Our Tail

George Rice, Serious Pig’s ‘Boss Hog’, enjoys all things pork – he always has!

Back in 2008 George conceived the idea for a top-notch British snacking salami while visiting the famous ‘Hall of Great Ideas’, the pub.

Faced with a savoury urge one evening, the selection behind the bar was predictable and uninspiring. It was time for a change thought George. Those thoughts soon turned towards pork, and in particular salami. Not too long after, and with a little help from his friends and some salami experts, Serious Pig Snacking Salami was born and the rest, so they say, is history.

“Now we’re up and running it’s serious stuff. We’re sticking to our guns of course and keeping quality as our priority. We’re also a business with a genuine interest in animal welfare which is why our meat is always free range.

“Making salami is very tricky. In short, you get out what you put in, both in terms of ingredients and skills. That’s why we’ve been working with literally the best in the business to get our salami absolutely right.

“I love salami, that’s why I began Serious Pig and it’s a pleasure to be to producing charcuterie here in the UK that rivals the best you’ll find on the continent.

“It’s such an exciting time for quality British produce right now and you never know, we might be sending salami back to our European friends in a few years time!”

Serious Pig’s Guide to Expert Charcuterie…

When making genuine salami what are the critical points during the production process that make the difference between an average product and a great one?

The ‘knowhow’ for making great salami is a closely guarded secret but key to the process are correct temperatures and humidity. Getting this right is essential to create the taste ‘tang’ associated with great charcuterie. The salami ‘tang’ only comes from the correct fermentation and drying, and achieving this is down to the expertise of the charcutiers.

What is different about British charcuterie production compared to that of European and what makes a great product?

British charcuterie is still in its infancy which is actually an advantage to us. We’re not held back by tradition and out-dated practises, and as a result there are a few subtle differences to notice. Less salt is required nowadays than in the past when microbiology was not fully understood. Charcuterie is a highly technical craft and understanding the chemistry at a molecular level helps us to use the exact amount of ingredients to deliver the best flavours.

How long does it take to make salami?

The time it takes is effectively based on the gage or width of the salami. The fatter the salami the longer it takes. Our snacking salami is a very narrow gage so with a modern air-drying room it only takes about 9 or 10 days to get an evenly dried product but still with a little desired ‘springiness’ to it.

And how do you make it?

Because making salami is a bit of a dark art it’s more than my life’s worth to reveal all the secrets! Essentially you’re making a sausage and drying it but there are some key stages in between. You’ve got to ferment the sausage to create the all important ‘tang’ then you have to let the sausage dry and mature to become salami. This is the stage where the flavour develops further and you sometimes grow a bloom on the surface, it’s not too dissimilar to making a mature cheese.

How important is the breed / quality of the pig / pork to the final salami?

The quality of meat is important but don’t forget salami, like sausages, was always a way to use up the trim meat left over after a pig has been butchered. You could use any cut of the pig if you like but what’s key is the amount of fat. Pork fat has so much taste and without a good portion of fat salami loses its flavour and texture. At Serious Pig we take meat from a variety of different breeds depending on what farmers have available, but we only use the best free range pork for our charcuterie for welfare reasons.

What are the main spices in classic salami?

The cornerstone to salami is generally ground white pepper and garlic. These two ingredients help to create the distinctive flavour which we all recognise but beyond this there are really no rules. Each country and region has their own mix of herbs and spices to deliver variations of taste but almost all will have at their heart some pepper and garlic. Our Classic Snacking Salami has black peppercorns as its signature flavour, while the Spiced variety uses sweet paprika and chilli flakes.