Sopressata is a traditional Italian dry-cured salami that originated in southern Italy. With its distinctive salty, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor, soppressata makes for a bold and delicious addition to charcuterie boards, sandwiches, pasta dishes, and more. While soppressata salami can be purchased pre-made, crafting it at home allows you control over the ingredients and results in an infinitely more complex, nuanced end product.
Today, I will walk you through each step of making Soppressata Salami from scratch. You can achieve professional-quality Soppressata Salami right in your kitchen with just a few simple ingredients and equipment, patience during the curing process, and my tips and tricks. Let’s get started!
Soppressata Salami
Equipment
- Meat grinder
- Sausage stuffer
- Curing chamber or wine fridge
- Kitchen twine
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 5 lbs lean ground pork
- 1 lb pork fatback, diced
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, cracked
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, cracked
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- Hog casing
Video
Notes
Procedure For Making Soppressata Salami Recipe
- Assemble the meat grinder and grind the pork and fat back together until thoroughly combined. Chill the meat mixture for about 30 minutes.
- Combine the salt, peppercorns, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
- Add the chilled meat, garlic cloves, and spice mix to a large bowl. Mix by hand, and knead the spices into the meat thoroughly.
- Add the wine a little at a time, continuing to knead until well incorporated. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, stuff the soppressata mixture into hog casings, pricking any air pockets with a sausage pricker. Tie off into 6-8-inch links with kitchen twine.
- Hang the links in your curing chamber or wine fridge, ideally at 60-70°F and 60-75% humidity. Cure for 3-4 weeks.
- After curing, remove the casings and brush off any surface mold with a cloth soaked in vinegar. Wrap the salami in cheesecloth.
- Continue aging for another 3 to 6 weeks until the salami has firmed up and lost about 30% of its weight.
- Slice thinly and enjoy! Sopressata keeps for 2 to 3 months refrigerated.
Tips and Tricks
- The key to exceptional homemade hot sopressata salami is taking the time to cure and dry it. Rushing the process results in a subpar end product. Be patient and let the salami slowly develop complex flavors during the weeks-long curing period.
- Use fresh, high-quality pork because the better the meat, the better the result. Keep conditions standardized in your curing chamber or wine fridge. Fluctuating humidity and temperature can lead to case hardening or improper drying. Invest in a hygrometer to monitor the curing environment if needed.
- You can customize the soppressata’s spice to suit your tastes, and try swapping in or adding ingredients like coriander, oregano, paprika, cayenne, or ground chili peppers for your unique spin.
- Experiment with soppressata as a component in other dishes besides charcuterie boards, as thin slices or diced soppressata add welcome texture, spice, and richness to pasta, pizzas, soups, and more.
- Sopressata also freezes wonderfully. Slice it before freezing it in portioned packets to pull out and enjoy whenever you get a salami craving!
Conclusion
With a bold flavor profile and artisanal appeal, it’s easy to see why soppressata has cemented itself as an Italian charcuterie icon. If you use quality ingredients and have patience during the curing process, you can craft Soppressata Salami in your kitchen.
I hope you give this recipe a try soon. Let me know how your homemade hot soppressata salami creations turn out. If you have any other questions about this traditional technique, I’m always happy to help fellow cooks on their salami journeys. Happy curing! If you like the bold, spicy flavor of soppressata salami, try making this equally intense Devil Sauce Recipe to serve alongside it. The hot sauce pairs perfectly with the seasoned cured meat.
