tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30432297721844311212024-03-14T03:26:47.407-05:00Hard Corps FoodieAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-71974188793263134632011-12-24T15:16:00.002-06:002011-12-24T15:25:30.843-06:00Cured Egg YolksI have been playing around with the idea of curing an egg yolk for a while. I have tried many different ways and have found the one I like the best. Many of you may be asking yourself, why is this guy curing an egg yolk, and what in the hell is he going to do with it when its done.... Simple because I can and I am going to eat it!! For those of you that don't know me that well, I have recently quit my Big Boy job to pursue my dream of doing Charcuterie and working in a Restaurant full time. This has been a passion of mine for a long time, and thanks to my friends Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman from <a href="http://andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com/AMIK/">AMIK</a> for sparking my passion. Anyway onto the topic at hand, the wonderful world of the Egg!!<br />
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Let me start this by saying I Love Eggs, I am a firm believer that almost everything is better with an egg in it or on it. So after reading countless books, blogs, and sites on Charcuterie, I came across a thread of chefs talking about curing an egg yolk. I started to think about it, and realized it could be done, and pretty easy as well. An egg yolk is mainly protein, and water. Pull out the water and you are left with the good stuff. This is truly a salty eggy treat.<br />
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To start off you need to use the highest quality eggs you can get. I use the eggs we use at the restaurant that are from free range chickens. Just like any recipe, always start with the freshest and best ingredients to get the best result. Bad product in, bad product out! So after multiple tries here is my favorite recipe, as well as some basic variations.<br />
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Basic Cure:<br />
<ul><li>150 grams Sugar</li>
<li>200 grams Kosher salt, I use Diamond</li>
</ul>Variation 1:<br />
<ul><li>Add 3 grams of freshly ground Tellicherry peppercorns.</li>
</ul>Variation 2:<br />
<ul><li>2 grams Pepe Rosa or sweet paprika</li>
<li>1 gram Hot Pepperoncino powder or Cayenne pepper.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I really prefer the second variation, with the paprika. It gives the yolk a very rich color, the very small amount of heat you get at the finish on your pallet. Like with any recipe, assemble your ingredients<br />
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Mix all of your dry ingredients together, and fill your ramekins half full. You can also do this in one large container if you are doing a lot at a time. The key is to make a well where the yolk is going to sit. Be very careful not to break the yolk, if it breaks toss it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJQ7pTh2jPo/TvY92NOtG1I/AAAAAAAAAZg/24hGSqXSTsY/s1600/S1380009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJQ7pTh2jPo/TvY92NOtG1I/AAAAAAAAAZg/24hGSqXSTsY/s320/S1380009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Completely cover the yolks with the remaining cure mixture.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6lc98gmG1A0/TvY-ExlIIcI/AAAAAAAAAZs/jkZI9KqLLYk/s1600/S1380011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6lc98gmG1A0/TvY-ExlIIcI/AAAAAAAAAZs/jkZI9KqLLYk/s320/S1380011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for two days. During this time the salt and sugar are going to draw out the moisture in the yolk. After two days remove the yolk from the salt. I get a large bowl and dump all of the contents out.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-inkwS7tbKJ4/TvY-qZ_Tr-I/AAAAAAAAAZ4/UrJWzH9ThMs/s1600/S1390001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-inkwS7tbKJ4/TvY-qZ_Tr-I/AAAAAAAAAZ4/UrJWzH9ThMs/s320/S1390001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Lightly wipe off the excess salt and small amount of moisture from the yolk. The yolk does not need to be completely dry at this stage. We are still going to hang this yolk to finish the cure process. The texture is going to be a lot like a dried apricot or firm gummy bear. The yolk will be a little translucent.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vf_9uSStM50/TvY_ImaQePI/AAAAAAAAAaE/-upF193KSsA/s1600/S1390002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vf_9uSStM50/TvY_ImaQePI/AAAAAAAAAaE/-upF193KSsA/s320/S1390002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Wrap the yolk lightly in Cheesecloth.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bTFTbUrG4kg/TvY_i8pcVyI/AAAAAAAAAac/EaqFDSWKe7Y/s1600/S1390003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bTFTbUrG4kg/TvY_i8pcVyI/AAAAAAAAAac/EaqFDSWKe7Y/s320/S1390003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XxJ7gKNhTV4/TvY_t-ZEQ2I/AAAAAAAAAaw/DUqH35ZlfRI/s1600/S1390007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XxJ7gKNhTV4/TvY_t-ZEQ2I/AAAAAAAAAaw/DUqH35ZlfRI/s320/S1390007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>These will then hang for at least a week until finished. If you don't have a cure chamber you can hang these in your fridge at home. This will extend the cure time for an additional week due to the higher humidity. Now we are done with the how and go into the Why?... Why, because they are freaking delicious. Very velvety and rich. Plus it looks great on a dish when grated with a micro plane.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xZTGmgyxS5o/TvZAP9IHFOI/AAAAAAAAAa8/0XSawxQijNs/s1600/S1390005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xZTGmgyxS5o/TvZAP9IHFOI/AAAAAAAAAa8/0XSawxQijNs/s320/S1390005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We serve this at the restaurant grated on top of Duck Prosciutto, with an arugula salad with a tomato water and lardo vinaigrette. AMAZING. This is truly an easy way to impress your guests, and is very good. Don't forget, Source local and Love your meat. Especially your Burning River Meats!!! Happy Holidays.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-26725077664792712011-10-23T17:36:00.001-05:002011-10-23T17:38:00.386-05:00Beer vs Wine dinner at AMIKRecently at AMIK (<a href="http://www.andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com/main/index.html">Andrew Michaels Italian kitchen</a>) we hosted a Beer vs Wine dinner. It was five courses of amazing food, each paired with a wine and a beer. The guests all voted on each course to which pairing they like the most. I really wanted to take pictures of each course, and explain each one, but this did not go as planned. This was the first opportunity for my new little company to make its debut. I supplied the appetizers during the cocktail hour before the event. It was very successful. There was pretty much nothing left, and Burning River meats has some new fans. Here is a couple pics of the menus.<br />
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</div>Here are all of the dishes we served. If you look to the right you will see a little mention of Burning river meats!! This meal was outrageous!!!!!! Here was my set up.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWTZd5i5SrGsXFTt4KZAhee5Kt3aqKVUftaAufvmS9zHGZHSJXSaHkfUCAVIVKoxK_31y6nFT-_kVt1fDiUArWxmIGWlHdoEYHj7-MsKXu6mPYJrDlDlek_OBPg6W2UQcMJNzufcqBLM/s1600/S1370015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWTZd5i5SrGsXFTt4KZAhee5Kt3aqKVUftaAufvmS9zHGZHSJXSaHkfUCAVIVKoxK_31y6nFT-_kVt1fDiUArWxmIGWlHdoEYHj7-MsKXu6mPYJrDlDlek_OBPg6W2UQcMJNzufcqBLM/s320/S1370015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Fresh Sausages. Could not cook them fast enough. My favorite is the Barase. Very good.<br />
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Some pickled vegetables and home made mustard's. The roasted caraway beer mustard was amazing with the Lamb sausage.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9ZzWSRb8W-JgEfXy8OZkkiCAv8K1PQ5D-x6hqf7abLlPCTDITFG6858vkg0ijOIJ1yngtC-SKk4PNSN6kFyGVYA567s-R7zlUp6OBp5Ix_hJLG0xRjBRcD0DFPBYqB6ypTp2H7Sk1po/s1600/S1370016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9ZzWSRb8W-JgEfXy8OZkkiCAv8K1PQ5D-x6hqf7abLlPCTDITFG6858vkg0ijOIJ1yngtC-SKk4PNSN6kFyGVYA567s-R7zlUp6OBp5Ix_hJLG0xRjBRcD0DFPBYqB6ypTp2H7Sk1po/s320/S1370016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My little corner!! Had so much fun, and people loved it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlHb7VNKp8EDxB0cpUs080sCjFD0aUcq3TsSNV_oJmmbgJVNpcUzMY1dI6Xu_2907p8qZhyphenhyphenLhVpGuR4FaVU5hUowtFr6uEdFdXsjmRO5ZcPp9coxnA5-GkBs8fuuk7awzaEcP4zkEJVo/s1600/S1370012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlHb7VNKp8EDxB0cpUs080sCjFD0aUcq3TsSNV_oJmmbgJVNpcUzMY1dI6Xu_2907p8qZhyphenhyphenLhVpGuR4FaVU5hUowtFr6uEdFdXsjmRO5ZcPp9coxnA5-GkBs8fuuk7awzaEcP4zkEJVo/s320/S1370012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This here is my passion. From left to right. Soppresseta di Calabria, Peperone, Calabrian pepper Chorizo, and Guanciale. Labor of love here. This represents months of work, that was gone in less than half an hour. We always have some guanciale on hand at AMIK, and the Burning river sausage has made its way on to the menu. Check it out<a href="http://andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com/AMIK/menu/starters-to-begin/"> here</a> !! Thanks again to Andy and Mike for getting my passion flowing. <br />
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At the last minute we decided to move the entire event outside. Gutsy move with the weather calling for rain in the evening, but in traditional AMIK style we went for it and it all worked out!!! Check out the back yard.<br />
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</div>The glasses were awesome, not fun to clean and polish hundreds but looked great. Each had a bunch of grapes and some hops on them. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJR-4kIpixAMHNNoV5XO_s7LVfATHH6C3W7scbyy0RArIpU4x-0NKNcqPEW3KHOGxnNva-c5Px1quzxBeGThQdPB_KtB7UqQ9Bl6vDLJ4P0VBiiK3zS6uRReQ3uwqPGSSnBDjrPNRyd0/s1600/S1370017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJR-4kIpixAMHNNoV5XO_s7LVfATHH6C3W7scbyy0RArIpU4x-0NKNcqPEW3KHOGxnNva-c5Px1quzxBeGThQdPB_KtB7UqQ9Bl6vDLJ4P0VBiiK3zS6uRReQ3uwqPGSSnBDjrPNRyd0/s320/S1370017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Plating the Corzetti. I have to say, the toasted pumpkin seeds on this dish are ridonkulous!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s-4JDKztpRwxD95YLF0vl0IX73naxXpJ9b9linLtBFiz2WP4_b4WgfrusT4AxDIDR3ZY6-onQtfahDI8a3DdIUx0Hx0wm-n3AozGGVny5b8g1R8myTwaTnYI5uRlwp0XMDSuUzBwUg0/s1600/S1370023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s-4JDKztpRwxD95YLF0vl0IX73naxXpJ9b9linLtBFiz2WP4_b4WgfrusT4AxDIDR3ZY6-onQtfahDI8a3DdIUx0Hx0wm-n3AozGGVny5b8g1R8myTwaTnYI5uRlwp0XMDSuUzBwUg0/s320/S1370023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQf2ftZJsg20f9sP-KwIUJSgvN0nB8RRTrlttMHD446YZW7rYi-WizoqI0r5xk2ftnOq0Ae4POA0X7VnpTjHTRTivrE5WoqqqU93UyDw2MollSGQhMNxeCPfTAN_q6iQg07Vx706K07SI/s1600/S1370024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQf2ftZJsg20f9sP-KwIUJSgvN0nB8RRTrlttMHD446YZW7rYi-WizoqI0r5xk2ftnOq0Ae4POA0X7VnpTjHTRTivrE5WoqqqU93UyDw2MollSGQhMNxeCPfTAN_q6iQg07Vx706K07SI/s320/S1370024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This has to be the best oyster dish of my life!!! And yes that is chicken fried chicken skin as a garnish. Freaking amazing!!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgwGhd5Ggf6ZoIybZ5XTPjdCGjepwIiyqkYkMlKZCbiOOk-ZRMqkro_xKiKJhL7UDh0t3bkIkyiUZEMZynKwUuOsMp_KwQzePz7JvUaZ17HDuwfunbPaMQlfb9BXe2fEaPD6-U-1nb7s/s1600/S1370021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgwGhd5Ggf6ZoIybZ5XTPjdCGjepwIiyqkYkMlKZCbiOOk-ZRMqkro_xKiKJhL7UDh0t3bkIkyiUZEMZynKwUuOsMp_KwQzePz7JvUaZ17HDuwfunbPaMQlfb9BXe2fEaPD6-U-1nb7s/s320/S1370021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This happens to be the best cooked pig in the Caja China to this date. Even the President of Pork, Mr. Mark Newman was blown away. Every part of this pig was amazing, I happen to be an ass man so that Ham was calling me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnLaMQIUIYmqttyHdkMnbBaTlpC8_vp7LjEtS-ei434jhGgRZBsFd9VOIrKyXcG9yzrW7hQlJhxMdEXBliSiDDcBZgmXbIG5QTPHt5dWdB_yg89sfHlhwQ4O-jsHMwB36RbsQzwFg6mA/s1600/S1370025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnLaMQIUIYmqttyHdkMnbBaTlpC8_vp7LjEtS-ei434jhGgRZBsFd9VOIrKyXcG9yzrW7hQlJhxMdEXBliSiDDcBZgmXbIG5QTPHt5dWdB_yg89sfHlhwQ4O-jsHMwB36RbsQzwFg6mA/s320/S1370025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Check out how crisp the skin got. Talk about some primo cracklins!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S65MHGUeSoZ96Hk_VxCypDbSAiJ3glp5BQkm0b20qH1Ys9GidHlibK7WLidVF_uXX8Z2v0aBcUeuSsOfWAt8OlPyg0QJLOACe-Mcw0vvuFv7oEPGeUuhyOuJsmWUVm-HJZ2KvUf7cLw/s1600/S1370028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S65MHGUeSoZ96Hk_VxCypDbSAiJ3glp5BQkm0b20qH1Ys9GidHlibK7WLidVF_uXX8Z2v0aBcUeuSsOfWAt8OlPyg0QJLOACe-Mcw0vvuFv7oEPGeUuhyOuJsmWUVm-HJZ2KvUf7cLw/s320/S1370028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7E2Jc5KpuI6knBr9j5RiqavOiverM-bRlcUzSF5BpXKuLjEj0EWHtq0BEzV9p2P4GF1xCzUH8fctsIyTl-J0_BTpIw4vn5Lbx19oJYLv7qWQyse0jekVVfinqiYHfzYG9qRj1nNNITI/s1600/S1370029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7E2Jc5KpuI6knBr9j5RiqavOiverM-bRlcUzSF5BpXKuLjEj0EWHtq0BEzV9p2P4GF1xCzUH8fctsIyTl-J0_BTpIw4vn5Lbx19oJYLv7qWQyse0jekVVfinqiYHfzYG9qRj1nNNITI/s320/S1370029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This little pig went down fast!!