How to Make 'Nduja Calabrese: Italy's Spreadable Spicy Salami

At least 2 hours before you start (ideally the night before): cube the fatback, shoulder, and belly into pieces that fit your grinder. Spread on a tray and freeze until firm but not solid. Freeze the grinder bowl, plates, and auger alongside them.

Run the cold pork through a medium-coarse plate (6–8 mm) directly into a chilled bowl. Work quickly. If the fat starts to smear — looking greasy rather than cleanly cut — stop immediately and rechill the meat and equipment for 30 minutes before continuing.

Add the ground peperoncino, pimentón, sea salt, and Cure #2 to the bowl. Mix by hand for 3–4 minutes until the spices are completely evenly distributed and the mixture is a saturated red-orange throughout. A pale pink mixture means not enough pepper — add more.

Add the red wine and mix for another minute. The mixture should be sticky and dense, not wet.

Fry a small test patty in a dry pan over medium heat and taste for salt and heat. Adjust the raw mixture if needed. Keep in mind: the cure will intensify both.

Soak the hog middle casings in cold water for 30 minutes, then rinse the insides under running water. Stuff the casings firmly, pressing out air pockets as you go. Prick any air bubbles with a sterilized needle. Tie off into links of 200–250 g each with butcher's twine.

Optional cold smoke: hang the stuffed 'nduja in a cold smoker with chestnut or oak chips for 1–2 hours. Keep the temperature strictly below 25°C — above that the fat renders out.

Hang in a curing chamber at 12–15°C and 75–80% relative humidity for the first two weeks. A white-grey mold bloom on the casing is normal and protective. If you see black or green patches, wipe them off with a cloth dampened in red wine vinegar.

After two weeks, drop the temperature to 10–12°C for the remaining cure. Total hang time: 60–75 days minimum. Squeeze the links periodically — they should feel firm but still slightly yielding at the centre.

The 'nduja is ready when the casing is deeply wrinkled, the interior paste is a brick-red throughout, and a squeezed portion holds its shape before softening. Serve spread on grilled bread with fresh ricotta, or melt a spoonful directly into a hot pan as the base for pasta sauce.