Chapter 8

Sliceable Raw Sausages

Topics Covered

• Before You Begin

• Preparation

• The Raw Materials

• Forcemeats

Topics Covered (cont’d.)

• The Maturation Process

• The Curing Phase

• The Incubation Phase

• The Drying/Ripening Phase

Before You Begin

• Use only the following types of meats in preparation of raw sliceable sausages:– Pork: certified pork butt, pork shoulder, or

pork neck– Beef: chuck, clod, or lean beef trimmings– Pork fat: certified fresh fatback, jowls, or fat

belly strip– Pork belly: green belly with the skin removed

Before You Begin (cont’d.)

• Suggestions:– If you don’t have proper facilities to ripen and

dry sliceable raw sausages:• Prepare during the cooler months of the year

– Follow sanitation and proper personal hygiene measures closely

Before You Begin (cont’d.)

• Suggestions (cont’d.):– Carefully trim meat of all sinews and tough

skin:• Meat and fats must be cubed and sized to fit

grinder opening

– For health safety:• Keep all raw materials at a temperature of 36°F–

45°F • Always semifreeze meats and fat before grinding

Preparation

• Sliceable raw sausages:– Cured– Must be cubed to fit grinder opening

• Semifrozen first, then season and mix with binders• After grinding slowly mix with paddle/dough hook,

ball will form• Cure for 24 hours longer• Pipe into casings

Raw Materials

• Meat and fat should be kept at 36°F–45°F– Minimizes buildup of microorganisms

• Suggestions:– Use pork belly, pork butt, or pork shoulder – For beef, use chuck or clod – For fat, use fatback, pork jowls, or fat belly

strip with skin removed– Always use good quality meat

Forcemeats

• Always use certified pork– Must be trimmed– Sinews and gristle removed– Properly grinded

• Sometimes meat and fat are ground separately

– Kept at proper temperature• 36°F–45°F

Forcemeats (cont’d.)

• Seasonings:– Add kosher salt and seasonings to cubed

semifrozen meat– Grind– Mix thoroughly

Forcemeats (cont’d.)

• TMC (pink curing salt):– Makes proteins in meat soluble, causing a

sticky film (myosin) to form – Creates a stable emulsion– Dehydrates– Prevents spoilage

Forcemeats (cont’d.)

• Starter cultures:– Lactic acids– Control microorganisms

• Bactoferm LHP: fast acidification• Bactoferm F-RM-52: medium fast acidification• Bactoferm T-SPX: slow acidification

Forcemeats (cont’d.)

• Spices:– Impart flavor and aroma– To achieve full flavor use fresh pungent

spices• Ground should be sealed and stored in a dark area

– If not maintained properly, they lose their aroma and flavor through evaporation of volatile oils

• Life span is six to eight months

The Maturation Process

• Salami and other raw sliceable sausages mature in three phases: – Curing– Incubation– Drying/ripening

• Each requires different temperatures and relative humidity conditions

• Process can take five weeks to one year

The Curing Phase

• Maturation process begins when curing salts are added– Cure 24-48 hours

• Salts cure meat and kill trichinosis organisms

• When the curing process is complete, forcemeat is piped or stuffed into casings

The Incubation Phase

• Forcemeat is next incubated in a dark room at 70°F for one to two days (or as directed)

• Relative humidity should 75%–85%

The Drying/Ripening Phase

• Sliceable raw sausages are dried in a cool dark room at 50°F–60°F– Reduces moisture and shrinks sausage (may

lose half their weight)– Takes up to eight months– Mold may build up on casings (this is natural)– Recommendation:

• Keep them refrigerated until needed

The Drying/Ripening Phase (cont’d.)

Left to right: Properly cured, incubated, and ripened salami,wrongly cured, incubated, and ripened salami

Summary

• This chapter reviewed:– How to make sliceable raw cured sausages– Curing process, incubation stage, and

drying/ripening period– Importance of using TCM to prevent botulism – Good sanitation and personal hygiene

procedures to follow