Fresh Chorizo

[forthill]

I agree, it's a great site but a word of caution.

We are currently using this recipe but luckily noticed what we assume MUST be a mistake on the amount of salpetre.

http://ileychorizos.tripod.com/id64.html

It's our first year of home production and would have been extremely easy to produce a poisonous salami.

I think I'm correct but wouldn't 15g be enough to cure a small hippo!!

By the way, for those who don't use the Google toolbar, it's worth downloading as it has an automatic translation tool. Not 100% accurate with some words but as I don't speak a word of spanish it makes the site useable.

Mark.

[wheels]

Forthill

welcome to the forum.

...and well spotted 0.3gm - 0.5gm is plenty enough saltpetre for that quantity of meat.

Phil

[saucisson]

I have added a safety note to the posts that link to the site.

Dave

[grisell]

Maybe the recipes are old. I have a Swedish cookbook that is a 100 years old and calls for one tablespoon (ca 15 gms) saltpetre per 5 kgs/10 lbs of meat. That's clarly a lot, but I wouldn't call it dangerous. Modern research has given us limits that are safe and healthier. I have to say that I don't think that the amount of nitrate is a major issue in sausage home-making, though - as long as it's not too low. When it comes to nitrate, I always double what's recommended because I'm more afraid of botulism than of nitrate poisoning.

[wheels]

That's not an unreasonable position for someone who can calculate the level, knows what it should be, and has the knowledge and experience to know both the consequences and implications.

.. but, as many people who read this forum don't have those skills, at least initially, we err on the side of caution.

I do however share your concerns about using too little cure.

Phil

[grisell]

Agreed. But if you have this hobby, you just have to learn basics in biochemistry and toxicology! That is no stranger than the fact that a parachute jumper has to know a lot about packing his parachute.

BTW, I checked the nitrate/nitrite toxic levels at

http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/

- no official site, but the numbers seem reasonable: LD50 (the dose where 50 % of the population die) for potassium nitrate is about 3 gms/kg body weight and for sodium nitrite 0.18 gms/kg body weight. If you multiply them with a reasonable body weight of 70 kgs (reasonable? I weigh in at 115...) you'll end up with 210 gms KNO3 or 13 gms NaNO2 as a lethal dose. These are clearly levels that will never appear in sausagemaking! Long before you have ingested a dose even near that, you will have vomited or spitted it out. Spinach and rocket/rucola can contain 0.5 % nitrate!

One has to bear in mind, though, that the permissible levels are much lower, that nitrates/nitrites are carcinogenic in the long run, that the experiments are made on hamsters and not humans etc.

But I still think that (my opinion) botulism is a much more serious threat for us sausagemakers. It can not be smelled, tasted or anticipated. And it is clearly deadly - although rare, 50 % die, 50 % marked for life. In that perspective, one gram or two of saltpetre more is no big deal! And even I don't eat kilos of salami every day!

[wheels]

Agreed. But if you have this hobby, you just have to learn basics in biochemistry and toxicology!

That's a nice sentiment, but I don't believe for a minute that it will happen. A new generation of 'curers' has been encouraged by TV programs to 'have a go' with little advice about safe methods. You only have to read other forums to see this.

I don't disagree entirely with the sentiment in your post but I think that you summed it up in your previous one when you said:

That's clearly a lot, but I wouldn't call it dangerous. Modern research has given us limits that are safe and healthier.

I'm sure that you will agree that it's probably best to use the "safe and healthier" levels.

Phil

[grisell]

I moved the discussion ahead. Seemed a little more important to be left here.

[Snags]

A lot of the hand made artisan Chorizos that I have tasted have a distinct liver flavour in the background,yet no recipe seems to show this .Is it traditional?
I have also tried a Chorizo in Melbourne,that had a very faint chocolate taste.
I would assume with the Spanish/ Sth American connection this wouldnt be out of the realms of possibilitys, even in some traditional recipes.
Any recipes would be appreciated I am so addicted to a great Chorrizo.

[Salmo]

Hello
Hope it's not too late to resurrect this thread?
As I'm hoping to make a first attempt at making sausages in general & fresh chorizo inparticular,I was reading through here & followed the link ,supplied by Wheels,to the Len Poli site.
I found a recipe there for Portugese chorizo which I would like to make,problem is I can't make the ingredient list add up to the 2700grs that it's supposed to
As I was unable to increase the size of the text (seems to be protected)
I think I must be missreading some of the figures,but as I'm new to this I've no idea even approximately what they should be.
I read 35grs salt,12.5grs paprika & 12 grs Dextrose,does this seem right?
I've tried changing the figures (only on paper) to 350,125 &120 respectively,but still cant get 2700grs.
Ignorance & poor eyesight are bad bedfellows & I would greatly appreciate some assistance.
Cheers

[NCPaul]

I think it's a math mistake, I come up with 2371.5 g.

[Salmo]

Thanks NCPAUL
Your maths agree with mine then

Do you think I will be OK to go ahead using these figures ?

Cheers