Pepperoni

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gremlin

Meat Mopper
Original poster
OTBS Member
May 27, 2006
191
10
Oshawa Ontario Canada
Imade my first batch of pepperoni yesterday.
25 lbs of Venison pepperoni using a store bought kit pre mixed spices and cure,etc.
I added some home grown hot peppers to the mix but followed the instructions to the letter.
I had to use liquid smoke because I cooked em in the oven in the house for ten plus hours at 170 deg.
Internal was 152 when I pulled em out
I have three questions if any one can help.

#1 Why did it take forever to get the temp from 150 to 152,.... almost an hour past the ten that was called for. (Impatience on my part?)

#2 The Pepperoni is sweating?....I had it hang in the house to room temp as per instructions and then into the fridge to set up over night.
It tastes great other than a bit too salty for me but that was pre mixed from the supplier.
I'm concerned that the pepperoni will get moldy or rot.

#3 What is the shelf life on this product using the method used
 
I am of the opinion that this "plateau" phenomina is really thermodynamics in practice. As the temp. differential between "heater" and "heatee" becomes less, heat is transferred MUCH <perhaps logarithmically> more slowly.

Sure it's water and not fat? When I hang my cured stuff to age, it'll drip grease. And since it's cured, should not rot..well, very easily.

My cured stuff...if I vacpak it and freeze...over a year. Fridge temps, I have ate it 4 months later. Dries out to like a hunter style, but still OK.
Fridge and vacpak, and I'd bet it would be like fresh for a few months anyhow.
 
Richtee
thanks that was fast...
Yeh.. it's water ....Ididn't put any fat into the recipe.,It's really ....really lean. As for the freezing...I was wondering about that.. I will vacuum pack it and freeze some to take to the hunt camp in November.
Thanks I'll let you know if there is a change in texture or taste.
 
Hey congrats on the peperonis!

I got a few mixes for gifts and I had the same problem WAY to saltly. The hard part about pepperoni is if you take out the salt it's doesn't taste right either. Salt seems to be the key ingrediant.

I'd just wipe it down with paper towels and freeze some of it. It freezes well. It will also age well in the fridge for a few weeks unwrapped. Left to long it wil be hard as a rock so keep you eye on it.

Enjoy!
 
Thanks Debbi
That's exactly what I did.
The only complaint so far was that the grind was too fine..almost like a cocktail weeny.....My people like a courser grind so next time that's what I'm gonna do
Thhanks
 
Thanks Debbi....That's what I did Richtee and yourself are both on the same page there.
The only complaint has been that it's too fine a grind....like a cocktail weeny...so we will do a courser grind next batch
Thanks
 
Richtee.....Well......I did take some pepperoni up to the camp and it does taste fine after being frozen and thawed, but the colour of the casing does leave a lot to be desired.......It looks too much like a water soaked, drowned worm........all grey and no character.
So I think until I can save enough money to buy my smoker that I found in Buffalo NY I will hold off making any more pepperoni.
 
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