silly question

andrejwout · Post by **andrejwout** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 18:07

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I am just beginning with charcuterie and still reading about stuff. So far i have only made pastrami and will now move on to sausgae/salamis.

Anyway...ive bought some starter cultures (t-spx) to make salami Genoa but there seems to be a bit of debate about their usage. In general, Ruhlman says a quarter pack for smaller ammounts/batches etc.yet on here marianski goes for 0.12!

T-SPX culture 0.12 g use scale
Quote:

Thats a very very small amount and i was worried about that. Does the starter culture have any bearing on safety/pathogens etc or is it simply there for flavour? I notice other recipes have no starter culture in them, even though they are salamis.

I still get a bit confused with the terming or categorising between fermented and dry cured sausage. Fermented is old school without the starter culture, i gather and requires specific conditions. Is Salami that is airdried with the starter culture still considered fermented and if so, are the conditions needed a lot different from the old school method?
I just worry im going to kill myself and my family if i dont get this clear in my head and there is a lot of grey area here and contradiction in general. An example:

Dry and semi-dry sausages are possibly the largest category of dried meats, particularly in the United States. These products can be fermented by bacterial growth for preservation and to produce the typical tangy flavor. Alternatively, they may be cultured with lactic acid - much as cheese, pickle, and yogurt makers do - to eliminate the fermentation phase and shorten the process. They are, with a few exceptions, cooked.

In this procedure, a mixture of curing ingredients, such as salt and sodium nitrite, and a "starter" culture of lactic acid-bacteria, is mixed with chopped and ground meat, placed in casings, fermented and then dried by a carefully controlled, long, continuous air-drying process.

Thanks in advance.

andre

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 18:41

I am glad to see that you came over to this thread. The answer to all of your questions and many that you haven't thought of yet are in this thread or here: http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage-making

andrejwout · Post by **andrejwout** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 19:07

Ok dokey, thanks.ill sit down with a bottle or 5 and read through the thread....my sausage making baptism....this business is quite complex really and interesting

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 05:36

Hi andrejwout and welcome to the forum.
You wrote:

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I am just beginning with charcuterie and still reading about stuff. So far i have only made pastrami and will now move on to sausgae/salamis. Anyway...ive bought some starter cultures (t-spx) to make salami Genoa but there seems to be a bit of debate about their usage. In general, Ruhlman says a quarter pack for smaller ammounts/batches etc.yet on here marianski goes for 0.12!

Andre, making a fermented, dry-cured sausage should only be attempted after you`ve had quite a bit of experience in making the other type sausages such as fresh type, fresh stuffed, cooked-cured and cooked-cured-smoked, and even a few `semi` dry-cured sausages. Then before you attempt to make a fully "dry-cured" fermented sausage, you will surely want to read much material and have some necessary equipment before you go about it safely. Fermented sausage may be dangerous when one goes about it without proper knowledge and experience. May I suggest you pick up a copy of the books listed here:

"Home Production Of Quality Meats And Sausages"... by Stan and Adam Marianski
"The Art Of Making Fermented Sausages"... by Stan and Adam Marianski
"Meat Smoking And Smokehouse Design"... by Stan, Adam, and Robert Marianski

Stan Marianski and his sons Adam and Robert have written the "go to" authoritative text in the business today. Stan is a moderator on this site and I believe he is the world`s leading authority in the world today on the subject of sausage making. I do not get paid to endorse these books. I simply know the best when I see it. You can find them for sale at Bookmagic.com.

Your other charcuterie book was written by a couple of chefs, and although their book has some good information in it, I reach for Marianski`s publications constantly each day. If I may offer some advice, I would say to you, please read and study these books and gather as much knowledge as you possibly can. As you gain experience first making and stuffing fresh sausages, you will wish to learn more about nitrates and nitrites, bio-cultures, and a host of other sausage making topics. Later, armed with some experience and knowledge, you`ll no doubt wish to undertake the challenge of crafting fermented, air-dried, sausages.

We`re certainly here to help Andre. However, you`ve just got to learn how to walk before you can run. Please don`t become discouraged or disheartened. There are some great folks on this board and they`re willing to help... a little at a time, my friend.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon