Make Pepperoni Sausages at home

Author: Marthinus Strydom
Category: Meat Curing

Crafting homemade pepperoni sausage is an incredibly fulfilling endeavor, closely resembling the process of creating Summer sausage. Unlike the standard pepperoni found in stores, this homemade version boasts an enhanced texture, significantly superior flavor, and a delightful resemblance to premium-grade sausage. The resulting sausage is truly exceptional.

Method

  • Clean, rinse, and rehydrate your casings
  • Clean your meat of any silver skin, sinew, arteries and cut into small cubes.  Place the meat and fat in the freezer for an hour
  • Grind chilled pork, fat, and beef through 4.5mm plate.
  • Mix all ingredients with cold meat till very tacky
  • Stuff firmly into 40mm-43mm beef rounds
  • Ferment at 26C (80F) for 18 hours, 90-85% humidity till pH reads 4.6 - 4.8 (the lower it goes the tangier your pepperoni will taste).
  • OPTIONAL: After fermentation lightly cold smoke the pepperoni for 2 hours
  • Place pepperoni in a drying chamber set to 12C - 13C (55F) and 80% humidity. Dry for 4-10 days. (You are looking for a 20% weight loss)
  • Once dried slowly cook your pepperoni till the internal temp reaches 57C - 63C (135-145F).  you can either do this by smoking or sous vide. For sous vide Cook at 60C (140F) for 2 hours

55 %  lean pork
25 %  lean beef
20 %  pork back fat
2.30 %  kosher salt
0.25 %  insta cure #1
0.60 %  dextrose
0.20 %  table sugar
0.30 %  black pepper
0.10 %  white pepper
0.80 %  smoked paprika
0.30 %  fennel seed crushed
0.20 %  anise seed crushed
0.20 %  cayenne pepper powder