Pepperoni

Grind meat and fat through a 1/2-inch plate. Mix meat, fat, and all seasonings. Grind through a 1/8-inch plate and mix 6 minutes. Stuff in hog casings and place in 90 degrees Fahrenheit smokehouse until pH 5 is reached. Store at 50 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 days to produce a dry product, or heat to 142 degrees Fahrenheit after pH 5 is reached to produce a semi-dry product. Notes: It is best to use a starter culture with all fermented sausage. If starter cultures are not available let product stand in a 6-inch deep tray at 38 degrees Fahrenheit for 72 hours before it is stuffed or add 8 oz of GDL per 100 lb of product and heat to 142 degrees Fahrenheit internally without incubation. This is a fermented sausage, and if you've never made a fermented sausage I advise proceeding cautiously. An incorrectly made fermented sausage can kill you. It is from Michigan State University and it took me three tries to get it right. No, I will not explain PH, GDL, and starter cultures. If you don't already know about those things, do a lot of research before attempting Pepperoni.