Proudly showing his trophy to The Nationals candidate for Murray Plains was first-time Salami Muster winner Myles Nicholl.
Photo by
Andrew Mole
It was Kyabram’s Salami Muster, but it was Myles Nicholl, the unofficial mayor of Undera, who came, who saw and who conquered on Saturday night.
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Not only did he pull the rug from under the perennial favourites with their proud Mediterranean heritage, he also did it on his first go at the crown.
Then, to rub salt into the salami, as it were, his second entry tied for third with Joe Sciacca. John La Porta took second place and Julian Munro received the people’s choice award.
A sellout crowd packed the Kyabram Club for one of the hottest competitions on the town’s calendar outside of local sports fields and was stunned by a Skippy outsider stealing their thunder.
Even worse, he had named his winning entry Mayor of Undera so there would be no confusion about the title heading out of town.
The day after, Myles was still chuckling about his win, which he conceded might have come about because this year, for the first time, he had changed his recipe.
They were queuing up to get at the salami in the Kyabram Club at the weekend.
Photo by
Andrew Mole
“There has long been a fierce rivalry between Undera and Tatura in the salami stakes,” Myles explained.
“I started learning the process years ago, a whole group of us did, working first with Morrie La Porta, sometimes he was teaching as many as 60 people and I reckon he would have taught hundreds of people in the past 30 years, and more recently for me with Mick Cardillo,” he said.
“It all started out small but just kept going and growing and we all learnt the basics – you only work with barrows (a neutered boar) and it’s all about getting the salt measurements just right.
“You do all the finicky work, getting the sinews out of the meat, getting the right size pigs, doing it all on cold days so it will cure properly and when you have that all correct – especially the salt – you can add your paprika, fennel, garlic and other secret herbs and spices.”
Manning the gate to check tickets - and sell a few more - were Libby Smith, Denise D’Augello and Lee Paterson.
Photo by
Andrew Mole
Then, Myles said, there is the endless debate between real and synthetic skins (he used synthetic this year), the weight of your pig (some prefer them around 100kg, this year he opted for almost 150kg) and whether you use wine, red or white (and no, Myles didn’t).
Once made the salami is hung for a week to dry, cleaned with vinegar, each one cut into two, and you’re good to go.
Father John Paul (who was also a judge) with Michael and Effie Sorbello.
Photo by
Andrew Mole
Myles said it might be a convoluted process, but the real fun is in doing it all, from go to whoa.
John La Porta, Carmel Kdellow and Maureen Sciacca, with Mary D’Augello behind them.
Photo by
Andrew Mole
This year, however, due to some delivery delays, the Undera salamsters had been in the kitchen from early one morning until the pigs finally fronted around 9.30pm – when there wasn’t any wine left to put into the salami even if anyone wanted to. In fact, there was nothing alcoholic left at all.
Angelo D’Augello wirth Bianca Vigliaturo and Jocelyn Gentle.
Photo by
Andrew Mole
“We might have been half cut, or worse, but we worked through until around 1.30am to get things done,” Myles laughed.
“This year for some reason, I can’t remember why (who’s surprised by that?) I did not put my usual level of ingredients in, I only used about half,” he said.
The judges and the green team, which organises and runs the Salami Muster.
Photo by
Andrew Mole
“Everyone was laughing at me, and when I entered my salami into the Tat competition my friends said we all know which one is yours – pointing to my entry with a roll of toilet paper next to it.
“And now it has won in Kyabram, so who’s laughing now?”
Proceeds from the day will go to local charity Hope for the Children, funding food, clean water, education, and clothing for children in Kyabram and around the world.
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