such a variety as prosciutto cotto. This meat is boiled before salting, which gives it a more tender texture.

Bresaola

If you are a bresaola lover, you have long known what it is. But there are also those who hear it for the first time foreign word. If you don’t like pork, but you really like dried meat, like delicious Italian sausage, then you should turn your attention to bresaola.

Made from the front or back muscles of cows, this pulp is much lower in calories than any part of a pork carcass. The cooking process involves long-term salting of meat with various spices inside deep vats. Moreover, the taste and color of the final product directly depend on what spices a particular manufacturer used.

Like many other Italian products, bresaola has different formulations in many parts of Italy. So, in some places they prefer to cook it from horse meat or venison.

Straight from Bologna

The birthplace of the next Italian sausage is the town of Bologna. Mortadella is the hallmark of this settlement. It is similar to the familiar boiled sausages interspersed with lard. Sometimes giblets or cracklings are added to mortadella.

But the meat industry that produces this type of delicacy has its own mandatory conditions. For example, if you want to produce a product in real classic recipe, then it is necessary to add myrtle berries, as well as wine and pistachios to the minced pork. Only then will mortadella sausage meet all the requirements of Italian culinary history.

From the outback

There is Italian sausage, which is very similar to homemade sausages from Russia. It's called salsiccia. They are also packaged in a natural casing, and then fried whole over an open fire or in a frying pan. But temperamental Italians often add white wine, coriander, cumin or wild fennel seeds to these sausages.

In Russia or Ukraine, such spices are less common. Especially if we talk about villages located far from large cities. But in Italy, aromatic herbs that are exotic to us grow literally on every corner due to the warm climate. Therefore, the difference in the production of meat delicacies is striking.

Many Italians have never heard of the famous ones in their lives because they have a spicy salsiccia that is no worse than any analogues.

What about lard?

Not only Italian raw smoked sausages are worthy of close attention. There is also a worthy rival for spicy Ukrainian lard in Italy. Somewhere this product is called bacon, but in this southern country it changed its name to pancetta.

If you've ever cooked real Italian carbonara, you probably know that the recipe recommends using pancetta. And only in case of her absence take bacon. This is because a real bouquet of aromatic herbs such as oregano, thyme, caraway and others are used to make it. They rub part of the pork belly, then roll it into a roll and marinate for several months.

The result is a far from dietary product with wide layers of lard, which is excellent for preparing many hot dishes.

Unusual preferences

Another completely typical Italian sausage looks quite extraordinary. This is because when making zampone, the front limb of the pig is tightly stuffed with minced pork, lard and spices. According to reviews, this is one of the most original Italian products.

Often the stuffed leg is sold raw and, once purchased, must be soaked in water overnight and then boiled for several hours. But in modern world, where people prefer not to spend so much time preparing dishes at home, you can also find ready-made zampone. You just need to heat it in the oven or microwave.

Italians especially love to eat zampone in the winter season, using white beans, lentils or regular mashed potatoes as a side dish.

Recipes

Almost any Italian sausage - dry-cured, boiled or raw smoked - can be used to prepare various dishes. These can be salads, appetizers and main courses. We will share with you several recipes for such dishes.

The first will be a salad with salami as the main ingredient. In addition to this, we will need:

• fresh tomato - 1 pc.;
• fresh cucumber - 1 pc.;
• canned corn - 4-5 tbsp. l.;
• green onions - 1 bunch;
• half a green apple;
• Iceberg salad - 70-80 g;
• salami sausage - 70 g;
• mayonnaise for dressing;
• spices to taste.

First, you need to finely chop the green onions and iceberg lettuce and place them on a plate in the first layer. Then the seeds and apples are cut into small cubes. We put them on the salad and cover them with a thin mesh of mayonnaise. Each tier can be sprinkled with salt and pepper, but keep in mind that the salami itself is quite salty. The topmost layer will be cucumbers and sausage cut into thin strips, which are also covered with a small amount of dressing. Finally, corn and some more green onions are placed on top.

It is best to serve this salad in portions, garnished with parsley or a basil leaf.

Main course

The following recipe can perfectly complement your dinner after salad. Classic pasta carbonara has long been a favorite dish in establishments around the world. But the recipe for its correct preparation, invented in Italy, is not known to everyone.

If you managed to get a piece of real Italian pancetta, then you can safely start cooking. In addition to this, you need to prepare the following products:

• spaghetti from durum wheat - 200 g;
• pancetta - 100 g;
• chicken eggs- 2 pcs.;
• parmesan cheese - 40 g;
• olive oil - 40 g;
• salt and pepper to taste.

First, you need to make sure that you have chosen durum wheat pasta and set it aside, because first you need to prepare the sauce. By the way, the original carbonara recipe does not contain cream, and if you see it on a restaurant menu, you will get any other pasta, but definitely not carbonara.

So, to begin with, white onion, cut into small cubes, is fried in olive oil until golden brown. After that, in another frying pan we fry the pancetta with salt and pepper, and add the prepared onion there.

After the meat component is ready, we set the pasta itself to cook, and at this time we prepare the sabayon sauce. To do this, heat one whole egg, yolk and finely grated Parmesan in a water bath. The sauce is considered ready when a fairly thick foam appears.

We add the pasta to the fried ham and onions and mix them thoroughly. Then place the pasta on a plate and pour over the sabayon sauce. You can garnish the plate with a little grated Parmesan or fresh basil leaves. Although the duo of these two ingredients will look just great.

Do not forget that almost all Italian sausages and other meat delicacies are full of exotic spices and herbs, which are not always familiar to a person who comes from a more northern country. Therefore, if you know that you have one or another type of food allergy, you should be more careful about consuming deli meats when visiting Italy, and not buy prosciutto cotto at the first store, even if the temptation is very, very great.