At its core, making salami is all about high quality meat, time, salt, and fermentation. The process of curing and drying salami intensifies the existing flavors and qualities of the meat, which is why I believe wild game is the perfect protein for salami. Wild game has a depth of flavor that is unmatched by domestic meats.

Making salami is simple, yet specialized. The easiest way to describe the process goes like this: grind, season, inoculate with a culture, stuff, incubate, and dry.

If you process your own game, you probably have a lot of the necessary equipment for making salami. In addition to a meat grinder and sausage stuffer, you'll also need a curing chamber or room. This is nothing more than a clean environment that houses the correct temperature and humidity for curing salami. A refrigerator with extra temperature and humidity controls is ideal, but a cellar or similar space could also work if the temperature and humidity are consistent. You want the temperature to be 52 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity at around 75%.

If you’re planning on using a cellar or closet space for this, keep in mind that seasonal shifts in temperature and humidity can affect your curing environment. A basement that has ideal conditions in January might be too warm for curing in July. You can get this information and ensure your curing space is suitable by using a thermometer and hygrometer.

You'll also need starter cultures which will kick-start the fermentation process. Many specialty food retailers sell them online. Some starter cultures need a warm environment to get going initially. This stage, known as incubation, usually requires higher heat and humidity than what you might have in your curing chamber. You may want to assemble a small incubation chamber if you don’t have the right conditions for incubation in your home.

Instacure #2 (prague powder #2) is a requirement, as is the use of dextrose, and there are no acceptable substitutes from a food safety standpoint. You need the long term effects of the sodium nitrate in the Instacure, and the starter culture will only react with certain types of sugar. Both the starter culture and the Instacure work together to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria like Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is a serious and potentially fatal disease, although rare if best practices are followed. For this reason, the amount of salt, dextrose, and cure are extremely important. To ensure consistency and accuracy of measurement, salami recipes are best measured by weight instead of volume.

As for selecting meat for salami, I recommend using roasts or large pieces of trim, free of excessive connective tissue. Proper field care and storage is paramount for the meat prior to making your salami. The quality of the meat will only be compounded by the curing process, and any off-flavors will be amplified.

This recipe is a classic fennel salami, minimal on the aromatics. The fennel and garlic compliment the venison, but the meat is the star of the show.

At its core, making salami is all about high quality meat, time, salt, and fermentation. The process of curing and drying salami intensifies the existing flavors and qualities of the meat, which is why I believe wild game is the perfect protein for salami. Wild game has a depth of flavor that is unmatched by domestic meats.

Making salami is simple, yet specialized. The easiest way to describe the process goes like this: grind, season, inoculate with a culture, stuff, incubate, and dry.

If you process your own game, you probably have a lot of the necessary equipment for making salami. In addition to a meat grinder and sausage stuffer, you'll also need a curing chamber or room. This is nothing more than a clean environment that houses the correct temperature and humidity for curing salami. A refrigerator with extra temperature and humidity controls is ideal, but a cellar or similar space could also work if the temperature and humidity are consistent. You want the temperature to be 52 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity at around 75%.

If you’re planning on using a cellar or closet space for this, keep in mind that seasonal shifts in temperature and humidity can affect your curing environment. A basement that has ideal conditions in January might be too warm for curing in July. You can get this information and ensure your curing space is suitable by using a thermometer and hygrometer.

You'll also need starter cultures which will kick-start the fermentation process. Many specialty food retailers sell them online. Some starter cultures need a warm environment to get going initially. This stage, known as incubation, usually requires higher heat and humidity than what you might have in your curing chamber. You may want to assemble a small incubation chamber if you don’t have the right conditions for incubation in your home.

