MYTHS ABOUT THE ‘NUTELLA’ OF SOUTH
Spicy spreadable ‘Nduja salami in Spilinga
WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
Curious about what is the ‘Nutella of South? A spicy,
spreadable sausage called ‘Nduja is often known as the ‘Nutella’ of the south
due to its spreadable consistency and popularity. ‘Nduja pronounced “an-du-ra”
or “an-du-ya” originates from a Calabrian village called Spilinga which is
located in the Calabrian province of Vibo Valentia. Its name most likely came
from the French word andouille. The French soldiers have brought
this type of sausage to southern Italy when they were defending the land
against the invasion of Spanish. The abundance of chillies in the region made
the rather unappetising French sausage into a pungent and palatable Calabrian
kick. It is made up of 50% pork fat which makes it so spreadable, 25% lean of
pork, 2% curing salt, 25% spicy Calabrian chilli peppers, peperoncini
calabrese which give ‘nduja chili heat and a distinctive red colour along
with some herbs and spices.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE ‘NDUJA?
Traditionally, ‘nduja is made with second and third
choice of cuts, like pork shoulder, thigh trimmings, fatty underbelly area and
parts of the head. All the parts are ground together using meat grinder and
then mixed with Calabrian chili pepper and nitrite curing salt which consists
of combination of 99.5% common salt and 0.5% sodium nitrite. All meat used must
be chilled for some time to reach its lowest pH values as the lean pork meat
should have a low pH of about 5.7-5.8. This lower pH values result in lower
water holding capacity (WHC), thus allowing for adequate release of water that
assists drying. The lean pork can be from older adult animals, as water content
and WHC of such meat is lower, which supports the necessary drying processes
during fermentation and ripening. Fresh chilled pork backfat is used as it is
firm, dry and remains stable without pronounced rancidity even after prolonged
ripening periods.
Spicy peperoncino
Source: http://www.theramblingepicure.com/nduja-the-spicy-and-spreadable-calabrian-treat/
WHAT
IS THE IMPORTANCE OF BACTERIA?
Bacterial starter cultures have a variety of functions
such as boosting acidity by producing lactic acid and intensifying the curing
colour. Besides, the cultures help to counteract rancidity of fats due to
enzymatic impacts development of flavour and taste. The texture of ripened
products can be improved by the formation of protein gel in sausage mixes. For
sausages with normal diameters of 35-70 mm, an even mixture of Lactobacillus and Staphylococcus can be used to achieve the product-typical flavour,
texture and taste.
WHAT
IS THE IMPORTANCE OF SALT AND CURING AGENT?
The addition of salt lowers the water activity (aw)
value of the mix by absorbing water, which presents an initial hurdle for
unwanted bacteria. Furthermore, in the presence of salt, salt-soluble proteins
are extracted from the small lean meat particles after grinding and chopping.
These solubilized or gelatinous proteins act like an adhesive between the
interfaces of lean meat and fat particles in the meat mix. The result is an
increasingly firm structure with progressive ripening and drying of the
products.
Salt is also used as a carrier for the curing agent,
normally sodium nitrite. This curing agent help in development of a typical red
cured meat colour and inhibit microbial growth. Moreover, it retards the
oxidative rancidity by stabilizing fats. For ‘Nduja with a slow decrease of pH
values and prolonged ripening periods, nitrate can also be used as a curing
substance.
Due to the acidification in meat after slaughter, the
pH of such meat mixes is always below 7, which means slightly acidic. The slow acidity
progress in such sausages allows the bacterial breakdown of nitrate to nitrite
and further reduction to nitrogen oxide, NO which combines with red meat
pigment, myoglobin to form a heat stable bright red compound, nitrosomyoglobin.
HOW IS IT PRODUCED?
‘Nduja is chopped coarsely with size approximately
6-12 mm. After the lean pork and pork fat are ground together with hot pepper
and curing salt using meat grinder, the paste is packed into the sausage
stuffer and stuffed into natural casings from pig intestine and secured with
hand-knotted hemp string as shown in Figure 2. The sausage mix must be stuffed
into the casings as firmly as possible to avoid air pockets as excessive air
inside the casing will discolour the meat and reduce the shelf life of the
sausage. The casings used for cured pork sausages must closely adhere to the
sausage mix not only after filling but also during the drying period when
sausages shrink. The casings used must be water vapour permeable to ensure
drying can take places.
DRYING/RIPENING
The freshly filled sausages are subjected to the
crucial part of the manufacturing process, namely fermentation, drying and
ripening. The sausages are transferred to drying/ripening chamber to allow
moisture release from the sausages and to initiate the fermentation processes
which provide proper growth conditions for the fermentation bacteria. During
ripening the temperature is maintained <16°C at a relative humidity of 75 to
78%. These physical parameters are applied to ensure controlled bacterial fermentation
resulting in lowering of pH to 4.9 – 5.4 and controlled gradual dehydration
resulting in finished products with moisture content as low as 30%.
The sausages are slightly smoked at temperatures below
22 °C by burning false acacia and olive wood for several hours. This can
inhibit the microbial growth and contribute to flavour and taste. Once smoked,
the sausages are left to cure in
ripening room where the temperature ranged from 10 to 12 °C for
at least three months according to the size of the salami and bacterial
cultures. The curing process must take place in a dry, fresh and perfectly
hygienic place.
Aging the ‘nduja
in ripening room
Source: http://www.theramblingepicure.com/nduja-the-spicy-and-spreadable-calabrian-treat/
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WITH 'NDUJA?
Nowadays, ‘nduja has become increasingly well known
around the world but it remains a specialty item not found in many grocery
stores. As well as being sold in the traditional sausage casing, it also comes
packed in jars. Many chefs use a dollop as a secret ingredient to give that
mysterious punch to a dish.. This is one of those Italian foods that is
arguably best from its place of origin. It is simply sublime when spread on hot
toasted bread or used as a topping for pizza or pasta.
‘Nduja packed in jar
‘Nduja spread on toasted bread
Spread of ‘Nduja on pasta
References
- Dellaglio,S., Casiraghi,E. & Pompei,C. (1996): Chemical, physical and sensory attributes for the characterization of an Italian dry-cured sausage. Meat Sci., 42, 25–35.
- Heinz, G., & Hautzinger, P. (2007). Meat processing technology for small-to-medium scale producers. Bangkok, Thailand: Rap Publication.
- Oliviero, E., Finazzi,G., Daminelli, P., Monastero, P. and Boni, P. 2011. Dynamics of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157: H7 during the production of ‘Nduja. Italian J. Food Saf. 1, 141–144.
- Romeo, F., Runcio, A., Piscopo, A., Iaccarino, T., Mincione, A., & Poliana, M. (2014). Acta Alimentaria . Characteristization of Four Typical Calabrian Cured Meat Products:Spicy Sausage,Soppressata,'Nduja And Capocollo, 43(4), 1-10. doi:10.1556/AAlim.2013.0006
- Sanz,Y., Vila,R., Toldra,F., Nieto,P. & Flores,J.(1997): Effect of nitrate and nitrite curing salts on microbial changes and sensory quality of rapid ripened sausages. Int. J. Fd Microbiol., 37, 225–229.
- Zanardi,E., Ghidin,S., Conter,M & Ianieri,A. (2010): Mineral composition of Italian salami and effect of NaCl partial replacement on compositional, physico-chemical and sensory parameters. Meat Sci., 86, 742–747.
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