How dry I am.....

[GusRobin]

After a week, here are the weights of the sausages. They have lost about 4-6%. Goal is 30% loss so about 4-5 more weeks.



After a week in the fridge, I took the butt out to make the capicola. Per directions, I was supposed to use the coppa muscle from a pork shoulder. The cut along the dotted line meat carvers at the local Publix didn't have a clue to what I wanted so the best I could do was a boneless butt. It was basically flat so I had to roll and tie it. Not perfect but the best I could do with what I had.
Here is the butt with the salt and cure washed off and then rubbed with paprika. Into the fridge for 3-5 months.





Here they are rolled, tied, and bagged and into the fridge.



More to come in about a week or so.

[CDN Smoker]

Greatly enjoying this post

[GusRobin]

Two weeks into it and here is where it stands.


More to come .

[SiFumar]

What recipe did you use for the salamis?  Will be following this!

[GusRobin]

What recipe did you use for the salamis?  Will be following this!

the ones on the UMAi website.

[SiFumar]

Thanks!

[GusRobin]

Latest update as of 20 days.  the Biggest Loser (%) is Capicola #2 followed by Pepperoni # 2



Since they were doing well, they asked for a team picture. So here are the players.

[GusRobin]

Weekly update:
Here are the latest numbers.



Seems to be losing weight steadily, but most are still on the soft side. We'll see where this goes.

[GusRobin]

Weekly Update:


Pepperoni #2 reached its goal of 30% weight loss. So I decided to slice and try it.





It had a nice firmness to it. Most of the pepperoni I have made had a "soft" texture. This time I didn't smoke it, but will try it next time. The taste was good, so it was a winner.

[GusRobin]

Latest update:



So I decided to cut open all but the genoa 3 and sopressata 2

The top piece is the genoa. The sliced pieces left to right: sopressata, pepperoni, genoa.



Close up (blurred) pic of the pepperoni


Capicola

Verdict:
1)Genoa salami- came out great, texture was like what you would buy in the store, flavor was intense. A++
2) Pepperoni - the first was was good, the second was a little dryer. But both were keepers.  A
3) Soppressata salami- I have never had it before so I don't know what to compare it to. It was good. Not as intense flavor as the genoa, but I like it.  A- (only because I don't know what is supposed to taste like)
4) Capicola - I wasn't too impressed. The outer skin was dried and bit tough. The inside probably needed another week. But then the edge dryness would be have been wider. Now part of the problem may be that the UMAi recipe says to use the coppa muscle. I couldn't get one so I just used a small rolled de-boned butt.  C
Would I do it again.? Yes. But not the capicola unless I got a coppa muscle.

[Smokin Don]

Some great looking meat Gus!!! I love capicola but can't find it around here anymore! Don