Entree: Italy – Marche – Ciauscolo (Spreadable smoked pork salami from the Marche region)
Serving Size: 6
Approximate Time
Prep
1 hr
Cook
16 hrs
Additional
36 hrs
Total
48 hrs
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.36 kg) pork shoulder, trimmed and cubed
- 1 lb (454 g) pork belly, skin removed and cubed
- 8 oz (225 g) pork back fat, diced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp (5 g) curing salt (Prague Powder #1) optional for safety
- 1 tbsp (15 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp (10 g) crushed fennel seeds
- 6 cloves (about 24 g) garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
- 2 tsp (8 g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water or crushed ice
- Natural hog casings, enough for about 2–3 lb (900–1,360 g) of sausage
Instructions
1. Chill the meat and fat in the freezer for 30–45 minutes until firm but not frozen; keep all equipment cold.
2. Grind the pork shoulder, pork belly and back fat through a fine plate; for the classic texture, run the mixture through the fine plate twice.
3. In a large bowl combine ground meat with sea salt, curing salt if using, black pepper, crushed fennel, minced garlic, sugar, and cold water or crushed ice. Mix thoroughly by hand until the mixture becomes sticky and homogeneous, then add the white wine and mix until absorbed.
4. Stuff the mixture into natural hog casings, forming links about 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) long; tie ends snugly and prick any large air pockets with a sterile needle.
5. Hang the sausages in a cool, ventilated place or refrigerator for 12–24 hours to dry the casings slightly.
6. Cold-smoke the sausages over beech or hardwood for 2–4 days using intermittent low smoke (do not cook), or smoke lightly for 4–8 hours if a shorter-smoke approach is preferred.
7. After smoking, hang the sausages in a cool (50–60°F / 10–15°C), humid environment for 2–3 weeks until they lose some weight but remain soft and spreadable; refrigerator aging will slow the process and is acceptable if humidity is controlled.
8. Slice or spread on crusty bread and serve at room temperature. Store refrigerated and consume within a few weeks or freeze for longer storage.