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQHG-ch0zc9Y1ewJ26ruW4Khw8zHD4OtjYceR985dxQdn_sCa957ra2HqRYtlWXpvv113kVuOXkXXUK14MPuRveRWlgWBtOIeY918K7FhTj1YC1dMqwIxlyZoNevK7JmG7yXsSraOGSg/s1600/S1370031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQHG-ch0zc9Y1ewJ26ruW4Khw8zHD4OtjYceR985dxQdn_sCa957ra2HqRYtlWXpvv113kVuOXkXXUK14MPuRveRWlgWBtOIeY918K7FhTj1YC1dMqwIxlyZoNevK7JmG7yXsSraOGSg/s320/S1370031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Andy and Mike tearing down a beautiful Porcellino. Coming soon to a Brookhaven near you!!! Seriously great night, looking forward to more like it. Remember, Source local and Love your Meat!!!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-62804319966123309342011-10-23T09:50:00.000-05:002011-10-23T09:50:45.741-05:00Sorry for the Break.I have been super busy as of late with my big boy job and with my little Charcuterie company so I have not been able to post anything. I have a lot of things in the pipeline to get up here. Plus I am starting a new blog. Burningrivermeats.blogspot.com as well. Thing have been going great. I have been <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staging_(cooking)">Staging</a> in a friends kitchen and learning more about the commercial kitchen. I had a great spread at a local charity event, had the opportunity to cook for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Edge">John T. Edge </a> director of the Southern Foodways Alliance. And have done much more. I will get pics up soon, and some sell sheets up so you can order some of my sausages and assorted Charcuterie. Thanks for checking back and I look forward to posting more soon!! Just since I have been away, don't forget. Source local, and Love Your Meat!!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-54392815052815070142011-09-19T10:46:00.001-05:002011-09-19T10:47:17.831-05:00Pickled Vegetables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I don't only play with meat. I love the acid, and the vinegar flavor of anything pickled when eating charcuterie. It breaks up the fattiness of a terrine, goes great with any salumi. This is one of my favorites here. The crispness of the Cauliflower, and the sweetness from the fresh carrots are great. And the little zip from the peppers. I make mine a little different, I use a mixture of Champagne vinegar and distilled white vinegar. The Champagne gives more sweetness and depth of flavor, where the distilled white vinegar gives you the punch of acidity.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7ONXO5rPD94LlbBIk1106D7dh1D-85Bk2emd11um84lzV01ifYeh3nLNwlroxWsGf8Y2Sg08n4s-tProw8OWdAYHcYQitPS7xlKWypamCXY2GnlwqCwOi10pOpnhDef8RwffN3rz9yA/s1600/S1370001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7ONXO5rPD94LlbBIk1106D7dh1D-85Bk2emd11um84lzV01ifYeh3nLNwlroxWsGf8Y2Sg08n4s-tProw8OWdAYHcYQitPS7xlKWypamCXY2GnlwqCwOi10pOpnhDef8RwffN3rz9yA/s400/S1370001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
This recipe is just a guideline, feel free to add whatever veg you like, and customize how you like.<br />
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For the <strong>Pickling Liquid</strong><br />
<ul><li>3Cups Champagne Vinegar</li>
<li>1Cup Distilled white vinegar</li>
<li>3Cups Water</li>
<li>3/4 Cup white sugar</li>
<li>5Tbs Kosher salt</li>
<li>1Tbs Yellow mustard seeds</li>
<li>2ea Sprigs Thyme</li>
<li>1Tbs Whole black pepper corns</li>
</ul>Add all items into a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Take off the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes. While cooling get all of you mis en place done.<br />
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For the <strong>Vegetables</strong><br />
<ul><li>1 head cauliflower, trimmed and broken down to florets</li>
<li>2 red peppers cut into one inch matchsticks</li>
<li>2 purple peppers(when in season, can use yellow or orange) cut into one inch sticks</li>
<li>4 cloves garlic, sliced thin</li>
<li>1 hot red pepper sliced thin</li>
<li>2 cups peperoncini drained</li>
<li>2 cups cocktail onions</li>
<li>5 carrots sliced</li>
<li>4 stalk celery sliced</li>
<li>2 shallots sliced thinly</li>
</ul>Get a large pot filled with water, and get ready to blanch all of your vegetables. Also have a large bowl filled with ice water to shock the vegetables and stop the cooking process. Add cauliflower to the pot and boil till crisp tender, about four minutes. Immediately shock the cauliflower in the cold water. Repeat with the carrots for four minutes, celery for two, as well as the peppers for two as well. I don't blanch the onions or the garlic, I like the fresh flavor from them.<br />
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Put everything together in a container big enough to fit everything. You could also mix everything together in a bowl, then transfer to large mason jars. Make sure how ever you do it, that you completely cover your vegetables with pickling liquid. That this sit for at least one day. Store in the fridge for about two weeks covered in the fridge. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSc4_n3FfUwCD2Uk_O5pKZsM3R-k9YdTnHghzzmnrh8OlU3tyqh-TH8AQKDEmHC_hJzS4Ijq5vt-pw5MTTcNLRgY4y6K0pE_rY5b3WinfD9oRvYBe4uSi1I_WGoNhcLxILFm58EvScO4/s1600/S1370002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSc4_n3FfUwCD2Uk_O5pKZsM3R-k9YdTnHghzzmnrh8OlU3tyqh-TH8AQKDEmHC_hJzS4Ijq5vt-pw5MTTcNLRgY4y6K0pE_rY5b3WinfD9oRvYBe4uSi1I_WGoNhcLxILFm58EvScO4/s400/S1370002.JPG" width="225" /></a></div>Remember, Source local and Love your Meat.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-61200685514219139682011-09-18T10:23:00.000-05:002013-02-23T20:51:41.530-06:00Tasso Ham Recipe.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This salty and spicy pork treat has its roots in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_cuisine">Creole</a> cuisine. Creole cuisine is really a style of cooking that blends many cultures flavors together. Including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Asian, as well as the taste of the South. No wonder why there is so much going on with this meat. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasso_ham">Tasso</a> Ham is not meant to be eaten on its own, it is more of an ingredient. As well it is a meat poser, being that it is not even a ham at all. If you look back to my previous post on <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/primals.html">Primals,</a> you will see that the ham comes from the rear leg of the pig, when tasso is made with the shoulder, or butt, which is on the front of the animal. Here is a boned out shoulder.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZIzGRfBq0bl3Ur-W4YK6219txsy7bNbl-MLPgAxILjbztc8w2DojIUglTjFx2Qmmey3RSVEQoCiayFzt0andTGlbmZxoGYZ_mt7pH8bMcPoYCo7oo_vm9PF6ZdwG9BgkQO-jsgKzZcw/s1600/Tasso+shoulder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZIzGRfBq0bl3Ur-W4YK6219txsy7bNbl-MLPgAxILjbztc8w2DojIUglTjFx2Qmmey3RSVEQoCiayFzt0andTGlbmZxoGYZ_mt7pH8bMcPoYCo7oo_vm9PF6ZdwG9BgkQO-jsgKzZcw/s400/Tasso+shoulder.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was proud of this one. I have been practicing my butchery skills a lot recently and was able to get this blade out in a couple minutes and was able to maintain the integrity of the shoulder. Not to shabby I must say!!</div>
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<a name='more'></a>I broke the shoulder down to six steaks for the Tasso and the rest was trimmed and cleaned up for some sausages. I used about 5 pounds for the Tasso. This is a three step process. You have the initial spicing and cure, Second spicing and dry, then hot smoking. See recipe below for the initial cure.<br />
<ul>
<li>2250g Pork Shoulder or Butt, </li>
<li>450g <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/basic-cure.html">Basic Dry Cure </a>(See past post for directions)</li>
<li>4g Cayenne pepper ground</li>
<li>2g Fresh thyme, leaves only, stems removed</li>
<li>4g Crushed Black Pepper</li>
<li>5g Crushed garlic(I use a micro plane)</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44BKvBERsjPg2dvKfS5D09HnILJJwIdrwekgS0Gmkvl3Vdb6ymk0nOlhA57ZFvHj6HLZcOjiCMVbLERjDRn2G6kCn_oBBZ2NLbjAPeI8EWWjuNtVZDYWEXkuJroRD_Qa1_yLumdbqAEc/s1600/S1360009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44BKvBERsjPg2dvKfS5D09HnILJJwIdrwekgS0Gmkvl3Vdb6ymk0nOlhA57ZFvHj6HLZcOjiCMVbLERjDRn2G6kCn_oBBZ2NLbjAPeI8EWWjuNtVZDYWEXkuJroRD_Qa1_yLumdbqAEc/s320/S1360009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Cut decent sized steaks. Remember the smaller they are the least amount of time it will take to cure and smoke them. These are about a pound a piece with the smaller piece being a little extra. Get all ingredients together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOZR4vjinvrmGKRGrWt_vKeljkhLZzs68C2bQ2B0NZ-pPjR5mG8pnMpjMBkwL27__Q5U3XufTotBIlo8nivGwjHPThPcJ8E2zRIauE3VgZCw2tc4CxXtLNKsfc8lLAkxFoo52DLhjd5I/s1600/S1360003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOZR4vjinvrmGKRGrWt_vKeljkhLZzs68C2bQ2B0NZ-pPjR5mG8pnMpjMBkwL27__Q5U3XufTotBIlo8nivGwjHPThPcJ8E2zRIauE3VgZCw2tc4CxXtLNKsfc8lLAkxFoo52DLhjd5I/s320/S1360003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Combine all of the dry ingredients, including the garlic. Rub all over the shoulder steaks. Place a small layer of the dry rub into the bottom of a large non reactive container,(can also use large zip lock bags). Add meat to container and put the rest of the rub over the top. Make sure all pieces are evenly covered. Wrap in clear film and cure for 12 hours. After they have cured you will notice a lot of liquid in the container, this is the moisture that has been pulled out by the cure mixture. The color of the meat will have deepened and gotten much firmer. Rinse all of the cure off of the meat and pat the meat dry with paper towels. Let rest until the surface is dry to the touch. While your meat is resting make your secondary spice rub.<br />
<ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPK_r9Em0NuweR8yFlvcMlFDX0suwsR8MygFbLn5Bk3i6x_7wInQTOWEwExjG52vZNcfRmPFv_uXocW0It4DFEIwPdHquJKJlKFTlwI-tPIdoXiT8v6u-kQQ82eG91buCGJxVxfCN6Nkc/s1600/S1360010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPK_r9Em0NuweR8yFlvcMlFDX0suwsR8MygFbLn5Bk3i6x_7wInQTOWEwExjG52vZNcfRmPFv_uXocW0It4DFEIwPdHquJKJlKFTlwI-tPIdoXiT8v6u-kQQ82eG91buCGJxVxfCN6Nkc/s320/S1360010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Mix this completely and cover you pork with the mixture. Don't breath through your nose while you are mixing this, trust me. I was sneezing like crazy. This mixture shows you why this meat is not eaten on its own. It is damn spicy, delicious, but spicy.<br />
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Notice how dry the meat looks. This is crucial for the next step, hot smoking. If your meat is wet, the smoke flavor will not adhere well, and you will be left with a bitter, burnt taste to your tasso. I used a mixture of Ozark hickory and alder wood in my electric smoker. These smoked at 175 degrees F, until they reached an internal temp of 150 degrees F. About two and a half hours.<br />
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This picture did not come out very well, but you can see the smokey bark on the outside of the meat. There is a well defined smoke ring, and the meat is bright and pink. I sliced off a couple pieces, I could not resist and popped them in my mouth straight away. The initial taste is amazing, bright, savory, smokey then the peppers hit you. Not over powering, but the white pepper and the cayenne come through. The nice part is that the finish you get is the Cinnamon and allspice. Don't get me wrong I am not going to be eating this straight, but it is great. This is really going to be good in some gravy, and some Jambalaya.<br />
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I have been a meat making machine as of late. Have been making lots of fresh sausages, trying my hand at pickling some vegetables. And creating more salumis. This hobby is really turning into an obsession for me. I am working with some friends, to get my little company I am starting, the Burning River Meat company off the ground. Will be posting a lot soon, I have about ten things just waiting to make it to the blog. Remember, Source local and Love your Meat!!<br />