Instacure #2 (prague powder #2) is a requirement, as is the use of dextrose, and there are no acceptable substitutes from a food safety standpoint. You need the long term effects of the sodium nitrate in the Instacure, and the starter culture will only react with certain types of sugar. Both the starter culture and the Instacure work together to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria like Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is a serious and potentially fatal disease, although rare if best practices are followed. For this reason, the amount of salt, dextrose, and cure are extremely important. To ensure consistency and accuracy of measurement, salami recipes are best measured by weight instead of volume.

As for selecting meat for salami, I recommend using roasts or large pieces of trim, free of excessive connective tissue. Proper field care and storage is paramount for the meat prior to making your salami. The quality of the meat will only be compounded by the curing process, and any off-flavors will be amplified.

This recipe is a classic fennel salami, minimal on the aromatics. The fennel and garlic compliment the venison, but the meat is the star of the show.

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"I use my Staub dutch oven more than any other cookware during the winter for creating delicious braised wild game recipes." - Danielle Prewett

The definitive guide to cooking wild game, including fish and fowl, featuring more than 100 new recipes.

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Sweetness is a powerful thing. If you've ever seen the eyes of a young child go wide with their first taste of sugar, then you know the face of someone absolutely gripped with pleasure. This first taste is likely the beginning of a lifelong love affair that most people never tire of. The conundrum then becomes how to keep our sweet tooth sated without treating ourselves to an early grave. I don’t think there's an easy answer here, but I do think...

Do you struggle to get venison shanks to fall off the bone? Or wonder why a pot roast comes out tender but still dry? Cooking tough cuts from wild game presents many challenges, but with the right knowledge you can transform any hard-working muscle into an amazing meal. The most effective cooking technique to achieve this result is braising. Braising is a two-step process using dry and wet heat. It seems simple: Sear the meat in a hot pan then...

At its core, making salami is all about high quality meat, time, salt, and fermentation. The process of curing and drying salami intensifies the existing flavors and qualities of the meat, which is why I believe wild game is the perfect protein for salami. Wild game has a depth of flavor that is unmatched by domestic meats.

Making salami is simple, yet specialized. The easiest way to describe the process goes like this: grind, season, inoculate with a culture, stuff, incubate, and dry.

If you process your own game, you probably have a lot of the necessary equipment for making salami. In addition to a meat grinder and sausage stuffer, you'll also need a curing chamber or room. This is nothing more than a clean environment that houses the correct temperature and humidity for curing salami. A refrigerator with extra temperature and humidity controls is ideal, but a cellar or similar space could also work if the temperature and humidity are consistent. You want the temperature to be 52 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity at around 75%.

If you’re planning on using a cellar or closet space for this, keep in mind that seasonal shifts in temperature and humidity can affect your curing environment. A basement that has ideal conditions in January might be too warm for curing in July. You can get this information and ensure your curing space is suitable by using a thermometer and hygrometer.

You'll also need starter cultures which will kick-start the fermentation process. Many specialty food retailers sell them online. Some starter cultures need a warm environment to get going initially. This stage, known as incubation, usually requires higher heat and humidity than what you might have in your curing chamber. You may want to assemble a small incubation chamber if you don’t have the right conditions for incubation in your home.

Instacure #2 (prague powder #2) is a requirement, as is the use of dextrose, and there are no acceptable substitutes from a food safety standpoint. You need the long term effects of the sodium nitrate in the Instacure, and the starter culture will only react with certain types of sugar. Both the starter culture and the Instacure work together to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria like Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is a serious and potentially fatal disease, although rare if best practices are followed. For this reason, the amount of salt, dextrose, and cure are extremely important. To ensure consistency and accuracy of measurement, salami recipes are best measured by weight instead of volume.

As for selecting meat for salami, I recommend using roasts or large pieces of trim, free of excessive connective tissue. Proper field care and storage is paramount for the meat prior to making your salami. The quality of the meat will only be compounded by the curing process, and any off-flavors will be amplified.

This recipe is a classic fennel salami, minimal on the aromatics. The fennel and garlic compliment the venison, but the meat is the star of the show.