- The Curesmith
Classic saucisson sec is a traditional French dry-cured sausage known for its clean pork flavour, simple seasoning, and firm, sliceable texture. This classic saucisson sec recipe is built around the fundamentals that matter most: good-quality pork, well-handled back fat, the correct cure and starter culture, careful fermentation, and slow, controlled drying. When those elements are handled properly, the result is a dry-cured sausage with depth, balance, and the unmistakable character of traditional French charcuterie.
What makes a classic saucisson sec recipe so appealing is its restraint. Unlike sausages that rely on heavy spice or strong aromatics, saucisson sec keeps the seasoning modest so the meat remains at the centre of the experience. That simplicity is part of its strength. There is nowhere to hide in this style of sausage. The quality of the pork, the cleanliness of the fat, and the precision of the process all show in the finished product.
This classic saucisson sec recipe stays true to that traditional approach. A little pepper and a balanced seasoning profile support the meat without overwhelming it. As the sausage ferments and dries, moisture gradually leaves the mix, the texture tightens, and the flavour becomes richer and more concentrated. What starts as pork, fat, salt, cure, and culture becomes something more refined, savoury, gently tangy, and deeply satisfying.
For the serious home curesmith, this classic saucisson sec recipe offers a practical way to make a traditional French dry-cured fermented sausage with confidence. The method focuses on proper fermentation, careful drying, and the patience needed to let time do its work. The end result is a true saucisson sec with balanced flavour, classic texture, and the old-world quality that makes this style of sausage so enduring.
A personal note: This is one of the sausages I value most precisely because of its simplicity. When you make a saucisson like this, you are not trying to create something flashy. You are trying to make something honest. Good meat, handled properly, with just enough seasoning to frame it, not cover it. That, to me, is the whole appeal. It is a sausage that showcases both the flavour of the pork and the quiet magic of the curing process itself. If you enjoy the clean, understated character of a classic fuet, there is every chance this one will earn a regular place in your curing chamber too.
NEW TO DRY-CURED/ FERMENTED SAUSAGE MAKING?
Dry-cured and fermented sausage making is widely regarded as one of the most demanding aspects of charcuterie for curesmiths. For that reason, we generally recommend that beginners first focus on simpler whole-muscle cures, allowing them to develop a sound understanding of dry-curing principles and to refine their technique with greater confidence.
Once you are ready to begin making dry-cured and fermented sausages, we encourage you to consult our Dry-Cured Sausage Making Guide. It sets out the process step by step and is designed to help you produce successful dry-cured and fermented sausages from the very beginning.
GET THE DRY-CURED SAUSAGE MAKING GUIDE >>>
Health & Safety Disclaimer
By using any recipe on The Curesmith you automatically agree to our terms and accept that The Curesmith cannot be held liable for any illness, injury, loss or damage arising from its use. Click to read the full disclaimer.
Purpose and scope
The recipes published on The Curesmith are intended for educational and informational purposes only. Meat curing, fermentation and smoking involve processes that, if carried out incorrectly, can result in products that are unsafe to eat. By using any recipe on this website you acknowledge that you do so entirely at your own risk, and you agree that The Curesmith and its authors cannot be held liable for any outcome arising from its use.
Limitation of liability
The Curesmith and its authors accept no responsibility or liability for any illness, injury, loss or damage arising from the use of these recipes, including but not limited to illness caused by improperly cured, handled or cooked meat products, errors in measurement or technique, equipment failure, or deviation from the stated method or quantities.
Nitrite and cure safety
Meat curing involves the use of nitrite salts, which must be measured accurately and used strictly according to the quantities specified. Nitrite in excessive quantities is toxic. Please ensure you understand the following before proceeding:
- Always use a calibrated digital scale accurate to at least one gram. For smaller batches, a scale accurate to 0.1g is strongly recommended.
- Never exceed the stated cure amounts. Never substitute cure types without recalculating.