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Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-5005348281672213202011-09-11T20:56:00.001-05:002011-09-12T09:36:12.530-05:00The Best Salsa Recipe around!!I know that is a big statement. There are so many types of salsa. Fresh salsa, cooked salsa, fruity salsa.... where does it end. It's like a little Mexican bubba gump. I am a huge fan of any type of salsa. This one here I started making a few years ago and have perfected. It is a very rustic type of Salsa Rojas, a cooked Aztec style salsa. There maybe some ingredients that you don't thing should be in salsa, but suspend disbelief this stuff is really good. Big part of this is getting the ingredients as fresh as possible. I went to the Winchester Farmers market, here in Memphis.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7BUKgQ2MKJoKD1rvF4gaLLs3qWFej5NPbjBuirbnAgG6P1PdD5lw-8-tQzXhoQBud8UhPcolc5ryVQ3QPaRDrB6yRcUf-GFdfXRTGAGSxeqtQZp8q-FMqdj3PztcqxDP6GPJ7scW4JI/s1600/036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7BUKgQ2MKJoKD1rvF4gaLLs3qWFej5NPbjBuirbnAgG6P1PdD5lw-8-tQzXhoQBud8UhPcolc5ryVQ3QPaRDrB6yRcUf-GFdfXRTGAGSxeqtQZp8q-FMqdj3PztcqxDP6GPJ7scW4JI/s1600/036.jpg" /></a></div>This place is great. They have produce, and items from all over the world. Specializing in Mexican, and Asians. There fish is so damn fresh it is swimming. I recommend going to this place on Tuesdays and Thursdays that is when they get their fresh fish and produce. Sundays are freaking nuts at this place. Onto the salsa. First thing I do is get all my ingredients together.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><ul><li>5 Medium Roma tomatoes, halved, Cored and seeded</li>
<li>10 Dried Chili's D'Arbol stemmed, halved, and seeded</li>
<li>2tsp Dried ground Pasilla pepper powder</li>
<li>1 each Dried passilla pepper, cored, seeded, and chunk ed</li>
<li>1Tbs Kosher salt</li>
<li>1tsp Sugar</li>
<li>1 1/2 Cup water</li>
<li>3T Pepitas, unsalted, uncooked pumpkin seeds</li>
<li>3T white distilled vinegar</li>
<li>1/4 Cup Scallions chopped</li>
<li>1/4 Cup Cilantro chopped</li>
</ul><ol><li>Get your broiler rocking!! Cover a sheet tray with aluminium foil, and place the tomatoes skin side up on the sheet tray. Make sure you crack the oven door a little so we don't get super crispy and smoke tomato parts. Broil your tomatoes until the skins are charred. This is where you pick up a ton of flavor. Remove from the oven, and turn the temp down to 350F .</li>
<li>Place Tomatoes, Chile's de arbol, pasilla peppers, salt, sugar, water into a medium size stock pot, stir to combine. Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stirring often simmer until slightly reduced and the tomatoes are soft, around thirty minutes.</li>
<li>While the tomatoes are cooking, toast the Pepitas on a sheet tray until browned, around ten minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.</li>
<li>Add the white distilled vinegar to the tomato mixture and let cook for three minutes. Remove mixture from the heat and let cool slightly for about ten minutes. If you would try and blitz this right not the steam would blow the lid off your blender. Trust me!!! Pulse the mixture a couple times then add the roasted pepitas. Blend until smooth. You should still see a litte texture on the Pepitas.</li>
<li>Pour your mixture into a bowl and incorporate the cilantro and the scallions. Mix completely and put into jars. Let this chill for at least four hours before serving for the flavors to incorporate. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.</li>
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This is how far I broil my tomatoes. Don't worry they are not burnt. Those chard pieces of skin are awesome in the salsa. You want to be able to see the little fancy pieces of burnt tomato skin, and pepitas in your salsa. <br />
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This is a great salsa. Make a day ahead to really get the true taste. I have put some roasted garlic in and it was great. This version is what I would call medium. Can be much hotter if you leave the seeds in the dried peppers before cooking. Stay Classy San Diego.<br />
<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-23139584638176046072011-09-10T19:45:00.000-05:002011-09-10T19:45:40.165-05:00Meat Cookies ...(aka. Sausage balls)Okay, Okay, I know that this is about the most pedestrian and trailer park thing, but it is one of my favorite things. My family has been making a version of these for years for the holiday parties. Whenever the guys get together you have to be sure that I am making massive amounts of these Meat cookies. I am sure you are asking yourself right now.. Self why does the chubby guy writing a blog call these meat cookies. Lucky for you I have an answer....It was a cold winters night, the winds were strong and the cold was biting, I was dressed as a lumber jack and she...... Sorry started getting side tracked. Andyway, back in the day, the guys would get together for a weekend of Halo, beer, the smelly jar(don't ask) and some macho bonding. I made back then what I called sausage balls, and my Buddie Trent said, Damn those are some good meat cookies, and well not being very inventive on our own, it stuck. And we have turned this not only into a tradition, but also a challenge. These have been made a hundred different ways, but this is the tried and true!! And before I go any farther I am going to let you know that I used store bought sausage for this dish.........I know, I know, the guy who is always talking about sourcing local and making everything from scratch used Bob Evans sausage. Bite me, I was out of pork and had this in the freezer, and when a fat man has a craving, watch your fingers. So I got rolling.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Above you will see the main components of the Meat cookie.<br />
<ul><li>1 pound Zesty Hot sausage (Bob Evans) or make your own, recipe to follow</li>
<li>8 ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese</li>
<li>1 1/2 cup Bisquick</li>
<li>2tsp Cayenne pepper</li>
<li>2tsp Garlic Powder</li>
<li>1tsp Onion Powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp black pepper</li>
</ul>The spices are optional, I tend to think everything needs a little more spice, except '<a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/09/nduja-at-last.html">Nduja</a> that stuff will hurt ya, in a good way. So now comes the hard part. Mix all ingredients together until completely incorporated. I use my kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook, or I have a special bowl just for the construction of the mystical meat cookie. This is what you will have.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwkvFc6aTqr5oqg7iotGjiSFJ5xSM-4faL5zFgf1fvVgngHiRPtAcKVR7Cp2yCtwPK6H3hO0KA7FWi8dz2c7jiHSiA9JAA1CZuuhsYDaDXAATQsNy1dGiZCl3UjkU8Jjoyl_f-KuN-0U/s1600/S1340003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwkvFc6aTqr5oqg7iotGjiSFJ5xSM-4faL5zFgf1fvVgngHiRPtAcKVR7Cp2yCtwPK6H3hO0KA7FWi8dz2c7jiHSiA9JAA1CZuuhsYDaDXAATQsNy1dGiZCl3UjkU8Jjoyl_f-KuN-0U/s400/S1340003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Roll this into one inch balls and bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes. You want the bottoms to be crispy and delicious. You can also cook in the deep fryer. My favorite way to make these is to use the above recipe, and wrap it around a chunk of pepper jack cheese then bake. Make sure you have some toilet paper in the freezer, cause you will need it. Serve these with some ranch and BBQ sauce. I prefer to get the hidden valley ranch dip and add 8oz of sour cream, 2Tbs of Paprika, 1tsp of garlic powder, and 1T of Pukka sauce. Here is the result.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZJZOf-ylRI2OnY3eGvnR9Ua0u2nEGw8GCrEvMcf7oExHnQUFhJ3YUhYW3o1HAn6xQc23REpyLPwpt3uyVo7gvVmNFpihW_d4s9pGe8wP-EFj-wr5w2x70jNRO9thlMJ9D4Qkk6w2vP8/s1600/S1340004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZJZOf-ylRI2OnY3eGvnR9Ua0u2nEGw8GCrEvMcf7oExHnQUFhJ3YUhYW3o1HAn6xQc23REpyLPwpt3uyVo7gvVmNFpihW_d4s9pGe8wP-EFj-wr5w2x70jNRO9thlMJ9D4Qkk6w2vP8/s400/S1340004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>These will are amazing. I took some over to <a href="http://www.andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com/main/index.html">AMIK</a> and they were destroyed. One of my favorite foods. And you can play with them. I love making them with turkey, roasted green chili's, and sun dried tomatoes, with a prickly pear mostarda,but that is for a later blog. If you like, send me your recipe for meat cookies, I will make them and post the results on my blog. Send to awinters813gmail.com and remember, Source local and love your meat!!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-29807593396406087762011-09-09T17:25:00.000-05:002011-09-09T17:25:12.081-05:00Saucisson D'Alsace-LorraineSounds pretty fancy, right. As you may know by now I love all things sausage. I could be the Bubba Gump of the sausage world. Everything needs a little pork in it. And one thing I have never made was a Fresh French Sausage. And hey from what I hear the french kinda know what they are talking about when it comes to food. Just saying. So I stumbled across this recipe in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CHARCUTERIE-FRENCH-PORK-COOKERY-Grigson/dp/1902304888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315606055&sr=8-1">Charcuterie and french pork cookery</a> I knew I Had to give it a shot. The first step is to make a small batch of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatre_%C3%A9pices">Quatre Espices</a>, also known as Pate Spice, do not waste your money and purchase this pre made, very simple, and you most likely already have all of the components at home.<br />
<ul><li>30g black peppercorns ground</li>
<li>8g freshly grated nutmeg</li>
<li>6g ground cinnamon</li>
<li>6g freshly ground cloves</li>
</ul>Simple as that. This is a great spice to have on hand for any French, or Middle eastern cooking. Time to get my Mis En Place going.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0LQ5lvguVkU5AZZRTsr3yOZAOWH5bDoxBtVW7oCDXSaLcxVVeNxSSFqg6lI1H3yYlvkE0kq_IJktaYjHJujDccS5gaw8FzASZzKNoPYKkRHOUEwIKlVip3viGxR0p4egEPU1uyVpRqU/s1600/S1330005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0LQ5lvguVkU5AZZRTsr3yOZAOWH5bDoxBtVW7oCDXSaLcxVVeNxSSFqg6lI1H3yYlvkE0kq_IJktaYjHJujDccS5gaw8FzASZzKNoPYKkRHOUEwIKlVip3viGxR0p4egEPU1uyVpRqU/s320/S1330005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><ul><li>910g Pork Shoulder</li>
<li>454g Back Fat</li>
<li>24g Kosher salt</li>
<li>.3g Ground Ginger</li>
<li>1g Ground white pepper</li>
<li>6g Dextrose</li>
<li>1.7g Quatra Espices</li>
<li>3g Cure #1</li>
</ul>As you can see this is a very basic, mildly spiced sausage. I am a long way from 'Nduja here!! Like with all sausages you want everything as clean and as cold as possible. I cut the shoulder and the fat into long strips and put in the freezer until almost frozen. My grinder and mixing bowl went in as well.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLxTZjjJXGbjWWNFnSifMzT7rzdYx6b6_WvRrT2RTA65ris3yYHBYQ1JhsmrmKKIT3IECwzKWGVpUwpofk0um16Kz8-czqkCbXU_csvLqRFWXVdRTzsBybIAjWBo202a6oQ7sJwqOaKU/s1600/S1330006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLxTZjjJXGbjWWNFnSifMzT7rzdYx6b6_WvRrT2RTA65ris3yYHBYQ1JhsmrmKKIT3IECwzKWGVpUwpofk0um16Kz8-czqkCbXU_csvLqRFWXVdRTzsBybIAjWBo202a6oQ7sJwqOaKU/s320/S1330006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I ground this through with the fine plate on my grinder, mixed in the spices, and mixed in my kitchen aid mixer for three minutes on low to ensure all of the spices mixed completely. I then took a small sample of the sausage and fried in a pan to check for seasoning. The salt is on point, I was hoping for more flavor out of the sausage. It is mildly sweet, with a spicy finish. When I say spicy it is not a hot spicy, but a savory spice due to the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. This would be great with some white beans with a drizzle of olive oil, and some fried sage. Sounds like dinner. After stuffing the sausages I hung them to dry for a little.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmroi7a4xbA5XNm7ezhD8jOUdFBtG4FeaEvBJxl440ZwziBZxhC5MPvMcL93DcRBZ8u3TqD3JcdqMpW_oBhQt9sfYyaqXYu2xvpgCV5eosP-N2CIVeOPMQTCJiEIztbHn5h72dB05TdxA/s1600/S1330008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmroi7a4xbA5XNm7ezhD8jOUdFBtG4FeaEvBJxl440ZwziBZxhC5MPvMcL93DcRBZ8u3TqD3JcdqMpW_oBhQt9sfYyaqXYu2xvpgCV5eosP-N2CIVeOPMQTCJiEIztbHn5h72dB05TdxA/s320/S1330008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I know this looks pretty strange, but it works. By drying out the casings for a short time it helps the sausage hold its shape better when being packaged. Some sausages, I will hang in the refer for twenty four hours to develop more flavor and to firm up a little. These I left out for 45min until the casing was dry. This will really help you get that snap, when you bite into the sausage. Bon Appitete. Source local and Love your meat.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-47538613215576320052011-09-09T11:42:00.000-05:002011-09-09T11:42:01.115-05:00Spanish ChorizoThe first time I had a really good authentic Spanish Chorizo was when I was in Valencia Spain. It was cut up small and sauteed as the base of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paella">Paella,</a> the national dish of Spain. The flavors in this dish are amazing, and me being the food geek that I am, have to make as many of the components of a dish. Only downside is that it will take weeks to get everything ready, to put the dish together. There is a great blog out there, that I have mentioned before called <a href="http://mattikaarts.com/blog/">Wrightfood,</a> he has great how to recipes, not only Charcuterie by the way. When I saw his post on Spanish Chorizo, I had to give it a go, and put my twist on it, of course. You will have to excuse the lack of prep pictures in this post. The first step to making a good sausage is your ingredients. I got the pork from <a href="http://newmanfarm.com/">Newman Farms,</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piment_d%27Espelette">Piment D'Espelette</a>, here on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041QB5KI">amazon.</a> The Piment is the key to this salumi. Very rich, smokey, and delicious. See the Mis en Place below.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYwA91SbAKImJl1fHkSIV9Gaw4M68ukDUu9qyYcj1nU0tQq7Fs35ewx7W6wEWIj7cwAK17ZOu81j56EaV68uMyOYUXpBZ-aPc92QmGT_aVWomVZsWPxOe0BZ2lSNAWjBHBTV-IWDdXUI/s1600/S1290017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYwA91SbAKImJl1fHkSIV9Gaw4M68ukDUu9qyYcj1nU0tQq7Fs35ewx7W6wEWIj7cwAK17ZOu81j56EaV68uMyOYUXpBZ-aPc92QmGT_aVWomVZsWPxOe0BZ2lSNAWjBHBTV-IWDdXUI/s320/S1290017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>1700g Pork Shoulder</li>
