Our Process

It takes four people, two weeks, and lots of patience to select and butcher the meat in a way that we feel honors the animal and Italian traditions.

Five pigs yields 2 whole muscles of each type (prosciutto = cured leg , pancetta = cured belly, coppa = cured boston butt, lonzino = cured loin and guanciale = cured cheek) and 200 lbs of salame meat (coming shoulders and legs), which becomes 110 lbs of salami when cured and dried.

Each individual muscle is separated and “cleaned” from tendons, silver skin and collagen.

For the salami, in addition, we have to select the back fat, a thin layer under the skin that holds all of the animals flavors and has the perfect consistency and characteristics for curing. We could simplify and reduce costs by putting entire muscles in the grinding machine, but we take pride in our meticulous and careful process.

Whole muscles after being selected go into the curing process, which consists of adding salt and spices and a “resting phase” at low temp, generally a week or 10 days.

Lean and fat go into a grinding machine and gets reduced to small particles before being mixed. Unlike larger industries, our mixing is still done by hand which takes 20 to 30 minutes for a batch of 60 lbs. In this phase, we achieve the best distribution of fat, curing/spice mix and wine in our product. We also conduct quality checks and scrupulously inspect the meat again.

We use only natural casing to stuff our cured meats. Whole muscles are stuffed in big casings while salami go through a stuffer machine and a smaller diameter casing. The natural casing is vital for two reasons:

1. It creates a better connection with the meat.
2. It is traditional. The craft-based nature of our meats is not based on shape, but rather taste. This is especially true for our salami as each casing comes in different size and shape.

What machines process in 30 minutes, four of us can complete in 8 hours. Our stuffing is done by hand so each salami is slightly different than the next. By handling each salami, we can control the internal pressure of the meat which is a variable that can affect the texture and the proper aging of the product.

During this step we create the borders between one salami and the next while for whole muscles is essential to hold their shape and allow the water to come out more easily.

Tying with twine is an artistic tradition that allows us to be deliberate with our creations. Tying requires skills, patience, and concentration and is an essential aspect to preserving traditions and bringing you a product that is authentic and true.

Twine can even be seen in our logo.

Biology and technology are part of the last step, where the real magic happens. There are three phases and a multitude of variables. While the phases differ from each other, they all need one main thing: PATIENCE!

1. Fermentation (salami only): The temperature is raised to around 70F to allow the good bacteria (lactobacilli and micrococci) to become active and munch on all the natural and added sugars. By doing this, they reduce the pH, and allow the product to be safe for consumption.
2. Drying: The product needs to lose water to become shelf stable. During this phase, the texture and consistency of the salame and whole muscles are created. The water gets pulled out of the lean part of the meat, through an intricate web of fat particles, which are hydrophobic. Our task in this phase is to make sure that the water leaves the meat gently, as fast drying generates cured meats that are “chewy” and “gummy”. We strive for products that have a soft and fresh texture.
3. Aging: The water continues to leave the product, but much more slowly until it meets the USDA criteria and it's safe for consumption. During this phase, new flavors and aromas get created as the proteins/fat loose their original structure and the product becomes more tender. The more it ages and more flavor and aroma profiles come out, giving our salumi more complexity. We take pride in our long aging as we believe this brings you a better product!

Once your cured meat arrives, it will continue to age and its flavor will vary and absorb scents in the environment. Be careful where you choose to store it! See our blog to learn tips on how to store it, preserve it, and how quickly you should consume it.