It's been quite some time, over a year, to be exact, since I've made venison salame. Shame, too, because it really is fantastic and pretty damned easy to make. But, honestly, I haven't made any due to the fact that I haven't been given any venison. I'm told it's been a slow deer hunting season. I find this a bit of a conundrum as I can't keep deer from eating the plants in backyard. Who knows. Finally, my cousin brought me 3 lbs. of freshly butchered venison. This was super lean, crimson red meat.....like BLOOD red. I like to keep something this special really simple. I don't muddle it with too many ingredients, just salt, hot pepper powder and fresh garlic. That's it.
I ran this meat right through the grinder. It was butchered so thoroughly that there was NO fat and no connective tissue. I added 30% pork fat(jowl in this case). I used 3% salt, a pretty hefty 1.5% hot pepper powder, a couple fresh garlic cloves along with the obligatory cure #2(.25%) and lactic starter(.09%). Stuffed them in some beef middles where they will ferment for an undetermined amount of time. I've been going back and forth on the fermentation time and temperature and still haven't nailed anything down yet. I think I'll try 48 hours @ 80 degrees this go around. They should be ready in 4-5 weeks when the results will be posted.
We have had non-Italian versions of venison made into sausage (that's a "duh" in MN). Will be very interested in the results. When my nutso time with my young actors is over will be devising posting more recipes from your ingredients. Been a topsy turvy spring!
ReplyDelete48 hrs @ 80 i think is way high. I've found lower temps (72 or so) give better flavor. AT higher temps i aalways seemed to get uneven fermentation....not sure why...
ReplyDeleteJason: I usually ferment that way. Last time I did 70 degrees for 72 hours and it still didn't ferment correctly. That's why I decided to try a little higher temp.
ReplyDeleteClaudia: no worries....take your time. We'll get you more stuff in the fall!
This is good stuff. Thanks for sharing this. I've enjoyed vension saugages but never salame. It looks good.
ReplyDeleteI am very suprised that you were able to get fresh venison in June. I am not aware of any states that have hunting seasons starting this early.
ReplyDeleteHi -- I'm the founder/moderator of a new site called Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a content and community site for people obsessed with, er, interested in the old-school domestic arts. I'd love for you to submit teasers to some of your great content on the site. Think like Tastespotting, but for the DIY foodie crowd. I'm deeply inspired by and impressed with your work!
ReplyDeleteHey Scott,
ReplyDeleteI think 2 days at 80 degrees is a bit much, too. I'd just use more starter. I typically go 2 days at whatever the room temperature is.
Next time you get some venison, don't kill it with that Calbrian hot pepper powder! Go with salt, black pepper, garlic and juniper berries, or sage, or rosemary, or allspice. Just pick one. Venison tastes so good you want to taste the meat.
My $0.02.
h.
This particular recipe was the request of the hunter. It sucks when you don't kill it yourself, you become a meat whore. Hence the hot pepper.
ReplyDeleteMeat whore. Not sure I've ever heard that term in this particular context...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ideas - some dry cured calf moose salame is in my future, as you know. I wish I could hook you up, but last time I tried, shipping game across international borders was an utter failure.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't even attempt it, Kevin. If you read my post about my travels in Italy, you'll see I enjoyed some cold smoked venison bresaola. That has become my new fever, elk or deer eye round.
ReplyDelete