Soppressata is Missing That Nice "Cheesy" Taste and Smell

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johnnybgoode333
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Soppressata is Missing That Nice "Cheesy" Taste and Smell

Post by johnnybgoode333 » Wed Jan 06, 2021 08:26

Hi everyone, I was hoping someone could offer some suggestions / help on my issue...

My soppressata is lacking that classic southern Italian "cheesy" smell and taste. It tastes "okay" and many people like but missing that strong flavour. I typically don't use any starter cultures although last year I experimented with Chr. Hansen Flavor of Italy but didn't get the results I was looking for. Unless I used it incorrectly. I also dipped the salamis in mold 600 after stuffing before hanging. Bad experience with this because half of my soppressatas smelled and tasted like ammonia but that might have been my fault because of high humidity and not enough air flow. I hang my salamis in a "cantina" which is a cold cellar in the basement. I typically don't ferment. I hang them right away

I use fibrous casings and I have a feeling that this might be my problem? I'm not sure if I should switch to collagen instead and that should solve my problem? Unless the strong "cheesy" taste and smell comes from good mold and bacteria

Here is my typical recipe / procedure:

3 pork shoulders and 1 leg

Kosher salt
Cure #2
Red pepper flakes
Cayenne Pepper
Red pepper paste
Red wine

Any help is greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance.
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redzed
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Re: Soppressata is Missing That Nice "Cheesy" Taste and Smell

Post by redzed » Fri Jan 08, 2021 07:53

johnnybgoode333 wrote:
Wed Jan 06, 2021 08:26
Unless the strong "cheesy" taste and smell comes from good mold and bacteria
That's exactly the where the flavour and funky odours come from. Fermentation is very important in the process as it clears a safety hurdle and at around 5.2-5.3 pH gelification firms up the sausage improving the bind, texture and sliceability. It also imparts a degree of flavour , but for the most part, flavour and aroma are set proteolysis and lypolysis. Simply put, these are enzymatic processes that break down and make changes in the proteins. What is necessary here for proteolysis and lypolysis to work at an optimum rate are gram-positive bacteria, i.e. desirable Staphylococcus strains. All the necessary bacteria may occur naturally in the meat, but not always and not always in high enough cell counts. That is why adding a starter is a good idea. You will then have almost certainty having desirable bacteria in your salami and consistent results. Sometimes you may not like the flavour of one starter, so you try another. They are not all the same. Another problem is that many novices are turned off by starters because they don't know how to use them. The spec sheets are not much help and many recipes, including those in popular books provide misinformation on how to use the bacterial cultures, especially when it comes to fermentation temperatures and sugar dosing. As far as your own salami, I really can't help from the information you provided. A list of ingredients is not a recipe and there is no processing information in your post. We already discussed your mould issues in a previous thread, so no sense repeating it here. But to sum it up, mould does impart desirable flavours and slows down drying. But if you have too much of it and you get that ammonia smell, it may impart off flavours and and even ruin your salami. As to the casings, the number one choice are natural casings which adhere and shrink with the farce, slow down drying, may be a source of Staph. bacteria and take mould better. Protein lined fibrous casings also work well as do some collagen. Some artificial casings even come with a mould starter. It is, however, always important to check with the seller or manufacturer whether the product you are buying is suitable for dried sausages.

I would suggest that you read Marianski's The Art of Making Fermented Sausagesor at the very least read his condensed version here:
https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausag ... ed-sausage
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Re: Soppressata is Missing That Nice "Cheesy" Taste and Smell

Post by johnnybgoode333 » Fri Jan 08, 2021 20:33

Ok thanks redzed. I'm going to make a couple different this year and see which one I like best.
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Re: Soppressata is Missing That Nice "Cheesy" Taste and Smell

Post by redzed » Sat Jan 09, 2021 03:42

Well, no one could relay help you or offer advice unless you explain exactly what you are doing.
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Re: Soppressata is Missing That Nice "Cheesy" Taste and Smell

Post by johnnybgoode333 » Mon Jan 11, 2021 06:29

Absolutely... Here is what I plan to do...

This is for soppressata:

4 pork shoulders coarse ground
2% kosher salt
.25% Prague powder cure #2
.1% Bactoferm T-SPX
.3% Dextrose
.1% hot chili flakes

I mix the meat, leave it in the fridge overnight and then fill the next day. I've been using fibrous casings for the last 3 years because of convenience. They're all the same size, tied on one end and very strong. I'd rather use natural. I've done tests in the past and I couldn't really tell a difference in the end product but the natural casings smell better as the salamis are drying. I would love someone's insight on casings please!

After filling I'm going to hang the salami in a "cantina" (cold cellar in the basement) I have a heater and humidifier in there to control temp/humidity. I plan on fermenting at approx 22 degrees celcius (72f) for 24-36 hours until the ph drops to 5.3 I have a cheapy amazon ph meter that I plan on using. I plan on spraying the salamis at this point with mold 600 (penicillium nalgiovense) I seem to always have a green/blue mold issue without it. Although, last year I had to ditch half my batch because they tastes and smelled like ammonia. Some pros told me it was due to poor air circulation and too high humidity. I'm actually scared to use it again but I'll take a chance.

After fermentation I'm going to drop the temp to 10 degrees celcius (50f) and dry for approx 6-7 weeks until they reach 50% weight loss. I typically press the salamis 3 weeks in for approx 3 days as well.

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts on my procedure.

Thanks very much in advance!

John
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Re: Soppressata is Missing That Nice "Cheesy" Taste and Smell

Post by Indaswamp » Tue Jan 12, 2021 06:50

Fermentation with T-SPX will likely take longer than 24-36 hours...
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Re: Soppressata is Missing That Nice "Cheesy" Taste and Smell

Post by redzed » Fri Jan 15, 2021 08:04

1. Salt is your first line of defence when making dried cured sausages. Additions of less than 2.5% salt (Curing salt included) are considered as insufficient to effectively lower the water activity and provide protection from unwanted bacteria during the first stage of the process.
2. 0.1% chili flakes as your only spice?
3. Don't add the bacterial starter until just before stuffing. fermentation and gellification will start in the batter and you will not get a good bind and will have difficulty stuffing. If you like, you can pre-cure the meats, but grind, mix and stuff and ferment.
4. Trim out any soft fat and connective tissue from the butt.
5. Before grinding freeze the cubed fat and semi-freeze the meat. Keep very cold during mixing and stuffing.
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