On October 19 and 20 I will have the pleasure of participating in the celebrations for the twentieth anniversary of ONAS (National Organization of Cured Meat Tasters), an association I have been a member of for only a few months (as a cured meat tasting technician) but which has already given me so much in terms of training and tasting experiences. During the celebrations, various social activities are planned, including the pairing of cured meats with craft beers, an event that will take place at a famous Piedmontese brewery. But this experience will be told in due time. Actually, with this article I would like to address the topic of tasting and recognizing quality cured meats and in particular the queen of Sardinian charcuterie, namely sausage. Sardinian sausage, also called sartizzu, is considered the Sardinian cured meat par excellence, produced throughout the Sardinian territory and has the typical horseshoe shape. This product has very ancient traditions and can be sold fresh, aged, and smoked. The lean meats, combined with lard from large pigs (unfortunately not always of Sardinian breed due to the long-standing problem, now being resolved, of "swine fever"), are cut by hand into rather large pieces, seasoned with salt, pepper, fennel, natural aromas, and stuffed into natural casings washed with vinegar and wine. It is tied into coils of 40-50 cm bent into a horseshoe shape which, at the end of the 30/40 day aging period, have an average weight of 400 g and a diameter of about 3.5 cm. It can be smoked with aromatic woods (for example with myrtle). But what are the elements that allow us to distinguish a good product from a mediocre one when shopping at the delicatessen? First of all, you need to examine the external appearance of the cured meat, as much as possible, even though this operation is difficult if the cured meat is vacuum-packed. Usually, positive aspects are the tying with string (which usually indicates an artisanally produced sausage) and a moderately firm consistency to the touch, indicating a correct aging period (so the sausage should not be soft, as in that case it is sold prematurely). If you have the chance to taste before buying, you should examine the appearance of the slice.
Among the positive aspects we should have the color of the meat, which ranges from bright red to moderately dark red; the color of the lard (which should be evenly distributed) should be white or white/pink; there should be no holes and the "peelability" (that is, the ease of removing the casing that encloses the sausage) should be good. The slice as a whole should appear whole and compact, but with the right melt-in-the-mouth texture. An important and often underestimated part in choosing a good product is the evaluation of the aromas and their intensity. This analysis will not be possible in the case of cured meats purchased in trays or vacuum-packed. Positive aspects are the smell of aged meat and spices, which, however, must be used in a balanced way to enhance and not cover the aroma of the meat. In Sardinian sausage, the aromas that will be perceived most intensely are those of garlic, pepper, fennel seeds or wild fennel, and in some cases wine. Once the visual and olfactory analysis is completed (all of which takes place in a few seconds), you can move on to tasting the delicious cured meat. In this phase, you should pay attention to both the taste and the structure and chewiness. Sardinian sausage should not have an acidic or bitter tendency, but should definitely have a savory (not salty) flavor, which may be more or less intense depending on the area of origin and the recipe used. In the mouth, the slice should not be dry or hard, pasty or excessively melt-in-the-mouth, but should be chewed and swallowed easily. Therefore, a reduced presence of gristle or tendons is desirable (these are what make chewing difficult and cause that annoying residue between the teeth). Another important and not negligible detail in choosing a sausage, especially if you intend to export it outside Sardinia to perhaps give it as a gift to friends and relatives, is the presence of a label on the package (always check for its presence): OVAL LABEL: in this case the product can be taken outside Sardinia as it is a sausage made with meat not from Sardinian farms and slaughtered in authorized slaughterhouses. RECTANGULAR LABEL: the product cannot be taken outside Sardinia and can only be consumed within the regional territory as it is made with Sardinian meat and slaughtered in authorized slaughterhouses.