<li>207g Pork fat back</li>
<li>52g Kosher salt</li>
<li>4.5g Cure #2</li>
<li>7.6g Dextrose</li>
<li>11.4g Black pepper ground</li>
<li>32g Piment D'Espelette</li>
<li>2g Hot Peperonchino Powder</li>
<li>10g Fresh garlic, grated on a microplane</li>
<li>1Tbs Bactoferm TSPX</li>
<li>30mil Distilled water with a pinch of dextrose.</li>
<li>Hog casings, soaked a min of 30 minutes in tepid water with a Tbs of distilled vinegar.</li>
</ul><br />
First step in making any type of fermented sausage is to ensure everything that is going to be in contact with the meat is very, very clean, and cold.<br />
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Slice your pork shoulder, and back fat into long strips and place in the freezer until almost frozen. During this time, assemble all of your other ingredients. Add your starter culture to the 30mil of distilled water with a pinch of dextrose to wake the culture up. Always make sure you use distilled water, never tap water. Place your meat grinder parts in the freezer.<br />
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Grind the meat and fat thru the fine disk of your meat grinder, into a bowl that is sitting in ice. Once again, the cold is your friend here. If your meat mixture gets to warm, your are not only going to get a nasty fat smear, but also can be introducing bacteria into your salumi.<br />
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Add all of your ingredients to your meat mixture and mix at a low speed until very well incorporated. Keep mixing until you start to see a small white film building up on the side of the bowl, this is the fat emulsifying with the meat mixture and getting nice and tacky.<br />
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Stuff this mixture into hog casings and create about a Twelve inch loop, to hang. Reserve a small amount of the meat mixture, wrap in clear film and hang with the salumi in the cure chamber to test the PH. See below.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOtd_lH2kWdeFJNabsOxidYoLYX4qyOlT2pVBAsEu1tq4j8RIqszKW93bFX46s7Vi5vGBl9-Vl2OuveRvSX9IzVKa_HRrcsBJcwRporYtJ1vT95Ly1HfTu4cQGN-aRwIs4ARugdlRv3c/s1600/S1290019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOtd_lH2kWdeFJNabsOxidYoLYX4qyOlT2pVBAsEu1tq4j8RIqszKW93bFX46s7Vi5vGBl9-Vl2OuveRvSX9IzVKa_HRrcsBJcwRporYtJ1vT95Ly1HfTu4cQGN-aRwIs4ARugdlRv3c/s320/S1290019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is the Chorizo pre mold culture and fermentation. The sausage got sprayed with M-EK-4 Sausage mold, and went into the <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/08/fermentation-chamber-for-salumi.html">fermentation Chamber</a> for 35hrs at 75 degrees F and 80-85%RH. Using a PH test strip check to see the PH of your meat. Mix a small amount of meat with distilled water and test. Once this is below 5.3 you are ready to hang the salumi. Here is a post fermentation pic.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WyX1cGQIdOtKBdNkZiCS4vKPAAyRxS5RIRgS5qT3Iexlv3fHES96t5UNK5_G15Hg76QY-yN5C7ZELqXZQT9MKJMMLHYT4nngfkS0PoZSY8SZrcPfN1XcXv9PRV7BL5cIV9jBpqtgTV0/s1600/S1300001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WyX1cGQIdOtKBdNkZiCS4vKPAAyRxS5RIRgS5qT3Iexlv3fHES96t5UNK5_G15Hg76QY-yN5C7ZELqXZQT9MKJMMLHYT4nngfkS0PoZSY8SZrcPfN1XcXv9PRV7BL5cIV9jBpqtgTV0/s320/S1300001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>You can see that it has already firmed up quite a bit and has started to bloom with good salumi mould. This will hang in the <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-cure-chamber.html">cure chamber</a> until it has lost at least 35% moisture and is firm to the touch. I was very happy with the mould culture that I used. This is how it looked a week later in the cure chamber.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4GtFWHfjhbM/TmFeskv8ETI/AAAAAAAAAR0/IYh3o8QQpWE/s1600/9-2-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4GtFWHfjhbM/TmFeskv8ETI/AAAAAAAAAR0/IYh3o8QQpWE/s320/9-2-11.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The Chorizo is on the far right, with some Peperone in the middle. This stuff is turning out great. Making some tweaks here and there but overall I am diggin it. Have had a couple epic fails, and some great success. The latest version of peperone was ready last night and is freaking amazing. I will post an updated recipe soon. In the mean time, Source local and Love your meat.!!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-73505800926912980012011-09-04T22:44:00.000-05:002011-09-04T22:44:14.709-05:00'Nduja, at last!!This is the salumi that started it all for me. Sure I have been making some fresh sausages for a long time. But this mystical salumi made of fire is what really got into my Charcuterie obsession and more. I spent some time in Italy years ago when I was in the Marine Corps, and I always remembered this insanely spicy, spreadable, and amazing sausage I used to get before I got on the train. Turns out it is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nduja">'Nduja.</a> I met some guys who have really helped me along in my charcuterie endeavors. Andy and Michael from <a href="http://www.andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com/main/index.html">AMIK if</a> you read my blog at all you know who I am talking about. Mike and I were sitting around on the back patio one night having a couple cocktails and started talking about how great it would be to find someone local to make salumi and especially 'Nduja. I said, Hell I can do that, and started my research. Up to this point I have been making some of the easier things, Guanciale, Peperone, Soppresseta, etc... All amazing, then I decided to tackle 'Nduja. With some help from Scott, from <a href="http://www.sausagedebauchery.com/">The Sausage Debauchery</a> who has an entire online store dedicated to his pursuit of Calabrian products. I got the ball rolling. Okay onto the 'Nduja, pronounced (in-Doo-Yah) This salumi is made from the fattier parts of a pig, the Belly and the Jowl, as well as thirty... Don't be afraid I said thirty percent is hot peppers. The fat content of this salumi is 40-50% making it a spreadable salumi. The meat and fat are ground, seasoned with salt, peppe rossa, hot peperonciono powder and then worked into a fiery paste. Check out the amount of peppers in the picture below.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEmZAOuosp0yjGHtsMt3bokqfmx7l0VIPw0rHQ1-5bqPOnFY3-EbyXmNBfJmyO7mDwni2-T-CFqkxGNxUX9eSZMaHOT9hyphenhyphen88EWLe63_eP1VDQk1B0JuN7oFCckpDB_3G6XNkxp1iyTxo/s1600/S1320001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEmZAOuosp0yjGHtsMt3bokqfmx7l0VIPw0rHQ1-5bqPOnFY3-EbyXmNBfJmyO7mDwni2-T-CFqkxGNxUX9eSZMaHOT9hyphenhyphen88EWLe63_eP1VDQk1B0JuN7oFCckpDB_3G6XNkxp1iyTxo/s320/S1320001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Compare this to the amount of Meat that went into this salumi. I used 50% pork jowl, and 50% Pork belly (all from <a href="http://newmanfarm.com/">Newman farms</a> of course!!!)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wHXh_oEe7cqA52CmXLaFyoMB5i9igEXohVKqfym9WRQK9nf5KgJveeUNan_GwXDDMeVAWtkj-qaPgeMgXWRhwm1JtTDtHq6miXWCg7i167QmruWH6A8V9Lh0RHEPRRJz1ZgxN0KALTw/s1600/S1320002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wHXh_oEe7cqA52CmXLaFyoMB5i9igEXohVKqfym9WRQK9nf5KgJveeUNan_GwXDDMeVAWtkj-qaPgeMgXWRhwm1JtTDtHq6miXWCg7i167QmruWH6A8V9Lh0RHEPRRJz1ZgxN0KALTw/s320/S1320002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The meat was put into the freezer for about an hour to get cold and hard, so it would mince better in the grinder. Notice the long strips of meat that I cut, most recipes call for cutting your meat into small cubes before grinding, I do not agree. When you have the long strips the meat feeds itself thru the grinder on its own, cutting down on the friction from pushing the meat, and ending up with a more uniform product. Plush this is what Chris Constantino does and he is a meat master. So I ground me some pork.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEUtW4PFUXGQS8pEg7rAkxhuZJetyEmgdlL4ahQfebEhNO1wG213VSUxjN9brMKb38N4n0JlhE2c1q6Puo64nNp6F7AfCsw3z6WwyPsjRrIJFEfiHY7J0_LR_svwIB5F7lM21wSmyTjc/s1600/S1320004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEUtW4PFUXGQS8pEg7rAkxhuZJetyEmgdlL4ahQfebEhNO1wG213VSUxjN9brMKb38N4n0JlhE2c1q6Puo64nNp6F7AfCsw3z6WwyPsjRrIJFEfiHY7J0_LR_svwIB5F7lM21wSmyTjc/s320/S1320004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Don't be afraid of all that fat you see, this is a spreadable Salumi and needs all the fat, Plus imagine this as a topping on a wood fired pizza.... Wait....sorry I needed a moment. After the meat was ground I hooked up the old Kitchen aid bowl and got to mixing some spices as well as the starter culture.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEfwov7BLYQoK6rlZp2AojHzkBDHDCnH9I8LJb8du4ftSxsnr7K-93p4F6SFU3r7a8cLyrS8wwyHuPnF2RKLqpT7_cZlC97Ht6Zvst4k_SUGEvXJCi2RSDV0z6iZU16Skms7kZZFOUuc/s1600/S1320005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEfwov7BLYQoK6rlZp2AojHzkBDHDCnH9I8LJb8du4ftSxsnr7K-93p4F6SFU3r7a8cLyrS8wwyHuPnF2RKLqpT7_cZlC97Ht6Zvst4k_SUGEvXJCi2RSDV0z6iZU16Skms7kZZFOUuc/s320/S1320005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Look at the color of that meat, I know the bowl is sitting next to an other bowl of Juicy beef middles. These things smell like Mike Hudmans foot, but can be cleaned if you soak them in tepid water with a couple Tbs of white vinegar.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRG3Ehtu6wXq_8fu57H4XPGI8gJfMwIik1rQn-pdTRmgr1OhOqDUK_A3YZ-Q_EBQ38FNp9Q1jBspXT4f-H-3Yv9vbbmK23lnduwEI6mktL-PwIvk_IfOjZROpigptwNtXedRMsPIUCYYo/s1600/S1320006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRG3Ehtu6wXq_8fu57H4XPGI8gJfMwIik1rQn-pdTRmgr1OhOqDUK_A3YZ-Q_EBQ38FNp9Q1jBspXT4f-H-3Yv9vbbmK23lnduwEI6mktL-PwIvk_IfOjZROpigptwNtXedRMsPIUCYYo/s320/S1320006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The paste here reminds me of the hot desert sands of Arizona. Red, hard, and really spicy. And trust me it is. I cooked up a small piece to check the seasoning.... woke up a few minutes later not sure if I should call an ambulance or the food network. It is really that hot and good!!!! I got my sausage stuffer going and this is what came out with minor coaxing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LTViIgKpNrKDDYiEPMLHIkeND1J6pdscbh_zRbzO7umf3kjfn2H2dvYjfdMO3upUHcqlQ2e2aWSayk3w6ez9J_7jaqda9vm-Vf02J5Vw-T4gOoO4JbYxOMO-kwhYAnXsF5JvSoHTXcY/s1600/S1320008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LTViIgKpNrKDDYiEPMLHIkeND1J6pdscbh_zRbzO7umf3kjfn2H2dvYjfdMO3upUHcqlQ2e2aWSayk3w6ez9J_7jaqda9vm-Vf02J5Vw-T4gOoO4JbYxOMO-kwhYAnXsF5JvSoHTXcY/s320/S1320008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I stuffed them, weighed them, trussed them and then hang them in the <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/08/fermentation-chamber-for-salumi.html">incubation chamber</a> I made for at least 48 hours.This is how they will look after fermentation.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwh9-mTMshdvG8rx-T7Pyy2EfkcMY8k7U7vPKFBZlWky8IHwyGUSezh_YmYTDatxFcPWGj7EMuuWkcbFH3ZBvU6ehNwnk8P28ILyuogu9LcUYc9hwM-olM9eMv600OskvdPIBMD9RGSDA/s1600/post+ferment+nduja.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwh9-mTMshdvG8rx-T7Pyy2EfkcMY8k7U7vPKFBZlWky8IHwyGUSezh_YmYTDatxFcPWGj7EMuuWkcbFH3ZBvU6ehNwnk8P28ILyuogu9LcUYc9hwM-olM9eMv600OskvdPIBMD9RGSDA/s320/post+ferment+nduja.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Pretty big difference, they are much firmer and the color is beautiful. This will dry in the <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-cure-chamber.html">cure chamber</a> for a minimum of sixty days up to one year. I will alternate cold smoking them to impart a deeper and richer flavor. Here is a picture of the batch I have running now, the 'Nduja is on the left.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2Vp4ocGAHIFlVzTI_taexHbG5leSAZxPDDrYh5_LSCc_lz73Y-AoijzvTFa_jx946DYgGyBIEEFSunpAqmo_qyag_8mX7tdjhMlCBiDtHc2AiG_GMvM2hxx7yYX8S7aAfnPoxgEcius/s1600/8-30-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2Vp4ocGAHIFlVzTI_taexHbG5leSAZxPDDrYh5_LSCc_lz73Y-AoijzvTFa_jx946DYgGyBIEEFSunpAqmo_qyag_8mX7tdjhMlCBiDtHc2AiG_GMvM2hxx7yYX8S7aAfnPoxgEcius/s320/8-30-11.