Coal Country Soupie, a Fermented and Dried Sausage

[DRBill]

Soupie is a coal country rendition of Italian Soppressata, a fermented and dried sausage, sliced and stored in sunflower oil "until the tomatoes are ready." It can be mild or as hot as you desire it to be. I have a recipe, if anyone is interested. It probably comes from the Middle Coal Field around Shamokin. I think the tradition used to be that one of the makers sent a sample to the new president in the White House.

I wrote the book, "The Alchemist's Book of Salami and Other Fermented Sausages." Industrial methods for the hobbyist to keep you out of trouble, but make it easy to do. Check out http://www.thealchemist.us Not sure if an "advertisement" is allowed on this site, so just contact me if you have an old time sausage recipe that you want to re-create at the website, http://www.thealchemist.us You can buy the book, if you so choose, as it gives a lot of information on making fermented sausages (think Salami). If you don't want to buy it, machts nichts aus (it doesn't matter). Just let me know what type of sausage you want to make and maybe I can help you out. NO CHARGE FOR THIS! I'm always interested in trying something new. Fresh Italian Sausage with lots of fennel? Got it. Hot Italian, which isn't all that hot.? Got it. Salami in its many renditions? Got it. German fermented sausages? Got it. I still have a number of the books to sell, but my main purpose is to find new recipes and help those who want to make there own sausage, safely. You don't need to buy the book, but if you have a recipe, or part of one, just let me know and maybe I can help you make it. Again, this is a for free offer. Absolutely no charge. Venison Jerky? Got it.

Bill

[Logs]

I sure would like to eat some of that sausage nothing like some dried meat and some good hard bread, a thick slab of extra sharp cheese and wash it down with an ice cold St Pauli Girl. If I knew where you were from I could possibly bring the beer.
All kidding aside , I make jerky in a smoker, but would be interested to know more about the fermented hot sausage. Maybe I'll buy your book.
Dave

[DRBill]

Hi Dave,

Soupie is rather easy to make, but you need to be set up to make fermented sausages. Basically, the ingredients are salt, Cure #2, pepper, paprika, cayenne, and glucose to support fermentation. You also need a bacterial starter culture to get the proper fermentation. I get all of my supplies from Butcher & Packer Supply Company in Detroit. I have seen recipes for Soupie that do not use a bacterial starter culture, but you run the risk of introducing wild bacteria that may produce toxins. None of the presentations on YouTube list ingredients, and glucose is an absolute necessity for fermentation. You will also need a grinder and sausage stuffer. Soupie is pretty lean, so you can do what a lot pf people do and just buy vacuum packed pork butts. I buy a sixty pound case a year, but I make many different types of sausage and sometimes I need to find a source for pork back fat for some of the recipes.

You mix all of the ingredients with the ground pork (1/4" grind is best) and fill beef rounds. Incubate at 76 F. for at least 48 hours; another day is even better. I made a temperature controlled incubator for this. If your smoker will hold that temperature, you are set to go. Otherwise, just turn the coal stove up and hang them in the kitchen. After fermenting, put the sausage between two sheets of freezer paper on two cookie sheets and weigh it down with a case of beer. Yuengling Chesterfield Ale or Premium beer works the best, as they are coal country brews. Leave 48 hours and then hang the sausages in the refrigerator to dry down hard. Then, you remove the casing and slice it and preserve it in sunflower oil. Yes, I know the old timers would have used olive oil, but it tends to get rancid when stored at room temperature in the light.

Where are you located? I think there are Soupie festivals held in coal country in the Spring. Check the Internet. I'm in Upper Dauphin County, PA. Buying the book is an option, as I have a whole bunch of fermented sausage recipes. Your choice, or just plug "Len Poli" into a search engine and be prepared to spend many hours on his website looking at fresh, cured and cooked, and fermented sausage recipes. If you have a specific sausage that you want to re-create from your youth, let me know.

Bill

[Daria]

I can’t find cure #2. Is there a substitute for this?

[Daria]

I answered my own question! Found it.

[coaledsweat]

I answered my own question! Found it.

Care to share it with us?

[freetown fred]

Yep, inquisitive minds are waiting--:)

[McGiever]

For one ...(pink) Tinted Salt or cure #2 is availible at Con Yeager Spice...not labled as #2, just as "Tinted"
You do NOT want their #813 for in these dry sausages as that is their version of a #1 pink cure.