Saucisson Sec (French Dry Sausage)

Name: Saucisson Sec
Total time: P4W
Ingredients: 750 g Schweineschulter oder Keule; 250 g Schweinerückenspeck (gut gekühlt); 27 g Nitritpökelsalz (NPS 0,5%); 3 g Schwarzer Pfeffer, grob gemahlen; 1.5 g Knoblauch, granuliert; 20 ml Roter Wein (trocken); 2 g Zucker; 0.5 g Starterkulturen

Curing MixPorkCold SmokingMedium4-8 weeks15-18 °CBeech + Cherry

Saucisson Sec is the classic French dry sausage with a coarse meat texture and mild, nutty flavor. It is traditionally filled into large caliber pork casings and ripened for weeks. White noble mold on the surface is typical and contributes to the flavor.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Pork shoulder or leg750 g

Pork back fat (well chilled)250 g

Curing salt (NPS 0.5%)27 g

Black pepper, coarsely ground3 g

Garlic, granulated1.5 g

Dry red wine20 ml

Sugar2 g

Starter cultures0.5 g

Instructions

Preparation & Filling

1-2 hours

Chill meat well and grind through a 10 mm plate. Dice fat to 8 mm and briefly freeze. Work in all ingredients including wine and knead for 10 minutes. Fill into pork blind-end casings (Ø 60-70 mm) and tie securely. Lightly prick sausages with a needle to remove air pockets.

Color Curing

48 hours

Hang at 22-24 °C and 85-90% humidity. Starter cultures activate, pH drops and color curing takes place. The surface should be slightly dry and evenly red-pink colored.

Cold Smoking

1-2 smoking sessions of 6-8 hours each

Cold smoke with beech and cherry at max. 18 °C. Cherry smoke provides a fruity, mild note. The saucisson sec should only be lightly smoked – the goal is a golden-yellow to light brown surface, not a strong smoke flavor.

Ripening with Noble Mold

4-8 weeks

Ripen at 12-14 °C and 78-85% humidity. Apply white noble mold (Penicillium nalgiovense) by spraying or allow natural colonization. At 25-30% weight loss, the saucisson is ready. The sausage should be evenly firm and fragrant.

Pro Tip

For the typical white noble mold, spray the surface with a Penicillium nalgiovense solution after the first smoking day, or briefly dip the sausages in a diluted mold culture solution. Air circulation in the ripening room should be moderate.

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