Well the temp was right the first two weeks before my trip to Hawaii so for Christmas presents I decided to make some salami. The recipe is pretty simple. I use 5lbs of pork butt keep all the fat remove the bone. I then add pepper, salt, garlic, sugar and some nitrites (I would rather not but I am more worried about botulism then I am nitires)
So first you grind your ingredients together and then stuff them into hog intestine so that it looks like this.
Then you twist out lengths of sausage so that it looks like this.
Then I like to tie where I twist the sausage so that it does not unravel.
I then tie long lengths of string to either end of the sausage so that I can hang them.
The only place I have to hang these is in my kitchen window. This works for me as I don't get direct sunlight in my window and the temperatures are very cool. Its a strange Christmas garland that's for sure but it tasts great.
Then I wait about 2 weeks till the sausage has lost approximately 1/3rd of its weight. I usually just measure by feeling the salami and if it is hard and slightly oily it usually means it is ready. Then I slice it up and enjoy.