Artisan Italian Salumi
Course Description
Artisan Italian Salumi is an intensive, full-immersion, hands-on culinary course that focuses on the ancient craft of regional Italian salumi making. Being an introductory food transformation and preservation study program designed for professionals and non-professionals, Artisan Italian Salumi goes deep into the subject and covers all aspects of meat transformation and conserving. The course's objectives are understanding basic science principles of meat transformation, ranging through the whole production process in detail, and enjoying some of the final products.
We spend a total of 05 days in our laboratory, intensively working and learning together for over 35+ hours. ACS provides a study method allowing innovation and evolution based on tradition, solid technical principles, and scientific knowledge.
Along with the theory lessons and during the hands-on sessions, the school pledges to enhance your learning process by adding raw product tastings and cooking demos. Our facilities provide an ideal environment for learning traditional formulas, practicing fundamental techniques, and developing your own salumi.
While we focus on salumi techniques and formulas, our chefs cater lunches and dinners inspired by the Italian cucina povera and farm animals. Using some of the products made during the lessons, you can learn how to integrate them into menus.
« Nella vita, come in cucina, il problema
non sono gli ingredienti ma le dosi.»
- Fabrizio Caramagna
Course available dates
November
2023
From November 26th to December 2nd
November
2024
From November 24th to November 30th
Course objectives
- 5Understand basic concepts about the Italian salumi culture.
- 5Learn basic science concepts of salumi making.
- 5Learn how to butcher a whole pig Italian style, the Modena cut.
- 5Learn how to select specific cuts of meat to make different salumi.
- 5Learn how to make whole muscle salumi, ground meat salumi, and cooked salumi products.
- 5Learn how to select and use ingredients, additives, spices and flavorings for salumi making.
- 5Learn about truths and myths about food preservatives.
- 5Learn how to select and use natural, synthetic, and artificial casings.
- 5Learn how to tie traditional salumi knots, how to use elastic nets and net applicators.
- 5Learn how to set up your salumi producing laboratory, drying and fermenting chambers, and aging cellar.
- During the course, you will also:
- 5Receive a complete course manual, printed and in pdf
- 5Receive ACS Notepad and pens, along with a Custom ACS work shirt, apron, and a hat
- 5Taste over 40 Italian salumi products, and we will introduce you to professional salumi tasting.
During this course we will make:
- WHOLE MUSCLE SALUMI
- 5Guanciale (Jowl)
- 5Coppa/Capocollo
- 5Lardo
- 5Lonza/Filetto
- 5Spalla cruda (cured and aged shoulder)
- 5Pancetta tesa and arrotolata
- 5Prosciutto
- 5Culatello/Culatta
- 5Speck (smoked specialty from Trentino - Alto Adige)
- GROUND MEAT SALUMI
- 5Fresh Italian sausages: salsiccia, lucanica
- 5Fast aging salami: salsiccia, cacciatorini style, etc.
- 5Slow aging salami: soppressata, soppressa, Milano style salami, ungherese style salami, Calabrian salsiccia and soppressata style salami, Toscano, gentile, etc
- 5Spreadable salami: ‘nduja, ciauscolo
- 5Cooked ground meat salumi
- 5Cooked emulsified ground meat salumi: Mortadella di Bologna style
- COOKED PRODUCTS
- 5Bacon
- 5Ciccioli (fried pork fat bits)
- 5Cotenna fritta (fried pork rinds)
- 5Gelatina
- 5Lingua salmistrata (salted tongue)
- 5Strutto (pig’s lard)
- 5Tonno finto (pickled pork Tuscan style)
- 5Coppa di testa
- 5Biroldo
We will also learn how to make:
- 5Mostarda
- 5Mayonnaise
- 5Home made mustard
- 5One Italian bread (optional)
- 5Sauerkraut
Course duration & itinerary
Arrival days are on Sundays, and student check-in into the rooms must be after 14:00 h. The course price includes transport from the Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, IATA: ALC, or Alicante Terminal (Alicant Terminal or RENFE train station) to the hotel. Each student must promptly communicate their pick-up details to our Client Relations liaison. From Monday to Friday, there are regular lessons from 08:00 h to 16:00 h, with a short pause for lunch starting at 12:30 h. On the last day, Saturday, we have departure day, when students travel to the airport or train station.
Day 1
Sunday
Arrival day.
Day 2
Monday
Introduction. Butchering, and Whole muscle salumi making day.
Day 3
Tuesday
Whole muscle salumi, ground meat fermented salumi making & theory lesson day.
