In life, starting with the day we are born there is an immediate desire and need for learning.  The power of knowledge provides an unmistakable confidence in our own personal foundation. As a chef, this hunger to educate ourselves thrives and opens doors to a wonderful world of adventure.

One of my childhood’s fondest memories comes from the kitchen and summers spent at my grandfather’s home in Chicago.  As with all of us there are a few of those ‘must-haves’ when it comes to food, and my German and Polish heritage basically required some form charcuterie on the table for every meal.  It was during these visits that the family would spend countless hours in the kitchen sharing stories, playing cards, cooking, eating and where I was first exposed to the art of making homemade sausage and salami.  Little did I know at that time the impact this would make on my life and career.

It was my first trip to St. Louis for a meeting with the Volpi family to discuss an ‘Artisan Salami’ program that brought back a flood of great memories and a new found interest to learn everything I could about this craft.  I could see the passion Lorenza Pasetti held for the business, and when I had the pleasure of meeting her father Armando immediately knew where it all started.  The Volpi family has transformed handmade Italian salami and Italian sausage recipes into an iconic and highly regarded brand.

For those of us at home who are somewhat adventurous, the art of making handmade Italian salami is not an overly difficult task and certainly can be a rewarding experience.  Once you have a basic understanding of the process and critical steps in production, you can easily begin creating your own family recipes and traditions.  The golden rule to follow in cooking is, “you must begin with great ingredients”. From there, proper seasonings along with simple well managed techniques and a little patience are certain to deliver positive results.  I believe it is important to first lay the ground work in an outline for making handmade Italian salami, then I will discuss each step in further detail:

1.    Great Ingredients
a.    Pork / Pork Fat
b.    Salt
c.    Curing Salts
d.    Starter Cultures
e.    Spices / Sugar
f.    Casings
2.    Sanitation
3.    Humidity and Temperature
4.    Curing
5.    Incubation
6.    Drying

I am taking this opportunity while outlining the steps in salami making to begin the journey myself with my son.  We are very excited to get going on our ‘Homemade’ Genova salami project.  My next post will provide a breakdown for each of the steps in our homemade salami outline.