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Meat from France

Saucisson secsaucisson sec

Pork lean and hard fat are minced, salted and stuffed into natural casing, rested cold, then warmed in a first drying (étuvage) of 3–8 days that starts the lactic fermentation and the surface bloom. A cooler second drying follows. In the Label Rouge specification the whole drying, from stuffing to the dryer exit, lasts at least 18 to 42 days by size.

Fully documentedMeat3.5 days – 13 days

Recipe

Saucisson sec, a photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: INRA DIST, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Amounts from a sourceMaximum doses in the Label Rouge specification LA 02/08 for dry saucisson and saucisse; ordinary saucisson follows the French charcuterie code of practice.
Pork lean and hard fatLabel Rouge requires mainly label rouge porc charcutier, with at most 30 % sow meat[lr0208]
SaltUp to 30 g per kg of mix[lr0208]
SugarsUp to 18 g per kg of mix[lr0208]
Spices, aromatics, wine, liqueur or spiritsUp to 5 g per kg of mix each[lr0208]
Startera selected surface bloom may be applied (Label Rouge specification)

Total time across the recorded steps: 3.5 days – 13 days

Start
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What changes: Pork lean and hard fat are minced

Step 1 of 5
Mince lean and fat
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
Kocuria

Output: minced pork.

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

Pork lean and hard fat are minced, salted and stuffed into natural casing, rested cold, then warmed in a first drying (étuvage) of 3–8 days that starts the lactic fermentation and the surface bloom. A cooler second drying follows. In the Label Rouge specification the whole drying, from stuffing to the dryer exit, lasts at least 18 to 42 days by size. Made in 5 steps over 3.5 days – 13 days. The longest step, first drying (étuvage), takes 3–8 days (Cahier des charges du label rouge n° LA 02/08…). Salt is up to 3 % (Cahier des charges du label rouge n° LA 02/08…). Lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus/Kocuria does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step3–8 daysSet[lr0208]First drying (étuvage)
Saltup to 3 %Set[lr0208]Mix with salt, sugar and spices

What makes this one different

Saucisson sec is the general French dry sausage; protected versions (Ardèche, Lacaune, Auvergne) add origin and size rules. Its two-stage drying, a warm étuvage then a cooler maturation, is set out in the Label Rouge specification.

Related ferments

Variants

  • RosetteSpindle-shaped casing (fuseau), at least 60 mm across; at least 28 or 42 days by weight.
  • JésusBag-shaped casing or caecum; at least 28 or 42 days by weight.
  • Saucisse sècheThin casing (menu), horseshoe, pole or straight; at least 18 days.

Safety

The Label Rouge specification checks dryness as moisture of the fat-free product (HPD), at most 52 % for pieces up to 70 mm across. In a study of nine small traditional French units, sausages from seven presented no health risk; sausages from two exceeded the maximum tolerable limit, one for S. aureus and one for L. monocytogenes. Surfaces in two units showed insufficient cleaning and disinfection. The figures here describe 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.

Hazards the sources name: Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes (each above the maximum tolerable limit in sausages from one of nine units; sausages from the other seven presented no health risk).

History and sources

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

History
The sources we found do not record its history.
  1. [wsu-sausage] Washington State University Extension, Homemade Meat, Poultry, and Game Sausages (EB1661)gov
  2. [lr0208] Cahier des charges du label rouge n° LA 02/08 'Saucisses et saucissons secs, recette à base principalement de porc charcutier', homologated by arrêté of 11 August 2017, Bulletin officiel du Ministère de l'agriculture n° 2017-36spec
  3. [lebert2007] Lebert I. et al. 2007, Diversity of microorganisms in the environment and dry fermented sausages of small traditional French processing units, Meat Science 76(1):112–122 (abstract)paper
  4. [talleu2009] Talleu C. et al. 2009, Allergic asthma due to sausage mould, Revue des maladies respiratoires 26(5):557–559 (abstract)paper