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Thank you for all of you that check out my blog. It is really a labor of love, you spend a lot of time and money and hope that people are reading. I have not posted in a while but have been doing some pretty cool things. Made some great Soppresseta, some mortadella hot dogs that I think are amazing. I have also made the decision to start up my own Charcuterie company. Keep your eye out on the Burning River Meat Co. I am hoping to do some good things with some friends of mine, and get the city of Memphis looking towards its roots and getting some good cured meats. Remember, Source Local and Love your meat!!!!!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-52693498096053302712011-08-28T19:25:00.001-05:002011-08-28T19:41:15.977-05:00Papa's French DressingMy family has always been all about food. My grandfather Edward Ptacek Sr. was a huge influence with me and my culinary devotion. He is the one that got my mom going and in turn me from her. He cooked for a huge family, and put his heart and soul into it. I was at the store with my cousin the other day and we were craving some of Papa's dressing. This is nothing fancy, but I have adjusted it a little from his original. Every time I taste it I get taken back to the house on Marshfield, sitting at the table, making sure my elbows did not touch the table and sharing a meal with my grandparents. He would pull this dressing out of the fridge in a huge mason jar that had garlic cloves suspended in it.... Sorry I started drooling. Anyway here you are.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kAw3CIDqRtCHbVlp97loHlXfSCdvuh7_O8kaLNGw5YHl5F3rLlCigurUr948Q5cmpcVSmdHIv5WWsNRPbijddyQOF8pbp9f6gU-EmLjypRDCZOkkvHapxJF8Na6_XXvb2w0j1JZmLTs/s1600/S1290030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kAw3CIDqRtCHbVlp97loHlXfSCdvuh7_O8kaLNGw5YHl5F3rLlCigurUr948Q5cmpcVSmdHIv5WWsNRPbijddyQOF8pbp9f6gU-EmLjypRDCZOkkvHapxJF8Na6_XXvb2w0j1JZmLTs/s320/S1290030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<ul><li>2ea Campbell's tomato soup 10 3/4oz each</li>
<li>350ms Apple Cider Vinegar</li>
<li>20g Kosher salt</li>
<li>2g Szeged Hungarian Paprika</li>
<li>20ml Worcestershire Sauce</li>
<li>2g Tellicherry black pepper ground</li>
<li>2g Colman's mustard powder</li>
<li>800ml Vegetable oil</li>
<li>6g celery seed</li>
<li>169g Spanish onion finely minced</li>
<li>10g garlic minced using a micro plane</li>
<li>20g local honey</li>
<li>3 ea clove garlic, one for each jar lightly crushed.</li>
</ul>Mix all ingredients except for the oil and the garlic together in a large bowl. Pour the oil slowly into the bowl while whisking quickly to emulsify the mixture. Portion the dressing out between Mason jars. Place one extra clove of smashed garlic into each jar for extra flavor.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCIWyYX_OZBy3aczFJdQ9CuI_ojfXUIpW7eOLqWlmuMSCQ3vnIsb0fgoGqBHtSf_0T_lDe4KaDiFQMpKdFXm2zSiFevWLvp7lNFVnJYZ-ZQ9pU5NrYdSTksDqb540Fj5Ie2vwQy6Y28k/s1600/S1290032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCIWyYX_OZBy3aczFJdQ9CuI_ojfXUIpW7eOLqWlmuMSCQ3vnIsb0fgoGqBHtSf_0T_lDe4KaDiFQMpKdFXm2zSiFevWLvp7lNFVnJYZ-ZQ9pU5NrYdSTksDqb540Fj5Ie2vwQy6Y28k/s400/S1290032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>That is my Pappa on the left and Grandma on the right. Miss them every day. I know this is not the fanciest salad dressing out there, but this is my comfort food. I have deviated from Pappa's original and I think that this is the best version. Some of the Ptacek's may not agree with me. I'm okay with that. This is great on a salad with crisp lettuce, hard boiled eggs, bacon, peas, and a little blue cheese crumble. Wow I'm hungry, and for a fat guy to get hungry for salad that is saying a lot. Time to go make the bacon to go along with this salad. Remember, source local and love your meat!!!!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-49978015770963360202011-08-28T19:04:00.000-05:002011-08-28T19:04:27.047-05:00Pickled PeppersI went to the <a href="http://www.memphisfarmersmarket.org/">Memphis Farmers market</a> this weekend and picked up a bunch of great meats and produce. I got some pork from <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newmanfarm.com%2F&ei=hdRaTrnSLMLDgQfg__ijDA&usg=AFQjCNFqjgtIHDPzf0A68KwLjfpy2rsvaQ">Newman farms</a>, some beef from <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.neolafarms.com%2F&ei=oNRaTvy0Jo_ogQfR3Ni_DA&usg=AFQjCNEeefShDP_ZsLOtwGtxCH-WuFn2Pg">Neola farms</a>, and a bunch of vegetables from assorted stands. I got some great looking peppers from one of them. They looked just like the cover of one of my new cookbooks, <a href="http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=CouNY5NRaTtjICojctweC1c2uDsurt50Cw8jYqSr__PfhUggAEAFQp_qJnwdgya6VipykhBTIAQGqBBlP0Nb7bmKVDq-E5ri33FkVGzhyMDIrxLfZugUTCLza2NeX86oCFcFs4Aod3kIRw8oFAA&ei=5NRaTrzYCMHZgQfehcWYDA&sig=AOD64_2dP5dGjnsIUntztA0xTs-edHtn1Q&sqi=2&ved=0CAoQ0Qw&adurl=http://www.amazon.com/dp/0393065162/%3Ftag%3Dgooghydr-20%26hvadid%3D11274148899%26ref%3Dpd_sl_8eide4zhbx_e">My Calabria</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudJlsW-Odqov-fMBlUQbQ5cDrqkHX4t12sFi1dGkC3c_g3r_-lJf0T9iixaqe9GKU70SoQE2c0WIxBJGNQzlfrY0ytKsZ1Ja-epqgf1drGjYPXsVi4O3AvgRN1sKur3AMtcQ8ZYaCvFg/s1600/S1290022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudJlsW-Odqov-fMBlUQbQ5cDrqkHX4t12sFi1dGkC3c_g3r_-lJf0T9iixaqe9GKU70SoQE2c0WIxBJGNQzlfrY0ytKsZ1Ja-epqgf1drGjYPXsVi4O3AvgRN1sKur3AMtcQ8ZYaCvFg/s320/S1290022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a>I rinsed the peppers and cut the stems, then got all of my other ingredients ready. Little Mis En Place!!<br />
<ul><li>274 g Hot peppers</li>
<li>120g Spanish onions, Frenched</li>
<li>12g Garlic cloves lightly crushed approx. 3</li>
<li>10g Tellicherry Peppercorns</li>
<li>23g Granulated Sugar</li>
<li>7g Coriander seed whole</li>
<li>2g Dill seed whole</li>
<li>23g Kosher salt</li>
<li>3ea bay leaves</li>
<li>450ml Champagne Vinegar</li>
<li>200ml White Vinegar</li>
<li>225ml Distilled water</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><li>3ea pint size mason jars.</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0KytxOKRk0pu7jwKIdDgHtci2HlsrDI1R8-T1zBx6IWstIlfMKQn6gw4EOI0RRc3hcBh4bsM3Rwt6xz7Xj8duZC5yg2af_w5fZW5HnjNf1Rff5wbYE01Fe3F2io0F77HUjDcFu8UkiQ/s1600/S1290025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0KytxOKRk0pu7jwKIdDgHtci2HlsrDI1R8-T1zBx6IWstIlfMKQn6gw4EOI0RRc3hcBh4bsM3Rwt6xz7Xj8duZC5yg2af_w5fZW5HnjNf1Rff5wbYE01Fe3F2io0F77HUjDcFu8UkiQ/s400/S1290025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Combine all liquids, and spices and put in a medium size saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until all of the sugar and salt has dissolved completely. While this is cooking, divide the peppers, onions, and garlic evenly in the mason jars. Pour the pickling liquid over the pepper mixture. Make sure you try to get an even amount of spices from the pan into each jar. Cap your mason jars and let cool to room temp.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXqbGe4mgZdkI3dIXssSeRUm70wIKQFIG8Z6T-zL90kaT73l05jzphmoUdj3o65_0dnopMwvIJMzis41CMYpMSOmqSAXo9kNRtnTj3XID5fTwaNIDoKqaEX-wR0_ZNLeVqLN_4G1-_UA/s1600/S1290027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXqbGe4mgZdkI3dIXssSeRUm70wIKQFIG8Z6T-zL90kaT73l05jzphmoUdj3o65_0dnopMwvIJMzis41CMYpMSOmqSAXo9kNRtnTj3XID5fTwaNIDoKqaEX-wR0_ZNLeVqLN_4G1-_UA/s400/S1290027.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Let these peppers sit in the fridge for at least one week before using. These can be served whole or sliced thinly. These are great on top of a roast pork sandwich, sliced very thinly on some great bread. Also a big fan of them in some fish Tacos. Settle down Bryan. I know this is not typical of what I am normally posting, but get over it. Don't forget, Source Local and Love your Meat. I am thinking about starting up a little Charcuterie company, any ideas for names!! Throw me some Ideas, If I pick it you will get a great gift box of my cured goodness.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-82679070234082129032011-08-19T18:06:00.000-05:002011-08-19T18:06:04.959-05:00PeperoneThis recipe is adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393058298?ie=UTF8&tag=curmea-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393058298">charcuterie</a> by Ruhlman and Polcyn. Have you ever had a good peperone? Don't worry my spell check is working. I am not talking about the Italian American version of pepperoni, that has been bastardized by the big food makers here in this country. I grew up loving pepperoni pizza, then I went to Italy and got some and was blown away. It was not that fatty, mixed meat, mildly spicy salumi that I knew from childhood. This was robust, meaty, and ridonculously delicious. This is traditionally made from beef, but here we have added chicken, turkey and other pieces parts to get the cost down. I think you will be surprised by the ingredients, or lack of them. The lips and assholes have been left out and only high quality ingredients are left. This is a pic of what I am talking about.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Wuj0tuuot1JxreVAVDD8WiHhLOAg3pkkH2yPjR9SDq0IM8cy6qWUhQ0BxiBfmsqJ72c9kCnu-vjj8Q87UxvWE6MOCQMFoV2fRP2272ivNe_82mmJUoeY6seQZpOj9jCKojX5mEfD-g/s1600/S1220001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Wuj0tuuot1JxreVAVDD8WiHhLOAg3pkkH2yPjR9SDq0IM8cy6qWUhQ0BxiBfmsqJ72c9kCnu-vjj8Q87UxvWE6MOCQMFoV2fRP2272ivNe_82mmJUoeY6seQZpOj9jCKojX5mEfD-g/s320/S1220001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<a name='more'></a>You are going to have to forgive the lack of pictures for this post. I pulled a Hoefling during the middle of this and got distracted. Don't worry the few that know what that means are rolling right now. As I have discussed earlier in some of my posts, the purpose of the blog is to hope that I can turn people back to look at their roots, to see where the food comes from. To get away from all of the growth hormones, and processed foods. I am truly embarrassed as to what we call American cheese. Hey.. don't think that I don't like this country or that I am not a patriot. I fought for my country, I spent a large portion of my early adulthood in the Marine Corps. I love this land, I want to get back to where we used to be. I have traveled all over this world and have seen some amazing food. We can get there again. Okay, back to the Peperone. Pepperoni is actually a corruption of the word peperoni, the plural of Peperone, the Italian word for pepper. The vegetable not the spice. When immigrants came to this country they made due with what they had and have made the semi modern interpretation of pepperoni. What we have on our pizzas is not close, it is so damn mass produced that you lose the flavor. People think it is more healthy with Turkey and chicken in it. But wonder what parts are in it, and all of the chemicals and stabilizers put in, and ..... Damn getting side tracked again. Back to the meat. <br />
<br />
I sourced my beef from a the local farmers market. <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.memphisfarmersmarket.org%2F&ei=J-dOTumkKsaSgQfP1ZDfBg&usg=AFQjCNF1rrRvP3Rvbar8NO0kHJELHEU9Hw">Memphis farmers market</a>, I go there every Saturday and get my supplies for my charcuterie. I paid a visit to <a href="http://www.neolafarms.com/">Neola farms </a> stand and got some chuck. This meat is amazing. I got some ground beef and made a few burgers.... and shut the front door they were awesome. Here is the recipe.<br />
<ul><li>1144g Chuck steak or stew beef</li>
<li>20g Kosher salt</li>
<li>20g dextrose</li>
<li>3g cure #2</li>
<li>4.5g cayenne pepper</li>
<li>4g <a href="http://www.sausagedebauchery.com/admin/uploads/sweet.jpg">Pepe Rossa </a>have to check out this site to get your salumi supplies!!!!</li>
<li>.5g Allspice</li>
<li>1g Fennel ground finely in mortar and pestle</li>
<li>8g Paprika</li>
<li>45g NFD(non fat dry milk powder)</li>
<li>15mill Dry red wine, I used Chianti (please no liver jokes, have a post coming for that)</li>
<li>7g starter culture Bactoferm</li>
<li>30mill Distilled watter with a pinch of dextrose </li>
<li>5ft/1.5meters hog casing rinsed and soaked in tepid water minimum of thirty minutes.</li>