Day 4
Wednesday
Ground meat fermented salumi making & Fresh sausage.
Day 5
Thursday
Cooked products making day.
Day 6
Friday
Equipment review, HACCP planning and Aging cellar setup.
Day 7
Saturday
Departure day.
Arrival Day
Upon your arrival at the Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, IATA: ALC, or Alicante Terminal (Alacant Terminal or RENFE train station), you will be greeted by one of our drivers, who will promptly take you to school by private shuttle. After checking in at the hotel, you can enjoy the local amenities until 19:00 h, when we will all meet for a quick 30 minutes orientation session, after which we will share a welcome dinner prepared by our chefs.
Night at the hotel.
Introduction, Butchering, and Whole muscle salumi making day
On the morning of Introduction day, we will start with a theory lesson that goes deep into the necessary conditions a pig carcass must be to be able to make salumi with it. The instructor will demonstrate how to butcher the first half carcass, and then we will go hands-on and work together on the rest of the other half. We will then stop for lunch, during which we will conduct a professional tasting of three products. After the lunch break, we will resume activities, finish the butchering and start making our whole-muscle salumi. After the lesson ends, we will have a short break, followed by dinner prepared by our chefs.
Night at the hotel.
Whole muscle salumi and ground meat fermented salumi making day
On the morning of our second hands-on day, we will start with maintenance to our whole muscle salumi that was salted the day before. Followed by meat selection for the different kinds of ground meat salumi we will be making and starting the ground meat salumi mixtures. We will pause for lunch, after which we will resume activities by having a theory lesson on salumi science and production. After the session ends, we will have a short break, followed by dinner prepared by our chefs.
Meat selection for ground meat salumi mixtures.
Mixing of ground meat salumi mixtures.
Night at the hotel.
Ground meat fermented salumi making and fresh sausage making day
We start the morning of our third hands-on day performing maintenance to our whole muscle salumi that was salted two days ago. We follow by stuffing the meat mixes into casings. We will pause for lunch, after which we will resume activities by mixing and casing our fresh sausage mixtures. After the lesson ends, we will have a short break, followed by dinner prepared by our chefs.
In depth theory explanation on casings.
Night at the hotel.
Cooked products making day
On the morning of our fifth day, we start performing maintenance to our whole muscle salumi; some will be put into casings, tied, and hung to dry. We follow by processing all meats destined for cooking. We will pause for lunch, after which we will resume activities by finishing the cooked products. After the lesson ends, we will have a short break, followed by dinner prepared by our chefs.
Cooked products making.
Night at the hotel.
Equipment review, HACCP planning and aging cellar setup day
On our last day at the lab, we will finish processing any whole muscle salumi that hasn’t been hung to dry yet. We will do a thorough review of all equipment necessary for salumi production and talk about HACCP planning for an artisan salumi producing facility. After lunch we will go through everything related to aging cellar setup and maintenance. We will also go through how planning should be set for a healthy business. We will also have our last Q&A session. At night we all go out to dinner at a local venue where we will celebrate the closure of a fantastic week we’ve spent learning together. Just before dinner, we will honor our students with the ACS course awards, after which we will give out the course certificates.
Equipment review and HACCP planning.
Production planning.
Final Q&A with the instructor chef.
Certificates and awards are given to participants.
Night at the hotel.
Departure day
After having breakfast at the hotel, you can relax and enjoy the local amenities until our transport takes you to the Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, IATA: ALC or Alicante Terminal (Alacant Terminal or RENFE train station). For those with late departures, we offer a complimentary light lunch.
Course price
€2,750.00
All the following are included in the price:
- NTransport to and from Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, IATA: ALC or Alicante Terminal (Alacant Terminal or RENFE train station) to the school by private motor-coach.
- NFull room and board for the duration of the course. All meals are included, with water and wine .*
- NAll lessons, theory and practical, as described in the itinerary.
- NCourse booklet/manual, note pad and pens.
- NCustom ACS work shirt, apron and a hat.
- NAll course work materials.
- NAccess to School’s online community.
- NOne dinner out at a local restaurant.
- NCertificate of course completion.
* All wines are local, selected by our resident sommelier. Wines are served at dinner according to European hospitality customs.
What is not included in the price?
- MTravel insurance.
- MAirfare and any travel expenses not stated in the itinerary.
- MPersonal expenses and shopping during the course, excursions, visits, outside dinning.
The itinerary is subject to change if the instructor deems necessary, only for the improvement of the overall experience of all students.