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1 1⁄2 ounces/40 grams kosher salt (3 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon/6 grams Insta Cure #2 or DQ Curing Salt #2 (see page 106)

1⁄4 cup/20 grams Bactoferm F-RM-52 (live starter culture; see Sources, page 301)

1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters distilled water

3 teaspoons/9 grams cayenne pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon/1 gram ground allspice

1 teaspoon/2 grams ground fennel

4 tablespoons/40 grams dextrose

3⁄4 cup/95 grams nonfat dry milk powder

2 tablespoons/16 grams paprika

2 tablespoons/30 milliliters dry red wine

10 feet/3 meters hog casings or 20 feet/6 meters sheep casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed

1. Combine the meat with the salt and Insta Cure #2 or DQ Curing Salt #2 and grind through the small die into the bowl of standing mixer set in ice (see Note below).

2. Dissolve the Bactoferm in the distilled water and add it, along with the rest of the ingredients, to the meat. Using the paddle attachment, mix on the lowest speed to incorporate all the ingredients, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Stuff the sausage into the casings, and twist into 10-inch/25-centimeter links. Using a sterile pin or needle, poke holes all over the casings to remove any air pockets and facilitate drying.

4. Hang the sausage at room temperature, ideally 85 degrees F./29 degrees C. for 12 hours to “incubate” the bacteria; the beneficial bacteria will grow and produce more lactic acid in warmer temperatures.

5. Hang the sausage to dry (ideally at 60 degrees F./18 degrees C. with 60 to 70 percent humidity) until completely firm and/or it has lost 30 percent of its weight, 6 to 8 days if using sheep casing, 12 to 18 days if using hog casing.

6. Optional: For cooked peperone, hot-smoke (see page 77) it lightly at 180 degrees F./82 degrees C. to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F./62 degrees C., about 2 hours.

Yield: Twelve 10-inch/25-centimeter sticks if using hog casings, twenty-four 10-inch/25-centimeter sticks if using sheep casings

[ NOTE: See pages 107–116 for a detailed description of the basic grinding, mixing, stuffing, and cooking techniques. ]

SOPPRESSATA

Soppressata, similar to salami, is another dry-cured, fermented sausage, though typically the meat is not as finely ground, so it has a less uniform, more speckled appearance, with some bigger chunks of fat in the slice. Because the fat in this sausage should be distinct from the meat, it’s especially important during the grinding and mixing stages to keep the fat as cold as possible, to avoid smearing the fat on the meat.

A specialty in southern Italy, notably in Calabria and Basilicata, soppressata is sometimes smoked and often pressed, thus its name. Seasonings vary, and there are infinite variations and hundreds of published recipes in Italian cookbooks. This is a straightforward version—seasoned with garlic and pepper, red pepper flakes, and white wine—and not too hot, but feel free to double the amount of red pepper if you like a spicy sausage. Soppressata is traditionally made with larger hog middles (about 3 inches/7.5 centimeters in diameter), but hog casings will work as well.

1 pound/450 grams pork back fat, diced (see Note 1 below)

4 pounds/1800 grams boneless pork shoulder, diced

1⁄4 cup/20 grams Bactoferm F-RM-52 (live starter culture; see Sources, page 301)

1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters distilled water

11⁄2 ounces/40 grams kosher salt (3 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon/6 grams Insta Cure #2 or DQ Curing Salt #2 (see page 106)

1⁄2 cup/70 grams nonfat dry milk powder

3 tablespoons/30 grams dextrose

1 teaspoon/3 grams ground white pepper

1 teaspoon/6 grams minced garlic

1 teaspoon/2 grams hot red pepper flakes

1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters Pinot Bianco or comparable dry white wine

12 to 14 inches/30 to 35 centimeters hog middle or 10 feet/3 meters hog casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed

1. While the fat is very cold, grind through the medium die into a bowl set in ice