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Meat from France

Saucisson de Lacaune / Saucisse de Lacaune IGPSaucisson de Lacaune

Saucisson de Lacaune is a lean dry pork sausage from the Monts de Lacaune in the Tarn. Coarsely minced pork with salt, pepper and nutmeg is stuffed into natural casings, warmed to 18 °C or more for its fermentation and then dried in mountain air, for 10 to 45 days in all depending on size.

Fully documentedMeat2 days – 5 days

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe specification sets upper limits for salt and spice and the lean share, not a fixed recipe.
Lean porkat least 80 % (saucisson) or 70 % (saucisse)At least 30 % of the lean is matured meat from sows and boars over 120 kg carcass weight[eu-lacaune-2015]
Back fat (belly fat also allowed in the saucisse)[eu-lacaune-2015]
Saltat most 35 g/kg of mix[cdc-lacaune-2017]
Pepper and nutmegat most 6 g/kg of mix[cdc-lacaune-2017]
Potassium nitrate, lactic cultures, sugars, surface floraOptional[cdc-lacaune-2017]
Starterlactic cultures and a surface flora are permitted additions (optional)

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 days – 5 days

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
0–4 °C

What changes: Starting material: chilled lean pork and back fat

Step 1 of 5
Select and chill the cuts
Time
Not documented
Temperature
0–4 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Frozen meat and fat may be kept at –18 °C or lower for no more than four months.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Saucisson de Lacaune is a lean dry pork sausage from the Monts de Lacaune in the Tarn. Coarsely minced pork with salt, pepper and nutmeg is stuffed into natural casings, warmed to 18 °C or more for its fermentation and then dried in mountain air, for 10 to 45 days in all depending on size. Made in 5 steps over 2 days – 5 days. The longest step, drain, pre-dry and warm (étuvage), takes 2–5 days (Ministère de l'agriculture 2017) and runs at at least 18 °C (Ministère de l'agriculture 2017). Salt is up to 3.5 % (Ministère de l'agriculture 2017).

Key numbers
Main step2–5 daysSet[cdc-lacaune-2017]Drain, pre-dry and warm (étuvage)
Temperatureat least 18 °CSet[cdc-lacaune-2017]Drain, pre-dry and warm (étuvage)
Saltup to 3.5 %Set[cdc-lacaune-2017]Mince coarsely and season
AciditypH at least 5Set[eu-lacaune-2015]Dry in mountain air

What makes this one different

Lacaune sausage is very lean (at least 80 % lean in the saucisson) and lightly seasoned with only salt, pepper and nutmeg. Its pH must stay at or above 5.0 or 5.2, depending on weight.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Saucisse de LacauneA thinner sausage with at least 70 % lean; curved, straight or wound on a stick; at least 10 days of making time.

Safety

The specification caps salt at 35 g/kg and moisture on a fat-free basis at 52 % (56 % for wide salamis). Fresh meat is minced within 6 days of slaughter. These are figures for controlled production, not a home method. Washington State University Extension does not recommend making dry sausage at home, because S. aureus toxin can form if fermentation is not rigidly controlled.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Lacaune's meat trade goes back to the medieval mazeliers, butchers who by the 15th century specialised in pork. Entered in the EU register as a PGI by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2178 of 25 November 2015.

Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [wsu-sausage] Washington State University Extension, Homemade Meat, Poultry, and Game Sausages (EB1661)gov
  2. [eu-lacaune-2015] European Commission 2015, Publication of an application, Saucisson de Lacaune / Saucisse de Lacaune PGI, single document, Official Journal C 142, 29.4.2015 (CELEX 52015XC0429(04)), read via the EU Publications Office cellarspec
  3. [eu-lacaune-2017] European Commission 2017, Application for approval of a minor amendment, Saucisson de Lacaune / Saucisse de Lacaune PGI (PGI-FR-02301), with single document, Official Journal C 214, 4.7.2017 (CELEX 52017XC0704(04))spec
  4. [cdc-lacaune-2017] Ministère de l'agriculture 2017, Cahier des charges de l'IGP Saucisson de Lacaune / Saucisse de Lacaune, approved by the arrêté of 22 February 2017, Bulletin officiel du Ministère de l'agriculture n° 2017-10spec
  5. [eu-reg-2015-2178] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2178 of 25 November 2015 entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Saucisson de Lacaune/Saucisse de Lacaune (PGI)), Official Journal L 309, 26.11.2015spec