- Store all curing salts clearly labelled, separately from regular salt, and out of reach of children.
- Different cure products have different nitrite concentrations. Always check your manufacturer's label and adjust quantities accordingly.
Food hygiene and cross-contamination
Raw and cured meat products must be stored, handled and prepared in a clean environment using food-safe equipment. Hands, surfaces, tools and containers must be thoroughly cleaned and where appropriate sanitised before use. Cross-contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat products must be avoided at all times.
Temperature control
Temperature control is critical throughout all curing and smoking processes. Inadequate temperature management can allow the growth of dangerous pathogens including Clostridium botulinum, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E. coli. A reliable refrigerator thermometer and a calibrated probe thermometer are essential pieces of equipment for anyone producing cured or smoked meat at home.
Uncooked cured products
Whole muscle products that are eaten without cooking, such as air-dried bresaola, coppa or prosciutto, must reach their target weight loss before consumption. Products that have not been cured and dried to the correct specification may not be safe to eat uncooked. Pancetta and guanciale cured to less than 38% weight loss must not be consumed uncooked.
Bacon and other uncooked cured products
Bacon and other uncooked cured products must be cooked thoroughly before eating. Cold smoking adds flavour and colour but does not cook the product. A cold-smoked bacon or sausage remains a raw product and must reach a safe internal temperature before it is safe to consume. For pork and beef this is 72°C / 162°F. For poultry this is 74°C / 165°F.
When in doubt, seek professional guidance
If you are unsure about any aspect of the curing, smoking or fermentation process, we strongly encourage you to seek formal training or guidance from a qualified food safety professional before proceeding. The information on this website is not a substitute for proper food safety education and training.
Commercial production
These recipes are produced for home and small-scale producers. They are not intended for commercial food production. Commercial meat processing is subject to regulatory requirements that vary by country and jurisdiction. If you intend to produce cured or smoked products for sale, you must ensure full compliance with all applicable food safety regulations in your region.
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the recipe
For dry-cured sausage we default to 1000g as the base weight — this makes the ingredient ratios easy to read and understand at a glance. The recipe scales to any batch size: simply change the weight in the box above and all amounts update automatically.
| Meat & fat | ||
| Pork shoulder | 100% | 1000 g |
| Back fat | 15% of total mix | 150 g |
| Pork shoulder is naturally well-marbled. You may increase back fat to 20% for a richer, more traditional texture. | ||
| Total mix | 1150 g | |
| Cure & salt | ||
| Salt (additional) | 2.0% target | 20.3 g |
| Cure #2 is approximately 94% sodium chloride. This additional salt, combined with the salt already in the cure, brings the total to your 2.0% target. | ||
| Cure #2 | for 156 ppm | 2.87 g |
| Seasoning | ||
| Dextrose | 0.7% of total mix | 7.0 g |
| Dextrose is preferred for fermented sausages as it is more predictable with starter cultures. If substituting sugar, use 60% of the dextrose weight. | ||
| Sugar quantity for this recipe: 4.2 g | ||
| Garlic powder | 0.1% of total mix | 1.00 g |
| Black pepper, coarse | 0.4% of total mix | 4.0 g |
| Starter culture | ||
| T-SPX (Chr. Hansen) | 0.13g per kg | 0.13 g |
| Water (to dissolve culture) | 20g per kg (distilled) | 20 g |
| T-SPX dose: 0.13g per kg of pork. If you do not have a precision scale, use 1g — you cannot meaningfully overdose a starter culture. Dissolve in the water shown above before adding to the meat. This ratio is based on the manufacturer’s label recommendation of 25g per 200kg of meat. It is important to check the label of your specific product as dosage recommendations do vary by region and supplier — update accordingly. Primal SK Soft is a suitable alternative if T-SPX is unavailable. Both produce gentle acidification to pH 5.2–5.4, preserving the clean flavour of a traditional Saucisson Sec. |
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