CHEF
(^) +
(^) CHOICE
Salt
“Where would we be without salt?” said James
Beard and no truer sentence has ever been
uttered. There can be no salami without salt as
it is needed for curing, especially sodium nitrite
(NaNO2) and the stronger, controversial sodium
nitrate (NaNO₃). Osmosis starts the moment the
salt touches the meat, drawing out the moisture
and reducing the water activity (aw) drastically,
rendering them safe from botulism infections. The
curing salt also reacts with the meat to produce
oxydymoglobin, giving the meat its distinctive
‘cured colour’. The texture and the flavour of
the meat are completely altered, resulting in the
salami that you see around the world.
Meat & Fats & Casings
“All you really need is a good product and
dedicated craftsmen. Then, you let time do the
rest,” shares Chef Stephan Zoisl. A variety of meats
are used to make salami, namely: beef, lamb, veal,
goose in Northern Italy, venison in Hungary, and
even horse meat, but pork to date is still the most
widely used whether alone or as part of the meat
mixture. In most cases, the fat content makes up
25 to 50 percent of the meat mixtures, because
the juiciness of the end product is correlated to the
amount of fat used. Hard fatbacks are preferred
as soft fat will most likely melt out of the casings
during the smoking process. The casings used are
mostly natural as they’re made from clean and
prepared animal intestines. However, the supply
of natural casings is not sufficient to cope with
the production and demands of the world, and
synthetic casings are also used for salami. These
casings must be peeled off before serving.
Storage & Serving
Store all salami in their sealed packages in a
refrigerator and do not leave uncovered. Place
away from raw foods to avoid cross-contamination.
Sliced products should be consumed within a
week of purchase while whole salami can last
longer. Always check the best before dates prior to
consuming. Strip away the casings where possible
and serve at room temperature so that the flavours
stand out while the fats melt in your mouth.
Curing & Smoking & Fermenting
Chef Drew Nocente comments, “There are bacteria
involved – it’s a risky process with meat that cures
at 14°C – 15°C and ferments slowly.” The first rule
most charcuterie masters are taught and the first
rule they must pass down to their protégés is: do
not smoke meat that has not been cured. There’s a
good reason for this – especially with cold smoking
as the temperatures are kept around or below
30°C depending on the regions, a temperature that
makes the meat more susceptible to pathogens.
Cold smoking allows the product to absorb the
aromas of the smoke but still remain essentially
raw. With hot smoking, the internal temperatures
of the products should reach about 74°C; higher
temperatures are avoided to prevent excessive
shrinkage. During the fermenting, the humidity
and temperatures are set for bacteria to thrive.
Through binary fission, the bacteria multiply and
consume the sugars present in the meat, resulting
in a steep drop of the pH. This causes the slightly
acidic taste that is in the salami and also makes it
safe for consumption.
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