New Iberico Batch

[SCBBQ]

cool I have that book somewhere.

 

[Mmmm Meat]

Thanks - probably some wisdom in making sure I do have a great scale - I’ve got 3 scales but not sure off band how many decimal points they go to.. and probably a little over is ok - but I was using 12 grams per 20 pound batch in the past - half of one of those packets- probably overkill .

I thought the 007 came in 50 gram packets?

 

[SCBBQ]

I think you are right, the others are 25 grams.. but regardless still not enough.

Also, I'm getting a scale with decimal points on grams.

 

[indaswamp]

One point I would like to clarify on the amount of culture...it does not matter per say as far as the lactic acid producing bacteria are concerned, but it does matter with respect to the flavor forming staphylococcus bacteria. Lactic acid production stops with a relatively high Aw, at 0.95, but the staphylococcus bacteria continue breaking down proteins and fats to Aw 0.85 and as the pH rises as the salami dries, the staph. bacteria function better at breaking down the meat and fat. The dosages of the starter cultures are geared towards the flavor producing bacteria, not the lactic acid bacteria. At least this is my understanding from my research.....

 

[Mmmm Meat]

One point I would like to clarify on the amount of culture...it does not matter per say as far as the lactic acid producing bacteria are concerned, but it does matter with respect to the flavor forming staphylococcus bacteria. Lactic acid production stops with a relatively high Aw, at 0.95, but the staphylococcus bacteria continue breaking down proteins and fats to Aw 0.85 and as the pH rises as the salami dries, the staph. bacteria function better at breaking down the meat and fat. The dosages of the starter cultures are geared towards the flavor producing bacteria, not the lactic acid bacteria. At least this is my understanding from my research.....

I highlighted a minor blip - should be "acidity rises" or "pH drops". We all know you know that.

I'm glad you're doing research on these bugs. Interesting concepts and worthy or your efforts. Regarding the statement about starters being geared toward flavor rather than lactic acid production: I think that is definitely the case with "Flavors of Italy" and perhaps T-SPX. From what I've heard and read, commercial production of cured meats, speed (and perhaps safety) are most important above all else. That might be wrong, but that is how I interpret what I've read. Since the starters we use are (for the most part) created and marketed for commercial use, I believe that flavor, while certainly important, takes a back seat to other criteria that mass producers of cured meats find most important. If they wanted to create product with great flavor, they would do slow ferments with extended drying. Perhaps "best taste possible as fast as possible" is closer to reality?

 

[indaswamp]

That was not a mistype....the pH of the salami will (or should) rise as it dries. This is due to the microbiological processes of the bacteria, and the molds....as well as the enzymes within the meat acting on the proteins. Now the pH DROPS during the fermentation stage, but opposite should happen when drying with good mold coverage.

The Mold will consume some of the lactic acid creating ammonia near the surface. The ammonia is slightly basic...that is why your chamber can have an ammonia smell if the mold is growing strongly from too high humidity.

 

[indaswamp]

If they wanted to create product with great flavor, they would do slow ferments with extended drying.

...tspx is a slow culture.....usually takes days to ferment.
And temperature is an important element of fermentation. Lots of commercial fast ferments are done at higher temps. (85-110*F) than those used for slow fermented products. (64-75*F).

 

[Mmmm Meat]

That was not a mistype....the pH of the salami will (or should) rise as it dries. This is due to the microbiological processes of the bacteria, and the molds....as well as the enzymes within the meat acting on the proteins. Now the pH DROPS during the fermentation stage, but opposite should happen when drying with good mold coverage.

The Mold will consume some of the lactic acid creating ammonia near the surface. The ammonia is slightly basic...that is why your chamber can have an ammonia smell if the mold is growing strongly from too high humidity.

Ahhh, I see what you were referring to. My mistake. I misunderstood your pointin the content. I am aware of the pH rise in the latter portion of the drying phase.

Anyway - sorry for hijacking the thread. Back to Iberico!

 

[SCBBQ]

Well,

I’ve got a new shipment of great Iberico meat on the way, bought when I was sure I had ruined this one - now that I have a little hope that it will work out , exploring options for this next 10 pound batch I’ll make this coming weekend. Open for suggestions !

