Ventricina Vastese Marinade and Brine
Ventricina Vastese is a PGI-protected raw sausage from the Abruzzo region of Italy, distinguished from Ventricina Teramana by its very high meat content and minimal fat. The large pieces of meat are marinated with rosemary, fennel, and sweet and hot paprika, then sewn into pork stomachs or bladders. The long aging period of 4–6 months results in a sausage of extraordinary quality.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparing and Marinating Meat
1 hour + 48-72 hours marinatingCut the meat into 3–5 cm cubes. Divide the fat into similarly sized pieces. Stir all spices, curing salt, and olive oil into a paste. Evenly coat the meat and fat with the spice paste. Marinate in a sealed container for 48–72 hours at 4 °C, turning daily.
Filling and Sewing
1-2 hoursFill the prepared pork stomach or cleaned pork bladder firmly with the marinated meat pieces. Sew all openings with a thick needle and strong kitchen twine so that no air pockets remain. Rub the outside of the casing once more with a paprika-olive oil mixture.
Initial Drying
14 daysHang the filled sausages at 14–18 °C and 80–85% humidity. During the first two weeks, wipe daily with a clean cloth and check for cracks in the casing. Immediately rub small cracks with olive oil or resew.
Long-term Air Curing
106-166 daysHang the Ventricina at 10–14 °C and 70–75% humidity for a further 3.5–5 months. Monthly, rub the outer casing with a cloth lightly soaked in olive oil. The finished product is recognizable by a weight loss of 40–45% and an intensely red cross-section.
Pro Tip
The key to Ventricina Vastese is cutting the meat into large pieces – traditionally 3–5 cm cubes. No grinding, no pressing! The natural casing must be sewn with a needle and kitchen twine, not just tied off.
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