Some six weeks back Gian Carlo and I attended Salami School. Fine tuning our charcuterie skills was the aim of the day, but Gian Carlo was certain that getting his hands dirty would bring those long lost salami secrets flooding back to him from a childhood as a junior charcutier back in Italy. The day was incredible and a real culinary sensation, James our host not only welcomed us into his home but was more than happy to share his wealth of knowledge and if that wasn’t already enough he then organised a near 100 kilogram pig for for our own salami day the following weekend.
Our Salami day was also a massive success and our curing room is now bursting at the rafters. But with everything we produced still curing, we still have a couple more weeks before we can try our handy work. But the salami from Salami School requires no more waiting, which is good because we are only becoming more and more impatient, also a little hungry.
The first test was done by Gian Carlo last weekend: a success he proclaimed. The second test was done by friends at the local brewery and as the whole salami was consumed in about twenty seconds I’m claiming this as a success as well. And the final test, I call it “The Pizza Test” – Excellent!
Classic Marine Iguana 
Thanks for liking our Bathgate Farm blog, I wouldn’t have looked your blog up otherwise – and I am so inspired by the workshop you went. I am now trying to plan to attend one even though we are a long way from Melbourne in Albany, WA. We have figured some of this stuff out ourselves, but actually seeing how it is done and doing it with other people is a much better way to learn, and it sounded like a lot of fun.
Wow – what an amazing learning experience – and with fantastic results. Go Daniel !
This will have to be an ongoing thing – so we get to taste some one day when down south.
A bit concerned though – has the curing room taken over the dressmaker’s room ???
I’m sure it will be an ongoing thing, based on the first couple of tastes 🙂
And yes, the sewing/spare room has an interesting smell now!
I met with a french maker of salumi/salami recently and she said that an indicator of quality of make/quality overall was the “clear delineation of fat and meat” – meaning that, when cut, the fats should be well defined, speckling the meat, and not smeared/blurry. Is this a standard for most makers or is that unique to how they view it?
As far as I know the fat should be solid but soft, but it depends on what kind of salami you are making. For this type of salami the fat is firm but not chewy.
Thnx!
I wish I had the space for this kind of stuff. I’d love to do a nice pancetta but I could just see my cats getting to it. It would be covered in cat hair and gnaw marks. No bueno.
Thank you. Keep an eye out, we are currently making a duck prosciutto and it takes no room at all.
Oooh! I will totally do that!
What an amazing experience. I should take a salami class. 🙂 Please check out my food blog for some great Greek Recipes. http://www.kouzounaskitchen.com