Holiday Peperoni - DONE!

TentHunter

Moderator
The holiday peperoni for the gift packs is done!

Peperoni seasoning mix. The whole house smelled like Fennel after course grinding the seed.
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Mixed with 15 lbs of a Ground Pork/Beef mix (8 lbs pork + 7 lbs beef). In the fridge for a minimum 3-day cure & ferment.
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Sheep casings for the peperoni snack sticks. Also a 2 lb chub stuffed in a muslin casing.
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I using collagen casings this time for the peperoni logs.
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I want a light sweet smoke, so lets go with Sugar Maple on the MAK in smoke mode (about 170°).
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Same with the Peperoni logs...
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I really like how they turned out with the collagen casings. They are edible (although a little tough), or easily peeled.
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Oh, you know we tried some! ;)
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I've been tweaking this recipe for a few years and think I finally have it dialed in. The family agreed it's the best peperoni we done to date!


Edit: Scooters question below reminded me: After these were cooked & cooled, I allowed them to sit uncovered in my downstairs fridge for three days to continue drying out a bit. The final product is nice and dense with an incredible flavor.


Now, on to the Summer Sausage. More to follow...
 
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TrickyDick

New member
WOW is an understatement!

That looks fantastic!!

I am going to have to try and do this sometime!

My family is worried that I will be less willing to cook on the pizza oven now that the MAK is here,

Homemade pepperoni on the MAK for pizza in the pizza oven could be the ticket to keep all parties happy!

TD
 

TentHunter

Moderator
TrickyDick said:
Homemade pepperoni on the MAK for pizza in the pizza oven could be the ticket to keep all parties happy!

TD, now that sounds like a winning combo! How about I bring the peperoni and you bake the pizzas?
 

scooter

Moderator
Tent, I didn't know pepperoni needed to be fermented. The final product looks great! Nice job!

We need a charcuterie forum for your adventures in sausage making!! :)
 
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TentHunter

Moderator
Tent, I didn't know pepperoni needed to be fermented.

You don't have to ferment it, but it sure makes a big difference in the final product. Especially if you want that traditional tangy peperoni taste. You could also cheat by using Encapsulated Citric Acid.

Peperoni is traditionally dry-cured and fermented over weeks or months. Since I don't have a dry-cure cabinet, I use a quicker ferment, hot-smoke & dry method.

First, I use the powdered Buttermilk as a natural lactic acid starter. Then ferment/cure for at least three days. I find that five days gives just the right tang. After that I hot smoke it, let it cool, then let it air dry for a few days uncovered in the fridge to give them a denser texture and concentrate the flavor a little more. This drying time also makes a big difference in the final product.

My wife made me get my own fridge a year ago for doing all of my charcuterie stuff. :p
 
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TrickyDick

New member
WOW again! I'm thinking about buying the charcuterie book. I see they also wrote one about the Italian style dry curing sausages. I'm really mostly interested in making my own pepperoni and also swirly some slim Jim style snacks.

Can you tell me, or is it in the book, about the fermentation process? You mentioned you didn't have some piece of equipment? I have a lot of temperature controllers I use for regulating temperatures of refrigerators, but can be used for other things like proofing chambers, or maybe this sausage fermentation thing...

Fantastic looking pepperoni by the way.

TD
 

TentHunter

Moderator
Basically this peperoni is just a modified spicy version of my summer sausage. It's my own recipe that I've been tweaking for a few years. I'm happy to share it if you like.

To ferment in the fridge, because of the colder temps, you add something to act as a lactic acid starter culture. Fermento is a commonly used product, but some people don't like that it can gives an off flavor.

I like to use powdered Buttermilk, partly because we keep it on hand here. Mix it in with the sausage and let it sit in the fridge for 3 - 7 days depending on how much tang you want. I like going the 7 days.

In colder temps the lactobacillus feeds on sugars added to the sausage breaking them down into lactic acid, which gives the sausage its tang. Any sugar will work, but powdered Dextrose is a favorite because it's easily digested by the bacterium.

I hope this makes sense!
 
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TrickyDick

New member
Yeah! I'm ordering a few books on sausage making to read up before I tackle my first project - pepperoni. I have some fermentation experience through my other hobby - homebrewing. I've never used bacterial cultures in brewing (yet - but there is one planned for January), but I do maintain some sourdough cultures for baking with (and that reminds me-- I need to feed them). I'm sure it's going to be a similar process, which will hopefully be detailed in the light reading I'll be doing over the next few months. I am also hoping that will explain why the sausage links need to be hanging as opposed to just lying out on the grill racks...

TD
 

TentHunter

Moderator
I am also hoping that will explain why the sausage links need to be hanging as opposed to just lying out on the grill racks...

As far as I know it doesn't matter if they're laying down on the grates or hanging. I have done many, many smoked sausages laying on grates. You just get some indentations from the grate marks that's all.

For mini smoked sausages & snack sticks, stackable jerky racks work as good as anything! In fact scroll back up on this very thread and you'll see the peperoni snack sticks were on jerky racks and the logs were hung on dowels.

A couple of advantages with hanging sausage on rods or dowels is: a) You can comfortably fit more on at one time, and b) the racks make it quick & easy to take the sausage off the smoker, especially if dunking them in a cold water bath. They just slide right off the rod and into the water... plop, plop, plop!
 

scott6049

Member
Tent,
Did u make those stands with the dowel rods yourself or did u buy them from somewhere. I would like to get me some or make me some.
Thanks
 

lovesmoke

New member
Ooooo
It is really eye catching creation. I am feeling greed to your recipe. And definitely I will try to cook like it. I don't know will I be able to cook like it. But I must try.
 
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