Pepperoni Sticks – Italian Style

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Servings: 6 Difficulty: Advanced
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Homemade cured and smoked pepperoni with bold Italian spices and a firm, savory texture
Pepperoni Sticks - Italian Style recipe image
Pepperoni Sticks - Italian Style recipe image
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Pepperoni Sticks – Italian Style

Author: chefs-mate Cooking Method: Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Advanced
Servings: 6 Calories: 756.8

Description

This traditional Italian-style pepperoni recipe captures the authentic flavor of artisanal salami. By curing a blend of beef and pork with salt, sugar, and curing salts, then seasoning with ground hot red pepper, allspice, and anise, you create a deeply savory and slightly spicy sausage. The process involves grinding, stuffing, smoking, and drying to develop a firm texture and concentrated taste. Ideal for slicing thinly over pizzas, in charcuterie boards, or for sandwiches, these pepperoni sticks offer a superior alternative to store-bought versions. While the process requires patience and precise temperature control, the result is a rich, satisfying treat that showcases the true essence of Italian cured meats.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Grind all meats through a 3/16" grinder plate.
  2. Transfer ground meat to a mixer and add salt, sugar, cure, ground hot red pepper, allspice, ground anise seed, and ice water.
  3. Mix thoroughly until ingredients are evenly distributed.
  4. Regrind the mixture through a 1/8" grinder plate.
  5. Ensure the meat mixture is well chilled to prevent smearing during stuffing.
  6. Stuff the mixture into 24 to 26 mm lamb casings.
  7. Preheat smokehouse to 125&# 194;°F and place pepperoni inside.
  8. Keep dampers wide open without smoke until casings are dry.
  9. Close dampers to 1/4 open and apply heavy smoke, raising temperature to 140ðF.
  10. Hold at 140ðF until internal temperature reaches 130ðF.
  11. If using pork, raise temperature to 150ðF and hold until internal temperature reaches 138ðF.
  12. Remove from smokehouse and chill with cold tap water until internal temperature drops to 105ðFâÂÂ110ðF.
  13. Return to cold smokehouse at 110ðF and apply heavy smoke for at least 12 hours or overnight, leaving dampers 1/4 open.
  14. Transfer to a drying room kept at 60ðFâÂÂ65ðF with 70% relative humidity.
  15. Dry for 3 to 4 days, or until weight loss reaches 45%âÂÂ50% of original product weight.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 6

Amount Per Serving
Calories 756.8kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16.4g26%
Saturated Fat 4.5g23%
Cholesterol 100.0mg34%
Sodium 1549360.8mg64557%
Total Carbohydrate 128.5g43%
Dietary Fiber 1.2g5%
Sugars 127.1g
Protein 26.8g54%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: pepperoni, italian, sausage, cured, smoked, beef, pork, salami, charcuterie, spicy, homemade, anise, allspice, curing, drying, casings, meat, preservation
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