Homemade Pepperoni Recipe

Name: Homemade Traditional Pepperoni
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Dry Sausage Kit 50mmIncludes 30 ft of UMAi Dry Salumi Casing, Powdered Dextrose, #2 Curing Salt, and Bactoferm T-SPX Starter Culture (for 300 lbs of meat with 18 month expiration date); Lean pork 3 lb / 1375g; Lean beef 1.45 lb / 670g; Pork fat (Back Fat) 0.55 lb / 250g; T-SPX Starter Culture 1/4 to 1/2 tsp (add more as culture approaches expiration); Powdered Dextrose 1/2 tsp (feed your culture generously); Salumi Spice Blend: Pepperoni; UMAi Dry Premixed Curing Salts for 5 lb Recipe; Kosher Salt 3% to weight of meat; #2 Curing Salt 0.25% to weight of meat; Sugar 6g / 1 tsp; Black pepper 6g / 3 tsp; Paprika 12g / 6 tsp; Fennel 5g / 4 tsp; Cayenne Pepper 4g / 2 tsp

February 14, 2022 UMAi Dry Team

Homemade Traditional Pepperoni

Rated 3.2 stars by 12 users

Cook Time

0 minutes

Author:

UMAi Dry

This will show you the whole process of preparing the meat from chilling to grinding to mixing with cure, spices and starter culture. You will see the ease of stuffing into UMAi Dry Salumi casing for fermented, slow dried sausage, fermented at room temperature. The benefit of UMAi Dry Sausage Casing is drying safely in the comfort of your kitchen fridge. This video will show your every step making it easy even for a first time salumi-maker.

Ingredients

Essential Basic Ingredients

Dry Sausage Kit 50mm
Includes 30 ft of UMAi Dry Salumi Casing, Powdered Dextrose, #2 Curing Salt, and Bactoferm T-SPX Starter Culture (for 300 lbs of meat with 18 month expiration date)
Lean pork 3 lb / 1375g
Lean beef 1.45 lb / 670g
Pork fat (Back Fat) 0.55 lb / 250g
T-SPX Starter Culture 1/4 to 1/2 tsp (add more as culture approaches expiration)
Powdered Dextrose 1/2 tsp (feed your culture generously)

NO MATH Method: UMAi Dry Spice and Salts Blends

Salumi Spice Blend: Pepperoni
UMAi Dry Premixed Curing Salts for 5 lb Recipe

MATH Method: Making Your Own Spice Blend

Kosher Salt 3% to weight of meat
#2 Curing Salt 0.25% to weight of meat
Sugar 6g / 1 tsp
Black pepper 6g / 3 tsp
Paprika 12g / 6 tsp
Fennel 5g / 4 tsp
Cayenne Pepper 4g / 2 tsp

View Cart (0) Checkout

Directions

Prepare Meat

Cut meat to fit grinder.
Start with well chilled meat
Do not allow meat to freeze solid as this can damage grinder
Chill grinder parts before beginning process.

Activate Starter Culture

Prepare 2 tbsp. of de-chlorinated water, either distilled or boiled then cooled.
Remove Bactoferm T-SPX Starter Culture from freezer. Starter culture will ferment the meat, lowering pH to safe levels and developing authentic traditional flavor.
PRO TIP: Frozen culture should remain viable 12-18 months. If T-SPX has been opened and stored, use incrementally more culture and dextrose to ensure robust fermentation.
Measure starter culture for recipe (approximately ¼-½ tsp. per 5 lb / 2 kg of meat) and dissolve in water.
Stir dextrose into starter culture

Weigh Salts and Spices

NOTE: Using a digital scale and calculating in grams makes the process much easier (scale available at umaidry.com)
Weigh meat.
Carefully calculate 3% Kosher or sea salt: meat weight:____ x 0.03
Calculate 0.25% #2 Curing Salt meat weight: ____x 0.0025

Prepare Spices

Prepare your traditional fermented dry sausage recipe or use an UMAi Dry® Spice Blend. See available spice blends at umaidry.com/spices.
Mix salts from Step 3 into spices to ensure even distribution into meat.

Grind Meat

Grind previously par-frozen Turkey meat.
For best "particle definition" use 3/8 or 16 mm plate for best particle definition.

Blend Starter Culture

Spread starter culture over ground meat.
Toss well with paddles or spoons to distribute, keeping meat cold.

Mix in Salt & Spices

Add all dry ingredients to meat in 3-4 batches.
Blend completely into meat mixture.

Stuff Out Sausage

Stuff out into 10 in / 30 cm "chubs" (links)
PRO TIP: Use a dedicated vertical stuffer or piping bag. Mechanical stuffers mash meat which destroys particle definition, impeding the fermentation/drying process
Tie off each casing end with a zip tie. Each end of the chub needs a zip tie, which means you will have two zip ties between each chub.
Cut into pairs for easy hanging
Weigh several chubs and tag with start weights.

Hang to Ferment

Hang to ferment at 65-75°F / 18-22°C for 36-72 hours
Protect from air flow while fermenting.
PRO TIP: An un-used oven with a pan of water is perfect for fermentation. Put a sign on the oven: DO NOT USE!
Watch for color to blush or brighten to indicate fermentation and safe drop in pH to 5. Do not ferment longer than 72 hours.

Dry in Refrigerator

After fermentation, weigh and record several sticks to gauge 35-40% target weight reduction.
Place in fridge on open wire racks.
Dry at 34-38°F / 1-4°C with good air flow.
Use a modern frost free refrigerator IMPORTANT: Do not use mini, wine, garage, or "old beer fridges" as they lack proper air circulation.
Sausage should lose 35-40% of start weight for safe moisture levels. As sausage dries, it will begin to shrink away from UMAi Dry casing. This is normal. Estimated drying time:
32mm: 2-4 weeks -
50mm: 4-6 weeks
70mm: 6-8 weeks

Back to Recipes