Campo Seco Salami

Charles Wekselbaum was raised in a Cuban/Jewish/American household with a ton of food and even more traditions woven throughout his upbringing and life. He started making salami in 2010 in Brooklyn and I probably started talking with him shortly thereafter. I liked him immediately. He’s passionate, he’s sharp, he listens, he asks questions, and over the years he’s become a really, really good salume maker.

This Campo Seco is his purest, least adulterated, and I might say most daring salami: just sea salt and heritage breed pork. Charles lets the flavor of the meat speak for itself, and that’s daring to me. The talent of any maker is demonstrated by what they do with the simplest recipes. You can’t hide behind spices and ingredients, you just have to make it really well. That’s what Charles and his team have done: made something simple taste really wonderful.