</ul>First step is to get your meat sliced and into the freezer to get as cold as possible without freezing through. You need it a little crunchy, this will help you have well defined meat pieces in your salumi without getting fat smear. This is a very lean salumi, you can see that no additional fat is added it is around 95/5 meat to fat ratio. Now get your mis en place done.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TDQ9RCAcch0b-0DsSqjx7MnGbKeO-wEKsRxW_su-BppFLA_xDpN3DGkyex_rfTfQVWrXPpR7-u03i54otqr00AQhWrsX3vd5ZJ55RUM7Joe4PtN9Zm9_hBmZqESedGc8mTv0BxgFLts/s1600/S1210006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TDQ9RCAcch0b-0DsSqjx7MnGbKeO-wEKsRxW_su-BppFLA_xDpN3DGkyex_rfTfQVWrXPpR7-u03i54otqr00AQhWrsX3vd5ZJ55RUM7Joe4PtN9Zm9_hBmZqESedGc8mTv0BxgFLts/s320/S1210006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_z8vQGHY4RBjluRWJS4Tv2jYHr3PS2tv7mzKCvlRQQA_7KKPk96xVZwrPG3Q2yy-xAGPmCNWoux1F62EhemYzJufGpv2rq7J79JvQFJGGaci_o3wkZQkeXU3qAz-ZFzS52b0_xn7ABo/s1600/S1210007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_z8vQGHY4RBjluRWJS4Tv2jYHr3PS2tv7mzKCvlRQQA_7KKPk96xVZwrPG3Q2yy-xAGPmCNWoux1F62EhemYzJufGpv2rq7J79JvQFJGGaci_o3wkZQkeXU3qAz-ZFzS52b0_xn7ABo/s320/S1210007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As you can see there is a lot to go into a small amount of sausage, should be very flavor full. Grind your meat and add all of the spices, except the liquids. Use the paddle attachment on your kitchen aid mixer, or just attack with a very strong spatula and mix thoroughly, then ad your starter culture and wine. Mix this completely. Make sure you incorporate all parts equally. Stuff these into your hog casings and make 10 inch links. Use a sausage pricker to get out any air bubbles.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkM4HLzkZ_ccoOdgWqx26lNrboLPAlen0li3jTTBHKzIt1MlmozNvfvXEqtvHrUpemW-jQ05Kc-CrYnaPBD4UCcbOTer1vI06K41dLqO7JCQgjs5nGJJPi36VV80bUzG5bQ0kg5V0gQY/s1600/S1210008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkM4HLzkZ_ccoOdgWqx26lNrboLPAlen0li3jTTBHKzIt1MlmozNvfvXEqtvHrUpemW-jQ05Kc-CrYnaPBD4UCcbOTer1vI06K41dLqO7JCQgjs5nGJJPi36VV80bUzG5bQ0kg5V0gQY/s320/S1210008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is the peperone prefermentaion. Weigh and label your sausage to have your starting weight. I then put the salumi into the <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/08/fermentation-chamber-for-salumi.html">fermentation chamber</a> and hung at 85F and 80%RH for 12 hours to incubate the starter culture. The beneficial bacteria will grow and produce more lactic acid. Hang in your <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-cure-chamber.html">cure chamber</a> till 30% weight loss is reached, approx 12 to 18 days. You could also hot smoke your peperone, if you chose to do this smoke the peperone at 180F to an internal temperature of 145F about two hours. This is how the Perone looks after fermenting for 12hrs.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Wuj0tuuot1JxreVAVDD8WiHhLOAg3pkkH2yPjR9SDq0IM8cy6qWUhQ0BxiBfmsqJ72c9kCnu-vjj8Q87UxvWE6MOCQMFoV2fRP2272ivNe_82mmJUoeY6seQZpOj9jCKojX5mEfD-g/s1600/S1220001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Wuj0tuuot1JxreVAVDD8WiHhLOAg3pkkH2yPjR9SDq0IM8cy6qWUhQ0BxiBfmsqJ72c9kCnu-vjj8Q87UxvWE6MOCQMFoV2fRP2272ivNe_82mmJUoeY6seQZpOj9jCKojX5mEfD-g/s320/S1220001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Notice the difference. The salumi has firmed up, richness of color and lost a little weight. This is going to be great on some pizza soon, or just on a crostini with stinky cheese. That's how I roll. Remember, Source local and Love your meat. <br />
Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-43983799931792676782011-08-19T16:53:00.000-05:002011-08-19T16:53:52.648-05:00Salumi al Finocchietto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I have ventured farther into my Charcuterie obsession and have moved on to a more challenging aspect of the craft. Fermented Sausages and Salumis. As you all know, I Love Pork, and all that it encompasses. And what a better way to showcase some great pork, than to intensify its flavor by curing, fermenting, and drying it. The beginning to this and quite a few other salumi recipes are going to come from this 19lb, shoulder I got from Mark, from <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newmanfarm.com%2F&ei=5e1KTsGqKuPu0gGVrPTrBw&usg=AFQjCNFqjgtIHDPzf0A68KwLjfpy2rsvaQ">Newman Farms </a>. I am going to use everything on this beast!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1GAv3M6W5vpjAqjBQDj0Jtm0rc8GobYAOVT_V6Bvpxm298dNunF8k2cIx9t6EAl2jo7mGTfEBk31fYuhRsiZWCUtJBhzQ2c1QYM3UR42b7LnT1duyWyalA-zL003y0egkOhaN32ZlyU/s1600/19lb+shoulder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1GAv3M6W5vpjAqjBQDj0Jtm0rc8GobYAOVT_V6Bvpxm298dNunF8k2cIx9t6EAl2jo7mGTfEBk31fYuhRsiZWCUtJBhzQ2c1QYM3UR42b7LnT1duyWyalA-zL003y0egkOhaN32ZlyU/s320/19lb+shoulder.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Before being shaved, skinned, and broken down. Below is the outcome.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0_JRIctmkaquLCK1VlODm23rtWaWBOEajZh2X-4yYWJb9jzCE_YZmm5FCrqMlpVzIw2z1zGgRlP7f87pLdzbHdzihmY8WZTBsL0JukPDZdAWx7ahLcuf0Manxg524nIA3FPvI1mP1gU/s1600/shoulder+done.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0_JRIctmkaquLCK1VlODm23rtWaWBOEajZh2X-4yYWJb9jzCE_YZmm5FCrqMlpVzIw2z1zGgRlP7f87pLdzbHdzihmY8WZTBsL0JukPDZdAWx7ahLcuf0Manxg524nIA3FPvI1mP1gU/s320/shoulder+done.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>19 pound shoulder, done. This is going to make Salumi al Finocchietto, Tasso, Soppresseta di Calabria, and some fresh sausages with the mince. All posts coming soon to a blog near you, actually this one. First one I am tackling is Salumi al Finocchietto, I got this recipe from Jason over at <a href="http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/">Cured Meats</a>. He has been doing this much longer than me and has a great blog. I made a couple minor adjustments to his original.<br />
<ul><li>900g Pork shoulder</li>
<li>300g Fat back</li>
<li>80g Fatty pork belly (you can use all pork belly to total 380g, I wanted to use the rest of my fat)</li>
<li>30g Kosher salt</li>
<li>6g Fennel seed</li>
<li>6g Dextrose</li>
<li>3g cure #2 pink salt</li>
<li>2.5g Tellicherry black peppercorns coarsely ground</li>
<li>1g <a href="http://www.sausagedebauchery.com/admin/uploads/sweet.jpg">Pepe Rossa </a> (click link on where to buy, this is where I get all of my peppers, Thanks Scott)</li>
<li>35g reduced dry white wine</li>
<li>2ea cloves garlic smashed</li>
<li>1g starter culture TSPX Bacctoferm starter culture, mix with 30g distilled water with pinch of dextrose. Start this 30 minutes before mixing meat.</li>
<li>Beef middles, soaked in tepid water and white vinegar solution for two hours, flushing regularly.</li>
</ul>This Salumi directly translates to Salame with wild fennel. This is a basic salumi to get me started in the world of fermented meats. First step was to trim the meat and cut the meat and fat into strips, this helps it feed itself into the meat grinder.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNa4I07eiP0Y9o5Tnbz-7PP03kOYIRXMgJayC_DS6N9ak7FrR1jv4ZVx9-2e7LPKhQZsIQdM-Kx9Aqm1yeWt9B6ywzVYyWCmEc8S53be3c-UaytVa2apNvgKlZItppdeakolGmObbs74U/s1600/S1200004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNa4I07eiP0Y9o5Tnbz-7PP03kOYIRXMgJayC_DS6N9ak7FrR1jv4ZVx9-2e7LPKhQZsIQdM-Kx9Aqm1yeWt9B6ywzVYyWCmEc8S53be3c-UaytVa2apNvgKlZItppdeakolGmObbs74U/s320/S1200004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Look at how deep red the pork is. You don't see that often in commercially reared pork. After the meat is sliced it needs to be put in the freezer to get as cold as possible without freezing thru. I also put my meat grinder into the freezer at this time. It is a good idea to get all of you tools together that will be in contact with the meat, sanitize them and then get them cold as possible. I fill up my kitchen aid bowl with ice and water and put my tools in there to chill. Now take your beef middles that are covered in salt and rinse them in tepid water. Use the garden hose technique and let water pass thru them like.... well the poo that came out of them. Piece of advise, don't smell these buggers, they smell like where they came from, the middle of the digestive tract. After they are rinsed, put them in a bowl with tepid water and a couple tablespoons of distilled white vinegar. This will help get rid of the stinkyness and prohibit to much mold growth from the casing. I then got my mis en place together for my spices and liquids.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZla94gy8loybS8BZuimruBdmHmhBc3IMUfDX8KkmXexvSjUnwd-W8JdRjWcX8n4A3nOi89YffR80dupOpzu5-2q53xzGvwY5ZrxUt4d8KGe1kENC0kRaLr82-Anmvdhuc1MTJ4A7we8/s1600/S1200006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZla94gy8loybS8BZuimruBdmHmhBc3IMUfDX8KkmXexvSjUnwd-W8JdRjWcX8n4A3nOi89YffR80dupOpzu5-2q53xzGvwY5ZrxUt4d8KGe1kENC0kRaLr82-Anmvdhuc1MTJ4A7we8/s320/S1200006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Smash your two garlic cloves and put into a sauce pan with your white wine. Start with about one cup of white wine, and reduce this down.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVmYckymjAgzTCjpa8Ri-cBHL5kCh1jx2PJ_TS91CqZO6z52AIkM5LEgsyISSxmb67KQiRcZwWvD3DzzqqZVL0cdSJHvgLoQk8b_iJ04_DrwEs9YpGAIUXY2duaI03FoZTy0gcBGUBJs/s1600/S1200010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVmYckymjAgzTCjpa8Ri-cBHL5kCh1jx2PJ_TS91CqZO6z52AIkM5LEgsyISSxmb67KQiRcZwWvD3DzzqqZVL0cdSJHvgLoQk8b_iJ04_DrwEs9YpGAIUXY2duaI03FoZTy0gcBGUBJs/s320/S1200010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This serves two purposes, one it evaporates the alcohol content so that your sausage does not taste like raw alcohol. Two, it infuses the wine with the garlic flavor. When you have the wine reduced to 35g, toss the garlic, and put the wine in the refer to cool down before adding to the meat. Next step is to get the starter culture ready. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZDvxB2HpV5nriqVUqh94pnI2buQAEH0S5sAPIDMXXgF-TkrVaMj9rk5pJT97gUr6zoQtihmYicQWU9bw-e71BY3DdeIqJcAj0P4hLSRuukvCT2rNzFrDl0eLAkMPnr6bYbwOf0h5mHc/s1600/S1200008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZDvxB2HpV5nriqVUqh94pnI2buQAEH0S5sAPIDMXXgF-TkrVaMj9rk5pJT97gUr6zoQtihmYicQWU9bw-e71BY3DdeIqJcAj0P4hLSRuukvCT2rNzFrDl0eLAkMPnr6bYbwOf0h5mHc/s320/S1200008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Love using my fancy beakers for something!! Mix the starter culture in with the distilled water. Must use distilled water, there are to many things going on with your tap water. Remember we are fermenting salumi here, anything we introduce into the meat can provide harm full bacteria. Also a very good idea to wear gloves!! Put a pinch of dextrose in with the distilled water, this helps to wake up the culture. The culture does not smell like roses, little heads up there. Don't worry about that. Run your meat thru the meat grinder alternating between the meat and the fat. Once again you want to do this as cold and as fast as possible. The longer the fat is in contact with friction and your hands it will thaw and start to smear. You want defined pieces of fat in your salumi.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2pgwbdUu9fi7JmoZssM16Q3xnL8xad0zCzIGnae0eMt8nHEBj7FeLbhX37SsbOeKlFkfst84qO_bF6enHkPO9QzY1Z1_9T4luHWAJhkNlyhIKlvBA7pGBG4708S9wPzJ1X1u3zky44k/s1600/S1200016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2pgwbdUu9fi7JmoZssM16Q3xnL8xad0zCzIGnae0eMt8nHEBj7FeLbhX37SsbOeKlFkfst84qO_bF6enHkPO9QzY1Z1_9T4luHWAJhkNlyhIKlvBA7pGBG4708S9wPzJ1X1u3zky44k/s320/S1200016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here is the sausage mixture. I was not able to take any pics of the stuffing process. I need a sausage partner here to help. Don't read into that it would just make things easier to stuff sausage and blog about it. Here is a pic of the finished stuffed sausage.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEJ1Sy_VuG8i2Dn3XTNhR1kUgmNQiXaGS101X4NqlhXn4qqFo7bHqw8lBCEU2xNZR33NxfJ8sG926dRq7EQQYE7MS_vLBHiciBdcpw7FO-jgN7fa4tja4PCGomwYPURSSKLHNCyiUqX4/s1600/S1200018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEJ1Sy_VuG8i2Dn3XTNhR1kUgmNQiXaGS101X4NqlhXn4qqFo7bHqw8lBCEU2xNZR33NxfJ8sG926dRq7EQQYE7MS_vLBHiciBdcpw7FO-jgN7fa4tja4PCGomwYPURSSKLHNCyiUqX4/s320/S1200018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Notice how white the casing looks. Much different from when it is fermented. I then put the salumi into the <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/08/fermentation-chamber-for-salumi.html">fermentation chamber</a>, it is a little crowded due to all of the N'duja that is fermenting at the same time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBjttEz_YIHneZEf5vt9ZgJstE1vZb78VMO-QV2ImdMvBfrCqkXjtnz6W433CTydit1GCfu1upQ8LPdQxIsasP66B5oIj2iYfqdrdSb5m1heU9kNDo7MBk2AHwbxXYC41A9r4aAlckJo/s1600/S1200019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBjttEz_YIHneZEf5vt9ZgJstE1vZb78VMO-QV2ImdMvBfrCqkXjtnz6W433CTydit1GCfu1upQ8LPdQxIsasP66B5oIj2iYfqdrdSb5m1heU9kNDo7MBk2AHwbxXYC41A9r4aAlckJo/s320/S1200019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>These were fermented at about 82F and 80% humidity for 24hours. The result after the fermentation stage was a huge difference.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLu4mJwfP2jTDpcQ8yFzWGADyD9fGuprUcocpXoehMqc2CiAvaWqPVy92nGtoUXNCdscp3hf0BWiHPlxyS8UAUPvOt2hF3XgO9LhWQZi8ZPA_eSieDZY4Ic0VHjbkO92PRoj__OW2eAEw/s1600/post+ferment+finocchietto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLu4mJwfP2jTDpcQ8yFzWGADyD9fGuprUcocpXoehMqc2CiAvaWqPVy92nGtoUXNCdscp3hf0BWiHPlxyS8UAUPvOt2hF3XgO9LhWQZi8ZPA_eSieDZY4Ic0VHjbkO92PRoj__OW2eAEw/s320/post+ferment+finocchietto.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Here you can see all of the pieces of fat clearly. This was trussed and put into the <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-cure-chamber.html">cure chamber </a>until they have lost 30% water weight. They will hang at approx 57F and 72-75%RH. They have been in the chamber now for a little bit and have lost 20%. Stay tuned for a tasting post with this beautiful salumi. I have gone a little overboard with my cure chamber as of late. This is how it looks today.