fitzgen
Can you post your Pepperoni recipe, mine came out much different than I expected I think I had too much beef.
Sure thing! I actually filmed the whole process as well, and I'm currently editing it into a video that I'll put on youtube.
Note that this was a fast-fermented sausage, not an old-world style salami. I think the noticeable tang from the aggressive ferment is actually a big part of getting that classic pepperoni taste associated with e.g. hormel.
Recipe is very loosely based on / inspired by the Two Guys and A Cooler recipe.
Ingredients:* 65% pork shoulder
* 25% beef top sirloin (relatively lean and relatively cheap)
* 10% fatback (relatively low percentage since the shoulder is already composed of ~30% fat)
* 2.3% salt
* 0.25% prague powder #1
* 0.75% dextrose
* 0.3% black pepper
* 0.1% white pepper
* 1% smoked paprika
* 0.5% fennel seed
* 0.5% cayenne
* Flavor of Italy culture
Method:* Sterilize equipment
* Weigh and cube meat
* Freeze equipment and meat for ~1 hour
* prep spices, salt, pp#1, dextrose
* Awaken starter culture according to directions on the package and how much meat is being used
* Grind meat fairly finely (I think I used a 5mm plate)
* Mix meat w/ the other ingredients in a mixer w/ paddle attachment until tacky and evenly distributed
* Stuff into natural casings (helps with cupping)
* Ferment according to starter culture directions (in my case: 75-95F, 90% humidity for 18-36 hours; target ph is below 5.2; I wrapped the sausages up in cling film and put them in the oven w/ light on; reached 4.5 ph after 24 hours)
* Hang in a charcuterie chamber (55F and 75-80% humidity) until 20% weight loss, about a week or two (mine actually overshot and I hit 30% weight loss in ten days)
* Cook sous vide at 130F for 3 hours (alternatively, smoke them for a similar amount of time until they reach a similar internal temperature)
That's it!
