Mortadella di Bologna

The name mortadella originates from the Latin words myrtle (mirtatum) and mortar (mortario) and the sausage was made the same way in Italy for hundreds of years. This is not an American pre-packaged and sliced bologna product. It is an emulsified sausage with cubes of white fat, whole peppercorns and pistachio nuts. This sausage is the pride of the city of Bologna.

Meats Metric US
pork 700 g 1.54 lb.
jowls, bacon or fat trimmings 200 g 0.44 lb.
back fat (10-15%) 100 g 0.22 lb.
salt 18 g 3 tsp.
Cure #1 2.5 g ½ tsp.
white pepper 2.0 g 1 tsp.
whole peppercorns 4.0 g 1 tsp.
coriander 0.5 g ¼ tsp.

Ingredients per 1000g (1 kg) of meat

garlic powder 1.5 g ½ tsp.
anise 1.0 g ½ tsp.
mace 1.0 g ½ tsp.
caraway, ground 0.5 g ¼ tsp.
pistachios, whole 35 g ¼ cup
cold red wine 60 ml ¼ cup

Instructions

  1. Dice back fat into ¼” cubes for use as show meat.
  2. Grind all meats through ¼” (6 mm) plate, refreeze and grind again through ⅛” (3 mm) plate.
  3. Mix ground meats with all ingredients (except whole peppercorns and pistachios).
  4. Emulsify sausage mass in a food processor adding cold red wine.
  5. Mix emulsified meat paste with cubed fat, pistachios and whole peppercorns.
  6. Stuff into large diameter fibrous casings.
  7. Poach sausages in water at 176 °F, 80° C to an internal meat temperature of 152°F, 67° C.
  8. Cool and refrigerate.