Authentic Italian Soppressata methods

story28 · Post by **story28** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 23:26

I was reading about a family making soppressata di Gioi in Italy. After stuffing the sausage, they carefully insert long strips of previously salted fatback into the middle of the sausage. Sounds really great.

And then things got confusing. They claim that the "lardo" keeps the sausage from drying out too quickly, which seems to go against the notion that fat, which contains far less water than meat, allows sausages to dry much faster. Also, since the meat is pushed outward toward the surface of the sausage, it makes for faster dehydration.

Second, they said that the sausages are brushed every few days with olive oil. Couldn't this cause the outside of the casing to become greasy and clog the pores, preventing moisture loss and further drying???

Obviously the Italians are not amateurs at this whole salumi business. But, I thought it would be interesting to hear what everyone else might have to say.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 03:53

I repair houses and boats and read some really off the wall solutions to repair problems. My policy is to check other knowledgable sources and my own common sense. before trying it
You have applied your knowledge ans experience and are checking other sources. Like you I would proceed with great caution on this one just because it sounds screwy. That doesn't mean it won't work but try it when you can afford to waste a batch.
BTW my son is an avid fisherman in the lake Champlaign region of NY. I told him of my sausage making failure and he said to regrind it with liver and case it in half inch casing and link it a couple of inches long for catfish bait. He figures it would bring about 5 dollars a pound.

story28 · Post by **story28** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 13:37

I won't be trying out this recipe. It sounds kind more like the guy who decided to put annatto into cheddar to color it orange; just a way to stand out among the rest.

If I wanted that much fat, I would just have a few slices of aged lardo and a few slices of traditional soppressata along with it.

But, perhaps I am just not a fan of foods stuffed in to other foods just for the sake of it; Tur-duc-ken taking the crown of abominations, in my humble opinion.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 14:05

In the realm of stuffed meats some are pretty good.

This was turkey breast wrapped around sausage made with the leg meat.

story28 · Post by **story28** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 14:11

Well that has a purpose and reasoning behind it Ross

. It is similar to that old French technique "larding" where they weave strips of fat into lean meats for roasting. Also, you are going to get that nice infusion of sausage flavor.

I am speaking more of the processed cheddar stuffed pretzel realm of stuffing food for the sake of it

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 20:52

In the case of cheese stuffed pretzels niether the cheese nor the pretzels are very good.

BriCan · Post by **BriCan** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 23:40

Jason if I may, you have to stop thinking like a Chef and think as a butcher [meat cutters don't count] remember what I said about the passion? I have not made this 'but' before doing a look see I know it is as easy as falling off a log and yes I have done a quick look

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 02:53

In the town of Bel Air Md we were for some years priviliged to have a shop owned and operated by a man named Joseph Semith. He was a German by birth and a butcher by trade and training. His sausages were the very best, he sold only USDA grade prime beef and the best pork. When he died his son-in-law tried to contiue the business but in a few years they closed. The shop was called Peppi's Meats. It was the end of an era for Harford county. The people that worked in the shop and the owner were not chefs they were butchers and meat cutters. I think that had they also been chefs the business may have survived. The demands of the modern family are changing and they need the guidiance of a chef when they are buying food. Some of us here not only make sausage and cure meat but we also cook. We represent a very small segment of the working population.
When you go food shopping make note of the many pre-cooked packaged foods there are in the cases and in the shopping carts. You can buy "ready to microwave pre-seasoned mashed potatoes. 24 ounces for the same price as 5 pounds of russets. You can buy an oven ready pre-seasoned Perdue roasting chicken for 2 dollars a pound or you can buy a Perdue oven stuffer roaster for 98 cents a pound. Why? because people don't think they have time to cook from basic ingredients. A good chef can educate them one at a time.