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57kcvW9nsTypTZvjs5VWTHGvBAw8-jDd1u5qt3O0wTgvZuA2q0glkTSnkTF9wUakCUnmQ1rilzTRHvkH0cHsB_JNAaScrbcMI_SS5Y3-jy_yma2jqUyQ4njXZRVj0LX0d85LvRUeuLCg/s1600/8-18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57kcvW9nsTypTZvjs5VWTHGvBAw8-jDd1u5qt3O0wTgvZuA2q0glkTSnkTF9wUakCUnmQ1rilzTRHvkH0cHsB_JNAaScrbcMI_SS5Y3-jy_yma2jqUyQ4njXZRVj0LX0d85LvRUeuLCg/s320/8-18.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As you can see I need to catch up on some posts. Remember, Source local and love your Meat!! Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-78286663851285013072011-08-14T09:47:00.000-05:002011-08-14T09:47:00.293-05:00To my friends in the UKI have been getting a lot of hits on my blog from those of you in the UK, (United Kingdom for you yanks). I am always curious to learn different cultures of cooking. What would any of you recommend that I try. Have a good recipe for black pudding, or Haggis I could try. I would love to open some local people to that delicious rustic food!! Keep checking back!! Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-25367481320638404222011-08-12T17:55:00.000-05:002011-08-12T17:55:09.115-05:00Fermentation Chamber for SalumiI have been getting pretty deep into this Charcuterie thing. The next big step is making some fermented salumis. This is not as easy as it may sound. I have been leaning a lot on some of my friends in the Charcuterie world, Jason from <a href="http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/">Cured meats</a>, Matt from <a href="http://mattikaarts.com/blog/">Wrightfood</a>(an amazing photographer as well) and Scott over at <a href="http://sausagedebauchery.blogspot.com/">Sausage Debauchery</a>. The advise they have given me plus all of the reading has led to this point. The journey in to fermented salumi's. <br />
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I have made the <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-cure-chamber.html">cure chamber</a>, now I needed to make the prequel for this. I took a lot of advice from Jason to make the Fermentation chamber. When making any type of "Fermented" sausages, a bacterial culture is added to the meat to inoculate it with good bacteria. The mold you see on some salumis is a good thing. This also helps give your fermented sausage an amazing flavor, in addition to keeping the bad bacteria away. The times and humidity that you need is dependent on the starter culture used. Be sure to check, as some only need to ferment for 24 hrs and other 48-72 hrs. I started out buy ordering all the pieces parts I would need. Then got to work.<br />
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</div>Above you will see the items I needed to get this started. I started with a large Rubbermaid container. One that would be deep enough to hang sausages in. This is not much different than using a larger cure chamber, with the exception is that the temperatures will be higher for shorter periods of time. You can use your cure chamber for this and adjust temperatures as you go, but you can only cure one type of salumi, or meat at a time this way. And seeing as how I need to purchase more stock in pork with the amounts I am using, I needed the second. So we need to control three things again. Temperature, Humidity and Airflow.<br />
<strong>Temperature</strong>- I am controlling the temperature in my Fermentation box by using this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CZ0J3E">Temperature controller</a>. I did not want to spend a bunch of money on another fancy one like I have on the cure chamber so I did a little research. This controller is used to control the heat in a terrarium for Lizards and such. Turns out that a Lizards habitat is very similar to hanging meat, they like it warm and humid. Easy, and the best part is that this controller came with a built in Thermocouple that is made for a humid environment and has a suction cup to hold it to the side. The controller controlls from 60F to 105F. This also has three plugs attached to it. So to provide the heat I used a small Light bulb receptacle that I attached inside the chamber. This comes on whenever the temp gets to low. You will also notice that I put aluminium foil along the one side of the box, this is to disperse the heat and reflect it around the box.<br />
<strong>Humidity</strong>- This is about as simple as it gets, you need to keep the box at a high humidity around 80%RH to 85%RH. I put a shallow bowl full of salt water, and a wet towel in the box. This way when the heat comes on the water evaporates, and humidity if born!! The circle of life, not really but easy.<br />
<strong>Airflow</strong>- I am doing this pretty Hillbilly right now. I have what my cousin calls a fat man fan pointed at a whole in the top of the unit. A fat man fan is a small fan that has a clip on one end so that where ever you choose to plant your fat a$$ you can clip it next to you and not sweat as bad. What I am going to is get a small computer fan and convert it to be able to plug into the Temperature controller, so it will cycle on and off and not cause case hardening for me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxVMhOr-hBoW0jgod9SeGZ5YfFEjZT3z_NCvfkzGWW-3fNwGs3T5z66orOhUeYwF3hwqDFgMHTaaXa52yiJxhu_g5r77x8ybl1usIpGlUp7JfuZdPBsa63boRlVbSA3kmtU0xXQNNVbI/s1600/S1200003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxVMhOr-hBoW0jgod9SeGZ5YfFEjZT3z_NCvfkzGWW-3fNwGs3T5z66orOhUeYwF3hwqDFgMHTaaXa52yiJxhu_g5r77x8ybl1usIpGlUp7JfuZdPBsa63boRlVbSA3kmtU0xXQNNVbI/s320/S1200003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm84H5RZML4pv0tP-me8l0XJSW2fSvdoQNFwQR6QSRErFxHbQ-8-5-GcMVUiQvrjNW28KGq4mLO3kcMbVnuKa6aWmbxOsSkW0bwvH7sUZ3FMRRXOAyuWilmrNb1tW4oFzWC8yxLvlIUF8/s1600/S1200020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm84H5RZML4pv0tP-me8l0XJSW2fSvdoQNFwQR6QSRErFxHbQ-8-5-GcMVUiQvrjNW28KGq4mLO3kcMbVnuKa6aWmbxOsSkW0bwvH7sUZ3FMRRXOAyuWilmrNb1tW4oFzWC8yxLvlIUF8/s320/S1200020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I just so happened to have some sausage to stuff the day this was made. Some fiery N'duja and some Salumi al Finocchietto. Below you will see the N'duja hanging.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxHY0k5F-Zi28uZy1BGsuZrFniILdpUEjQEK20BrdxHNoT9FzjTA_xNFHOp6PYbFHyJIU11el0m7p5AN3Q32I5GXSkk6Fr9-3yYA8aKh11_LSqebojwineeMgvO2H49x1Vp-pQd7zmOI/s1600/S1200013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxHY0k5F-Zi28uZy1BGsuZrFniILdpUEjQEK20BrdxHNoT9FzjTA_xNFHOp6PYbFHyJIU11el0m7p5AN3Q32I5GXSkk6Fr9-3yYA8aKh11_LSqebojwineeMgvO2H49x1Vp-pQd7zmOI/s320/S1200013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This was my first foray into fermented sausages, and I can say that I see a lot of sausage in my future. OK perverts settle down. I am really getting into to this and hope I have helped some of you out there. I will continue to play with my meat if you are willing to read about it. Remember Source local and Love your Meat!!<br />
Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-4427736900124802392011-08-09T10:55:00.002-05:002011-08-16T12:22:28.811-05:00Pig Trotter Terrine, August Charcutepalooza Challenge!!I have recently joined the group Charcutepalooza. A bunch of amazing people, are dedicated to learning the art of Charcuterie using Michael Ruhlman's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312901516&sr=8-1">Charcuterie</a>. If you have not purchased this book, GET IT NOW... In fact, buy one for yourself and one as a gift for someone else. This is not your typical cook book, more like an easy and fun to read text book that gets you back to the roots of Charcuterie. Everything from curing meats, making condiments, and how to smoke all types of meats. No I did not get an endorsement from Mr. Ruhlman. <br />
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So when I find out that the August challenge was Binding. I got excited. Participants were challenged to either do: The apprentice Challenge: Make a Liver Terrine or a Fish/Seafood Mousseline, or go for the Charcutiere Challenge: Make Headcheese, feet, or Trotter Terrine. Since I lack the storage space for an entire pigs head, I went with the Trotters. I gave a call over to my buddy Mark, at <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newmanfarm.com%2F&ei=BEtBTqHvI8Tu0gG9yo3GCQ&usg=AFQjCNFqjgtIHDPzf0A68KwLjfpy2rsvaQ">Newman Farms Heritage Berkshire Pork<strong> </strong></a>. And as soon as I mentioned trotters, he gave me the traditional Mark line "I have a deal for you"!! I went there to only get a couple trotters and Mark used his Jedi mind tricks on me, I left with twelve trotters, eight pounds of pork belly, and five pounds of pig livers. He's good. Okay back to the task at hand. If you look back to my previous post, <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/primals.html">Primals</a> The trotter is the pig foot area. Look at diagram below.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2PwdpBLGa7S9Hyy9WzgDz7ckCp6Kc7kcw5eLO_DLW3mwFrqTShrAzmQHriaPz8GPj9IZ48aRFg1_Llb8tLvO0Pir9B_w12okZcbuIFfQ03UDl6iIyThZ7Dhyxp1CDIgHgx-2KNA8LbA/s1600/trotters+primal.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2PwdpBLGa7S9Hyy9WzgDz7ckCp6Kc7kcw5eLO_DLW3mwFrqTShrAzmQHriaPz8GPj9IZ48aRFg1_Llb8tLvO0Pir9B_w12okZcbuIFfQ03UDl6iIyThZ7Dhyxp1CDIgHgx-2KNA8LbA/s320/trotters+primal.gif" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I remember as a child my grandmother used to love pickled pigs feet. now I know why they are delicious. First order of business here is a dirty one. I know we are making what you could call Toe Cheese, instead of Head cheese. But these litter buggers have to be cleaned well. Started by torching off any of the apparent hairs, then shaved the tricky areas(don't tell my cousin, but his razor worked great). And of course get any of the nasty bits from between the toes. Below is what you should have. Fancy piggy feet.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jKwfw1eiqmflNTlI7tLHIhAw7_Rgkkwz918d9NFCnoK9CeD3ynB-Kg-4ulTYWcn7bX3__g-bZD_UW1y4AQTtwfE0jGzHaDdKpna16uYGWa1o2xmRPHNb8JsCVL0q7ZRLgqLYn3UVkWs/s1600/S1180004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jKwfw1eiqmflNTlI7tLHIhAw7_Rgkkwz918d9NFCnoK9CeD3ynB-Kg-4ulTYWcn7bX3__g-bZD_UW1y4AQTtwfE0jGzHaDdKpna16uYGWa1o2xmRPHNb8JsCVL0q7ZRLgqLYn3UVkWs/s320/S1180004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Next step is doing your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_place">Mise en place,</a> this is a fancy french term for getting your S#&T together. See Below.<br />
<ul><li>8lbs/ 3629g Pig Trotters approx. 6-8 trotters</li>
<li>1 1/2lbs/ 681g Pork belly cubed</li>
<li>2ea Onions approx 250g</li>
<li>2ea Leaks approx 375g cleaned well</li>
<li>2ea Carrots approx. 200g</li>
<li>3ea Celery Stalks approx 116g</li>
<li>1ea Head of Garlic approx 36g cut in half</li>
<li>1bunch Thyme approx 20g</li>
<li>2ea Bay leafs</li>
<li>2Tbs Coriander seeds</li>
<li>2Tbs Fennel seeds</li>
<li>2Tbs Tellicherry Black peppercorns</li>
<li>1Tbs Brown mustard seeds</li>
<li>2Cups/16floz white wine</li>
<li>Kosher salt, enough so that your water tastes like the ocean, salty but not to much</li>
<li>Water</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj492torQ_SVE7SG8RtAYvIdxI3Ml8F-AYeRK4xQTzn6sCZKU6HNS0b9-YV2gK_C3YY4tl4RHWKEJI0wFMaLX8EKUnc1MgttlTfYhdAQCfXfo-8TTJ11pURNkmmlYPhiaUXCvB_cthaY2A/s1600/S1180002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj492torQ_SVE7SG8RtAYvIdxI3Ml8F-AYeRK4xQTzn6sCZKU6HNS0b9-YV2gK_C3YY4tl4RHWKEJI0wFMaLX8EKUnc1MgttlTfYhdAQCfXfo-8TTJ11pURNkmmlYPhiaUXCvB_cthaY2A/s400/S1180002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<ol><li>After Cleaning the trotters Roughly Chop your vegetables and pound all of the spices in a mortar.</li>