 

[Mmmm Meat]

Well,

I’ve got a new shipment of great Iberico meat on the way, bought when I was sure I had ruined this one - now that I have a little hope that it will work out , exploring options for this next 10 pound batch I’ll make this coming weekend. Open for suggestions !

I was never sure what was in this batch. I would aim at something a bit different, with a flavor profile that represents Western European fare, since you're using Iberico genetic stock (not sure if it's fed acorns. Portuguese cured meats are likely similar but worth investigating. The Fuet in Marianski Bros. "The Art of..." is very flavorful, but not completely different from other basic salami. It might be worth digging around for some local salami (salchichon) varieties from Andalucía region, which I believe is where the Iberico pigs are sourced from. Chorizo and a variant of that, Longaniza are a possibility if you love spicy cured meat. (edit) - I forgot, you've already got some Chorizo curing. Hmmmm...

If you've never been to Spain, I highly recommend visiting all the major cities that you can fit into a travel schedule. The people are wonderful, vibrant, and engaging. The food - excellent, but in my mind, not quite up to Italian cuisine. But if you get a chance to sample Jamon, sourced from Iberian pigs and aged 1 - 2 years, you'll be tempted to stay past your travel reservations. Ask for "pan del la dia" in a bar - "bread of the day" - toasted bread with cured iberico ham....Killer! It is far and away better than prosciutto in my book, though I can't really explain why. It just is.

 

[SCBBQ]

I've got this Jamon ready for my slicer one day when we have a party.

 

[SCBBQ]

I had a business trip planned for Spain just a month before Covid that was going to be a lot of fun. I'm sure we will get back to swing of things soon.

 

[SCBBQ]

I bought a fun slicer back in January that came in..

 

[indaswamp]

The Ferrari of meat slicers! Nice!

 

[SCBBQ]

this one looks interesting - spices I haven't tried yet in Salami..

Cacciatore Salami Recipe - How to Make Italian Cacciatore Salami

A recipe for making a spicy Italian cacciatore salami at home. This recipe can be done with pork, beef or venison.

honest-food.net

 

[Mmmm Meat]

You're going to love that Jamon. I know that didn't come cheap.

Almost a year after one of my trips from Sicily to Spain, one of the DODS (Dept. of Defense Schools) teacher told me she was going to make a trip to Spain. I asked her if she could pick me up an entire Iberico ham, probably 15lbs or so, and bring it back for me. This was 20 years ago - she returned with a gorgeous full ham that she picked up and carried back on the Alitalia plane for something like $120. I assume that it was of the quality that now costs about 300 - 400 dollars - not the best, but still very, very good. It was late Spring in Sicily and warming quickly. The recommendations on the Jamon called for hanging it unrefrigerated, which I did. I worked that ham over for nearly two months before the Summer heat caused the mold to go crazy on the thing. At that point I didn't know that I could just treat the mold with vinegar or wine and keep eating it. I ended up trashing about half of it due to the unrelenting incursion of the mold. That still makes me sad...

 

[Mmmm Meat]

BTW - having bought that over-the-top slicer, I think you might as well contact that farm you get your Iberico fat from and go ahead and buy a ham and cure it yourself. There is plenty of guidance on youtube for prosciutto. Vids on the Jamon of Spain lean more toward discussing why it's so good, not how to make your own but you may be able to find some guidance.. I'll just sit back and watch the fun.

 

[Mmmm Meat]

this one looks interesting - spices I haven't tried yet in Salami..

Cacciatore Salami Recipe - How to Make Italian Cacciatore Salami

A recipe for making a spicy Italian cacciatore salami at home. This recipe can be done with pork, beef or venison.

honest-food.net

I've done that twice now. I like the flavor, but I've learned that I'm not as hot on full peppercorns as I used to be. I'm going to use mostly cracked PCs in the future.

BTW - here's a good site to browse for ideas. They don't have recipes, but you can google them once you find something that looks enticing: https://www.tasteatlas.com/50-most-popular-sausages-and-salamis-in-the-world

 

[Mmmm Meat]

My recommendation for your next project:

 

[SCBBQ]

You are funny.. No way for me.... I'll just watch others on youtube.. ;)