Salami Use in Italy

A typical Italian family uses salami almost every day. We use it as an antipasto, we use it in sandwiches, we eat it with bread, we wrap it around bread sticks, we pair it with ripe fruits, we throw it in pasta salads, we serve it with hunks of parmigiano cheese, we serve it with salsas and mustards, we use it in pasts sauces and pasta al fornos, but the way we like it the best is all by itself. A good artisan salami is so rich with flavors and textures and sometimes you just don’t want to interfere with a good thing.

Salami Storage Temperature

Most Italians keep salami in the refrigerator. Salami doesn’t spoil, but the consistency and flavor can suffer if it gets too hot, say over 70°F. The ideal environment for salami is cool (about 55°F) and humid, but a refrigerator is a good back-up.

Peeling Salami

Before eating the salami, you will want to take off the outer casing. To peel, first cut off the tip of the salami with a small sharp knife. Then, score the outer casing longways down the salami and peel the outer casing off the portion of the salami you want to eat. If you have trouble peeling the casing, try getting a pointed knife or fingernail between the casing and the meat lifting the casing just slightly along the length of the score and then peel off the entire portion of casing in one pull.  The peeled portion can then be sliced and cubed as you desire. The remaining portion can be returned to the refrigerator, covering the exposed meat with plastic wrap.

Salami Storage

I recommend covering with plastic only the part of the salami that has been peeled when refrigerated to avoid condensation on the salami. Keeping it in a paper bag is another option. Salami will become more firm as it sits. If your salami is softer than you like, a few days uncovered (or in paper) in the refrigerator will make it more firm. If it has reached your desired firmness and you don’t mind some condensation, you may want to seal it in plastic to avoid further hardening.

Salami Serving Temperature

Finally, the robust flavor of the cured meat and the subtle flavors of the added spices come out most fully at room temperature. Before you serve your salami, give it twenty minutes at room temperature. Then, just enjoy.

Send Us Your Questions 

If you have any questions about how to enjoy your artisan salami please post them below or email me at cristiano@creminelli.com.

Cheers, Cristiano

P.S. We will have some original recipes coming soon on this blog.  In the meantime, here are some good ones we found on the Internet:

Salami Recipes from the Web

Here’s a Salami, Fontina and Roasted Bell Pepper Panini from our friends at William-Sonoma.  We recommend making it with our Felino salami: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=EC46BC54%2D9B10%2D44E9%2D9E2EAF3742A2393E

Here is Mario Batali’s Sauteed Salume with Polenta. We recommend either the Sopressata or Barolo salami in this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_16441,00.html