Yes. We make all our salami and sausages by hand in San Diego, California.

We do not use nitrates, nitrites or celery juice powders.

All of our salami and sausage are free of egg, fish, soy, gluten, tree nut, and peanut.

All pork comes from Vande Rose Farms in Iowa. Iowa is located in the corn belt, a landscape rich in agriculture and tradition. The Midwest is an ideal place to farm, with its fertile soil, ample grains, hard-working farm families and beautiful, rural countryside. It’s a 175 year heritage breed Duroc pork known for its rich red color and celebrated for its juicy, tender, flavorful meat. These championship pigs are fed 100% vegetarian diet which ensures the health of the pig and the quality of the pork meat. With this said, these pigs are never administered antibiotics, hormones or animal by-products — from the time of birth until harvest.

Duroc pork, organic spices, local wine, and Sonoma Sea Salt.

We sustainably source our organic spices from a fair trade purveyor, Mountain Rose Herbs, and add pure Sonoma sea salt to achieve a fresh flavor that comes through with an extraordinary crispness in a dry sausage. Our organic spices are not irradiated.  We ground them on-site to ensure optimal quality.

We use wines from several local wineries: Vindemia and Hart Winery in the Temecula Valley, Orfila Winery in the San Pasqual Valley, and a few wineries in Sonoma County, CA.

Nitrates are inorganic compounds found in nature made up of nitrogen and oxygen, NO3 (one nitrogen and three oxygen molecules).

Both conventional and organic processed meat products rely on nitrates and nitrites for enhanced taste and shelf life. The difference is the source. Conventional processed meats are typically cured with synthetic sources of nitrates and nitrites, such as sodium nitrite. Organic and natural meats typically rely on naturally-occurring sources of nitrates, such as celery juice powders as preservatives.

Uncured means we do not add any nitrates or nitrites. Unlike other companies with uncured labeling and using celery juice powders as a form of nitrates, we at the Meatmen do not.

Our salami are stuffed in natural beef and hog casings. The fresh sausages are stuffed in hog casings.

Our salami hang for 6 to 8 weeks in a cold environment, similar to a cold cave they used thousands of years ago.

All salami have dextrose, a superfine sugar. We use the minimal amount of dextrose possible for fermentation.

We use the minimal amount of salt required which is 3%.

Our salami are often times covered with a varying degree of both white mold (penicillin nalviogense) and blue/green mold (penicillin glaucum). Both are harmless strains, similar to the molds on cheese. We believe this mold only enhances the unique, fermented flavor. It may be easily removed by using a clean, dry kitchen brush and/or by peeling away the casing.

We promise it’s fine. Watch this video to learn how to remove the skin if you’d like.

No, they are a shelf stable product which can be stored in your pantry in the butcher paper we provide. They are best kept under 70 degrees.

Our salami are good for 3 months. They are best after one month of purchasing. The salamis are best stored in a cool dark place in the butcher paper they are sold in. For optimal freshness after three months, you can peel the natural casing off and wrap in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated.

We have two critical control points we abide by and test carefully with each type of salami before they go out. First is the proper pH, and second is the moisture content (water activity). PH is the acidity level, and moisture content means there is not enough moisture in the meat for harmful bacteria to grow.

Our salami are a dried product, ready to slice and eat. Our sausages are fresh, frozen, and need to be cooked before consuming. 

We do not sell our sausage online because our fresh sausage is too perishable. We may sell sausage online in the future, but shipping costs will likely be substantial. If you want to see fresh sausage for sale on our site and are willing to pay high shipping prices, let us know. We may be able to work something out.

They can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Watch this!

Lots of skills.

Kerny Mesa, San Diego, California.

Our business model cannot currently accommodate customer visits, but we would love to see you at a farmers’ market. Check the “locals page” for more info.

If you are interested in carrying our product, please contact us through our contact page. You are also welcome to email info@meatmenstore.com.

Please contact us with the form on our contact page.