Mortadella color?

Tips and tecniques on dryng drying, curing etc.

Postby wheels » Thu Feb 16, 2012 7:37 pm

I'd worry that you've only got to get it slightly too hot for the chunks of fat to run.

Phil
User avatar
wheels
Global Moderator
 
Posts: 12890
Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 4:29 pm
Location: Leicestershire, UK

Re: pale mortadella

Postby grisell » Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:20 pm

larry wrote:Grissel: I did use cure #1. Is that what you meant, or did you mean did I age it in my chamber? This recipe didn't call for any down time for the meat from grinding through poaching, other than returning to the freezer between steps. I've seen several recipes, none of which called for any sort of rest or curing time between stuffing and poaching. Are you thinking that the cure #1 (pink salt) did not have time to change the color of the mix?


Yes, I meant the pink salt. I agree with Phil's proposal. Pre-curing the cut but not ground meat for a day or so should do the trick. I do this with patées all the time, just for the sake of colour.
André

I have a simple taste - I'm always satisfied with the best.
grisell
Registered Member
 
Posts: 3171
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:17 pm
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Postby larry » Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:27 pm

I made another batch, actually a half batch, which came out looking very cute. This time, I used the same pork loin, which is very pale in color, gave it a two hour cure with the pink salt and regular salt, mixed the emulsion at a lower speed, and just for laughs, baked it at 170F. It came out slightly darker in color, but still much paler than standard. I think it's the loin that makes the color lighter. Next time, I'll duplicate the recipe with shoulder and I'm guessing it will be the usual color.

I also cut down the fat considerably. The Charcuterie recipe I used last time had a 1:1 ratio of meat to fat (ground and cubed added together). In another post, I asked the forum if anyone had made "low fat" mortadella, and the consensus was that it wouldn't really be mortadella. I did see in my research some of the italia standards, and a ratio of 7 to 3 meat to fat was among them, as well as 15% cubed fat in each slice, which was pointed out in response to my post. The finished product was one pound in a 90mm fibrous casing.

So this time, I my recipe was 8 oz. pork, 4 oz combined fat, and everything else proportioned down. Texture was a little firmer, taste was good, and I think I prefer the baking to the boiling. The trick is keeping the oven at 170. I started the oven a couple of hours early and kept a pizza stone in it for more consistent temperature retention. The baking instructions were borrowed from Len Poli's recipe (which calls for pork and beef, by the way) .

My conclusion is that this recipe made with loin is fine, but it is lighter in color, and is not authentic. The only real disadvantage is that the fat cubes don't stand out visually.
larry
Registered Member
 
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 7:14 pm
Location: NE U.S.

Mortadella update

Postby larry » Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:09 pm

After a disasterous half batch, which looked pretty, but had more than double the correct amount of salt, I finally got it right. I made a full batch with meat from miscellaneous chops that was a darker red than the loin meat. I modified the Charcuterie recipe by changing the main meat to fat mix ratio to 7 to 3, per the Italian standard. I also used the Kitchenaid mixer instead of a food processor. Everything else was per the recipe, except that instead of simmering it at 170F, I used the technique from Len Poli, and baked it at 170F. The color was correct, the taste was really good, and I didn't mess up on the salt this time. I toasted the coriander and peppercorns, and waited to grind the spices until just before they got tossed into the mix. The result was great flavor and aroma. The big downside is that the baking takes about five hours, and the cool down in an ice bath takes another two. Also, since my daughter likes bologna, but thinks the fat chunks in mortadella are totally gross, I split the mix into two batches, and only put the fat and pistachios in the mortadella half, and got a 14 oz. Bologna, and a 24 oz. mortadella.
larry
Registered Member
 
Posts: 108
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 7:14 pm
Location: NE U.S.

Postby wheels » Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:24 pm

I'm glad it worked out. I am a victim of the "nice but lose the lumps of fat" brigade also!

Phil
User avatar
wheels
Global Moderator
 
Posts: 12890
Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 4:29 pm
Location: Leicestershire, UK

Postby Y@t » Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:54 am

I posted these photos in the recipes category. I don't have pink color, but am not really worried about it. I used .03% #1 in it. I too used loin for the recipe.
James
<a href="http://s1122.photobucket.com/albums/l536/Papanaq/Charcuterie-%20Almost%20from%20the%20beginning/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_1877.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l536/Papanaq/Charcuterie-%20Almost%20from%20the%20beginning/IMG_1877.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Salad ain't food, salad feeds food!
-Anonymous-

I'm for real brah!
Y@t
Registered Member
 
Posts: 41
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 8:26 pm
Location: Durham, NC

Postby grisell » Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:49 am

I like that! :D
André

I have a simple taste - I'm always satisfied with the best.
grisell
Registered Member
 
Posts: 3171
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:17 pm
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Postby wheels » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:57 pm

Looking Good! :D :D :D

Maybe green peppercorns?

Phil
User avatar
wheels
Global Moderator
 
Posts: 12890
Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 4:29 pm
Location: Leicestershire, UK

Previous

Return to Sausage Making Techniques

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests

cron