The Chef Cooks at Home: Easy Charcuterie

A favorite salumi that we always keep on hand is soppressata, a boldly spiced dry-cured meat. When making our own, we usually use crushed red pepper, clove, allspice, and ground ginger. We cure our salumi for 90 days on average; proper handling and the right amount of curing salts are vital to success (we happen to use Hereford pigs freshly slaughtered by our friend at Palmetto Creek Farms, in Avon Park, Florida, because of the meat's superior marbling).