Umai Dry Sausage Kits

[gmascolo51]

Anyone have any experience with the Umai dry sausage kits? Looks like you take the plastic tubing, vacuum seal one end, stuff with spices/curing agent/culture, and twist tie the top. The sausage is refrigerated and once it loses a certain % of weight it is ready. Just wondering if anyone has tried it and how it worked out? A couple of the reviews slammed the product but then again you question if people actually followed the way it is supposed to be done. Any input is appreciated. Thanks

[EdF]

I've only used their dry-aging bags so far, and I have been very happy with them. Suggest you head over to their forum. Lots of users interacting on their experiences. I think you'll get good idea of how they work out. https://www.drybagsteak.com/forum

[gmascolo51]

Thanks for the link I'll check it out.

[EdF]

Here's the steak version:

[EdF]

And there are still a bunch left, because "winter"!

[Troutman]

Looks awesome Ed. Do you leave a bit of pellicle on your cuts?

[EdF]

Definitely, Troutman ! Wouldn't want to be tossing the best part (to the dogs or stock).

[gmascolo51]

That looks really good, now you need a machine that is capable of sucking out the air and sealing, correct? For the salumi (dry sausage), looks like you use twist ties from the link you provided and some videos I watched.

[EdF]

Yeah, and they sell them too. But you don't need to create a vacuum. You just want to get 80% or better of the surface of the meat in contact with the bag. It's an interesting approach.

[Dr ROK]

I haven't had any experience with their sausage product, but their capicola product worked very well for me. I believe the dry age steak bags work the same as the capicola bags, and yes you need a vacuum sealer for those bags.

[gmascolo51]

I am going to give it a whirl, as I have everything needed to grind and stuff sausage so really need the bags and will try the kit before I separately purchase all the other necessities.

[gmascolo51]

So here is the first batch aging in the fridge, they should be ready by the end of the month. While fermenting they smelled real nice so hoping they came out good. What you see is 2.2 lbs of ground up pork butt meat.

[barelfly]

This is awesome gmascolo51. I’ll be following, as this is the next thing I’d like to do. I’ve dry aged for steaks a few times, just haven’t made it to this point yet.

[EdF]

They look great!

[Troutman]

Thanks for the link to the forum and the pix of your steaks EdF. I’m doing a #14 ribeye now and taking pictures along the way. Thought I would do a step by step, seems there are lots of folks here with interest/questions.

Unfortunately I don’t have Umai sausage bag experience, but your’s look great gmascolo51

[gmascolo51]

Thanks, hopefully they come out good. Dry aging a steak is next.

[HorseDoctor]

I did a batch of coppa with their bags. Worked well. Would have liked a little more "heat" in the coppa but that is a fault of the recipe, not their bags. Suspect it's very nearly (or exactly) the same as membrane they use for dry aging, which also works well!

[Got BBQ]

Have used them a bunch of times. Really easy The hard part is to plan ahead. What you pack today isn't ready until 3-6 weeks. Have to keep them on a rotating basis. Start 1 during one week and another a few weeks later, etc. You'll always have dry aged beef ready for the grill

[gmascolo51]

So I weighed a sausage and it lost its 30-40% of original weight and curiosity got the better of me so I couldn't resist and cut one open. Came out delicious, meat is firm on the outside and soft and non chewy inside, flavor is spot on. Attached is a photo, it received approval from my little one she ate 5 pieces already!

[EdF]

Looks great. I have to graduate to that!

[Attjack]

Wow that looks great! Now I want to try this myself.

[gmascolo51]

I have faith in ya, if I got it to work anyone can. Capicolla is next target, buy a pork butt from Costco and carve out the coppa muscle and have at it with their bags.

[EdF]

Cappicola - yeah Baby! Make it hot!