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Fermented sausage, such as salami and chorizo, is made by adding beneficial bacteria and other ingredients to fresh meat, which is then hung up to air dry. The fermentation process develops the flavor and acidity level, making it safe to eat. Cleanliness and fresh meat are crucial, and nitrates are often added to encourage good bacteria growth.
Fermented sausage is a type of sausage that has beneficial bacteria and other additions to the meat that allow it to age and air dry without spoiling. The fermentation process develops the flavor of the sausage as the water within the meat dissipates and the acidity level increases. The most common types of fermented sausage include salami and chorizo. While sausage can be smoked to add more flavor, most are not. The successful production of fermented sausage relies on a good knowledge of food science and experience in the process, so that problems can be quickly identified and corrected before the sausage goes rancid.
The first and most important step in making fermented sausage is ensuring that all equipment used is sterile and clean. All work surfaces and the production area must also be very clean. This is to ensure that as few harmful bacteria as possible are present, reducing the chance of them getting into the meat, although some inevitably will.
The meat used must be fresh. This is because non-fresh meat will have a wide range of harmful bacteria inside, increasing the chances of it spoiling instead of fermenting. While a fermented sausage can be made from almost any type of meat, pork and beef are two of the most popular choices.
The ground beef is mixed with salt and, in many cases, nitrates in preparation for fermentation. The salt will help kill some bacteria, while the nitrates will encourage the good bacteria to come and grow inside the sausage. The beneficial bacteria will convert the nitrates into nitrites and in the process, also consume many of the bacteria which could lead to food poisoning or spoilage of the meat.
The minced meat is stuffed into sausage casings that are permeable to water and then hung up to air dry. The goal is to allow the fermentation process to take effect without spoiling the meat. Two things will happen if there are enough beneficial bacteria inside the meat. The first is that the water content of the fermented sausage will decrease, resulting in some dryness, although some water is retained by different elements in the meat.
The second thing that occurs is that the acidity level will increase within the sausage. A high level of acidity will help destroy harmful bacteria. Beyond a certain level of acidity, fermented sausage will become stable and be ready for packaging and consumption once it has aged enough to provide the desired flavor.
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