<li>Add all ingredients to a Large stock pot. Add enough water to cover by about an inch, salt the water to the taste of the ocean, cover the pot and simmer for 3 hours until the trotters are tender and have just about fallen off the bone. They will look like they exploded. Make sure during the simmering that you skim any of the scum that floats to the surface. I usually check every half an hour or so.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6YLgREixL2CoJnquivOQ6i51Q0y8vZ_Zoar4yDBm-cM0LSoAIrc2HKfvgQqlqXgPIsljAK4KDQecyILkFyQXgOF8lu0-re7p2gHvmZ577J2M5xA9v_0vCPNBoXNPSOkpwuf83Am1jGw/s1600/S1180007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6YLgREixL2CoJnquivOQ6i51Q0y8vZ_Zoar4yDBm-cM0LSoAIrc2HKfvgQqlqXgPIsljAK4KDQecyILkFyQXgOF8lu0-re7p2gHvmZ577J2M5xA9v_0vCPNBoXNPSOkpwuf83Am1jGw/s320/S1180007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><li>When your trotters are full cooked remove them to a bowl. Then strain your stock into another pan. You want to reduce this liquid by 3/4. This is going to be the binder for the terrine. The trotters have so much natural gelatin it will solidify nicely.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslZITA2msyO-lE-8AAaoJKDRwibm5ZkzzZ2XW7XpXaObmgqW2JKJdKynb_NeJJ7YX8RY25LTqkOJIIqXu1zV-Zup4d_yV46zm6VURM0bspJCMRlMzNvIquIsYArwmdcDPwBhJPOzagqI/s1600/S1180011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslZITA2msyO-lE-8AAaoJKDRwibm5ZkzzZ2XW7XpXaObmgqW2JKJdKynb_NeJJ7YX8RY25LTqkOJIIqXu1zV-Zup4d_yV46zm6VURM0bspJCMRlMzNvIquIsYArwmdcDPwBhJPOzagqI/s320/S1180011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><li>Next get your station set up before you try and dismantle these little pig part that seem to be made of lava. These have to cleaned while hot, due to the high collagen content, they will be way to hard and sticky when cool. I have a bowl for trotter meat and skin, another for waste and another set up with ice water to stop the burn. My advise as well is to wear a good pair of latex gloves, it will stop the complete removal of your finger prints.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQC9mArXBka4To9ie1Yx6Jba9RxC3VE8NyDZOATQAZJYSLhyphenhyphenPSCUBZ03XZqyo6gpazcMaIfZS3QGq5Kc9iXHuVt-4lz7jF9VcK8djHaWUH2cuA5adlBVtIqZESVRIrunaeRHhb1b5b2w/s1600/S1180012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQC9mArXBka4To9ie1Yx6Jba9RxC3VE8NyDZOATQAZJYSLhyphenhyphenPSCUBZ03XZqyo6gpazcMaIfZS3QGq5Kc9iXHuVt-4lz7jF9VcK8djHaWUH2cuA5adlBVtIqZESVRIrunaeRHhb1b5b2w/s320/S1180012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><li>After all of the meat and skin is separated, chop the belly and the trotters to random size pieces. remember this is where your texture will come from.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZLgmazeqnJMyrrVzvm6Y70z9eaHqRy6j_CeH29-Tlfq8GP1ZLnXTxnAMg2FLi25y5ENmLm9qZjffTkYzEjNqH19zYzyC3gwAjRHoUqFfvKvJChlDeynbyMpGy988hLF3NNdvwVMvrwQ/s1600/S1180015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZLgmazeqnJMyrrVzvm6Y70z9eaHqRy6j_CeH29-Tlfq8GP1ZLnXTxnAMg2FLi25y5ENmLm9qZjffTkYzEjNqH19zYzyC3gwAjRHoUqFfvKvJChlDeynbyMpGy988hLF3NNdvwVMvrwQ/s320/S1180015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhiPKNiHFsDhgljsI6sxDL_BjR2CIP7ka7c5phBczNkx869zAGAl5AaKI0vbmDJCpsxEqrlMvs73iL9uvSwXIW97A3_d7R5gegVqHLKdj-F5CYqCvK5upKhZAdIt0iwu7SdCbPkUNVKo/s1600/S1180014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhiPKNiHFsDhgljsI6sxDL_BjR2CIP7ka7c5phBczNkx869zAGAl5AaKI0vbmDJCpsxEqrlMvs73iL9uvSwXIW97A3_d7R5gegVqHLKdj-F5CYqCvK5upKhZAdIt0iwu7SdCbPkUNVKo/s320/S1180014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></ol> The right is the chopped belly, trotters and skin. The left is the bones and waste. Line your terrine with plastic wrap. Little secret, I spray the inside of the terrine with water before laying in my plastic wrap, it helps the plastic stay in the corners much better. Place your terrine in the freezer for a few minutes as well before filling. Next fill your terrine with meat mixture, lightly pressing down to ensure there are no air pockets<br />
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6. Reduce your stock so that it will thicken nicely when chilled. Easy way to test is to put a small plate in the freezer until completely chilled. Then take a small spoon full of your stock and put in the middle of the plate. As you move the stock around the plate it should turn almost into a jello like consistency. Taste your stock!! This is your last chance to season your terrine. Do not forget when you serve something cold or at room temperature your seasoning needs to be much more aggressive. So if you think it is a little salty when hot it will work out great when cool. Pour enough stock over your meat mixture to fill the terrine. Fold your plastic wrap over and put your weight on top. If your terrine did not come with a weight plate you can cut a piece of cardboard and wrap in clear film and use that as well. Place a large can or weight on your terrine and chill overnight.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Q0_p-pthvvjrSQEia6CWDDY-cSIVscVKwm_w11BafR313zsAJM0YWf_6shyqONVxKIvwolAUk0UcaOTe2nOdTUVc24jkURHm3NdmY5Pm1Qj91G9B_EECKZ4IdC-XQdnVg8899s1k87c/s1600/S1180021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Q0_p-pthvvjrSQEia6CWDDY-cSIVscVKwm_w11BafR313zsAJM0YWf_6shyqONVxKIvwolAUk0UcaOTe2nOdTUVc24jkURHm3NdmY5Pm1Qj91G9B_EECKZ4IdC-XQdnVg8899s1k87c/s320/S1180021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After your terrine has chilled overnight, it is time to hope your prepped your terrine correctly. If done right it will fall out of the mold. If you find it is clinging a little you can dip the terrine in to a little warm water to help with the release. Invert it onto a plate and check out your newest creation. Slice the terrine about a half an inch thick.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HgIopI_HAP-Ibnf2V-ojehPijehM0eUsorv-r_vJffLrGQ8ofPIg4boQKJvuS-sGqRjjCROej7-bxTjrqucTxPyY0dEqCFnWN2H7gO23u83JXsDVH7ffEvcIkORceDyl7KeCtEBw7TM/s1600/S1190003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HgIopI_HAP-Ibnf2V-ojehPijehM0eUsorv-r_vJffLrGQ8ofPIg4boQKJvuS-sGqRjjCROej7-bxTjrqucTxPyY0dEqCFnWN2H7gO23u83JXsDVH7ffEvcIkORceDyl7KeCtEBw7TM/s320/S1190003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I served this with some homemade baby gherkins, pickled heirloom red onions, and Whole grain mustard. The terrine is very rich, unctuous and porky. You need that little blast of acid to really appreciate it. Check out the cross section below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkYgVAn_Mghs2omFfLMhS1j6R-9r9V8fuIqkSaVMD8mH47cQARwFd65FS5zhzNuTUQDECKf4XHuPHWEF0yVswz-1IMiJsEPT0cZq15ungd_T05HGf0iM5nO-_DPjXCC9fClc-micngb0/s1600/S1190004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkYgVAn_Mghs2omFfLMhS1j6R-9r9V8fuIqkSaVMD8mH47cQARwFd65FS5zhzNuTUQDECKf4XHuPHWEF0yVswz-1IMiJsEPT0cZq15ungd_T05HGf0iM5nO-_DPjXCC9fClc-micngb0/s320/S1190004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>You can really see all of the pieces of belly, skin, and trotter meat. As well as some of the peppercorns. This was a really fun and tasty creation. I hope more people will go back to this traditional way of cooking. Spending the time and hard work into something and watching peoples faces when they eat your food is worth everything. I also make four smaller shallow terrines. These here I will lightly bread and pan fry. The result is a crispy exterior and a meltingly porky middle. Not for the people who are not big pork fans. But if you are not big pork fans you have really stumbled across the wrong blog.<br />
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Next big benefit of making this terrine is the trotter gear. This porky jello, has so much damn flavor, and gelatin in it you can feel it on your lips for a while after eating. This is a great addition to finish a sauce, it will give a great sheen, flavor and mouth feel. I will never be without this in my fridge going forward. Look how beautiful it is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-Vwj6jBXjtGPmS8db2glhUmk2ixxxoc1VyP9qg1VtoUPedVHoy9Bogwww99zG9kxyIfMfDP71QKwCqJO5vtH2ai4s8yk4QtIdOIDLQ70nxyDpxjlb47JQF3WWILC5LEWqLq-vnsqgSc/s1600/S1190005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-Vwj6jBXjtGPmS8db2glhUmk2ixxxoc1VyP9qg1VtoUPedVHoy9Bogwww99zG9kxyIfMfDP71QKwCqJO5vtH2ai4s8yk4QtIdOIDLQ70nxyDpxjlb47JQF3WWILC5LEWqLq-vnsqgSc/s320/S1190005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The ultimate Jello Jiggler!!!! Remember, "Source local, and Love your Meat"!!! <br />
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</div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-40102382812471427752011-08-08T09:37:00.001-05:002011-08-09T11:46:19.875-05:00Bacon Powder!!That's right folks you read the title correct, I made bacon powder. I am not just a one trick pony, I am into all areas of the culinary world. Charcuterie just happens to me more of a passion. So when I heard there was a restaurant making Pomme Frites(fancy word for French Fries) with bacon powder. I had to try this. And this is not a fake, synthetic, bacon "flavor" like you get in the sci fi creations of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dmisc&field-keywords=bacon+salt">bacon salt</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baconnaise-Ultimate-Bacon-Flavored-Spread/dp/B003GPMSLK">baconnaise</a>. If you are a fan of those products you can make this and be the pride of the Trailer park.<br />
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The first step was to render down some bacon to get the amount of fat needed. If you wanted to render down bacon, why not go all in and do it with some Mangalista bacon, from Moosefund. The most unctuous and fatty bacon on the planet.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtt2ZfEtF6iT90CvWE-ydfCbnAse4byvnqDDSamd5uf0oFeoM2V2zz1NEABhEEfImTfhfKwxUtRK__hNhJ8kEOsMv7B8qEhXwMzSdghL-plJTwhvHiAQrglNESjitM9z1PzeAehmIJXU/s1600/S1180005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtt2ZfEtF6iT90CvWE-ydfCbnAse4byvnqDDSamd5uf0oFeoM2V2zz1NEABhEEfImTfhfKwxUtRK__hNhJ8kEOsMv7B8qEhXwMzSdghL-plJTwhvHiAQrglNESjitM9z1PzeAehmIJXU/s320/S1180005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> And when I say Fatty Bacon, I mean that in the nicest, sexiest, way possible. Remember fat=flavor and happy bellies.(maybe a little bigger than normal bellies, but that is a different post)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLZ_r_n9YZJUkhU_eOdvvlnOGaBbTCw5fatGCRMbqoXofEGTTf1wohjiPv0d4kw8P_oP0txzCKPEhehyphenhyphenYBGY_O1SjlHt5tM5uSA2-9KOxPjXIKbZwHovTsl3eMRgTsKbByWCsTTo4-3Y/s1600/S1180006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLZ_r_n9YZJUkhU_eOdvvlnOGaBbTCw5fatGCRMbqoXofEGTTf1wohjiPv0d4kw8P_oP0txzCKPEhehyphenhyphenYBGY_O1SjlHt5tM5uSA2-9KOxPjXIKbZwHovTsl3eMRgTsKbByWCsTTo4-3Y/s320/S1180006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After the fat was rendered from the bacon. I strained it thru cheesecloth twice to remove any impurities and little brown bits. The goal is to keep the powder as white as possible. I then measured out how much I would need. I knew these beakers would come in handy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXNDeFzlW7rwFgucg3t8xbTD3VW5boOpVfUIpvvtHlrZkKz-dYmay_sSF076qfhF7TBCrljrza61L-tKLMiRiYwQVLZCybOMf1Mz0ixIwi76gLDOc_eaGNEoSUGvfvJa2N1SwQRjRjrs/s1600/S1180008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXNDeFzlW7rwFgucg3t8xbTD3VW5boOpVfUIpvvtHlrZkKz-dYmay_sSF076qfhF7TBCrljrza61L-tKLMiRiYwQVLZCybOMf1Mz0ixIwi76gLDOc_eaGNEoSUGvfvJa2N1SwQRjRjrs/s320/S1180008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Above you will see the Tapioca Maltodexterin and the rendered bacon fat. Mmmmm. Recipe below<br />
<ul><li>4fl oz/ 118ml Bacon fat, cooled</li>
<li>3Cups/ 50g Tapioca Maltodextrin</li>
<li>1tsp/ 6grams salt</li>
<li>1Tbs/ 7grams dextrose</li>
</ul>Put about half of the Maltodextrin and all of the salt and dextrose into the food processor. Pulse while slowly adding the bacon fat, this will start to form a paste. After all of the fat has been incorporated, add the remaining Maltodextrin and pulse until your powder forms. For a fluffier powder, push thru a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamis">tamis</a>. I like the small powdery chunks, it is easier to dress, and more of an explosion of flavor.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtpLV1Qja8hj9gNFph7iz6GBdy-neAyyz9lucQR3rahhd82LXwoG3D8kDqFJEqX8hy5qtafjKXjAvB078_v_pLEeEs_TZm61wSzdjJiUqXYa9JogdhwK-r4kcZYXUwL3y19Q5VpHl0BA/s1600/S1180010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtpLV1Qja8hj9gNFph7iz6GBdy-neAyyz9lucQR3rahhd82LXwoG3D8kDqFJEqX8hy5qtafjKXjAvB078_v_pLEeEs_TZm61wSzdjJiUqXYa9JogdhwK-r4kcZYXUwL3y19Q5VpHl0BA/s320/S1180010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I added the dextrose, and salt for two reasons. First, I wanted to amp up the porkieness a little, and second the mouth feel. When I made this before with just the fat and the Tapioca Maltodextrin, it was good but not great. Now with the addition of these two ingredients it is more like eating bacon. The first thing you taste is the sweetness of the dextrose, then the creaminess of the bacon, and a finish with the salt. I put this on some popcorn with a little smoked paprika.(Amazing)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedWwzrH3tarcyjUSNAb2kMXIEcsOpqHTJOp5ke0ldjuLgk2wGGX_jHk8M8sC1D6XPxDL7VJj2-73Y72Ifn0a4BfLTF6n-MMMGbYLrLBExQ9ytRxTDJKOBMhHdlz8X9798wMJj9wIFN8I/s1600/S1180019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedWwzrH3tarcyjUSNAb2kMXIEcsOpqHTJOp5ke0ldjuLgk2wGGX_jHk8M8sC1D6XPxDL7VJj2-73Y72Ifn0a4BfLTF6n-MMMGbYLrLBExQ9ytRxTDJKOBMhHdlz8X9798wMJj9wIFN8I/s320/S1180019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pic did not come out to great, but was delicious. Using this recipe as a master you can make some other very interesting products. Like, Olive oil powder, Chocolate powder, butter powder. This will turn pretty much any fat into a powder. You can get your <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Molecular-Gastronomy-Tapioca-Malto-Dextrin-Artistre/dp/B003ZFRKN2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312814026&sr=8-2">Tapioca Maltodextrin here.</a> This is something you have to try!! I look forward to trying some new things with other forms of Molecular Gastronomy. Remember, "Source Local, and Love your Meat"!! Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-17079090720758722002011-08-04T00:17:00.000-05:002011-08-04T00:17:59.876-05:00English Bangers and MashA few years ago I had the pleasure of working with a gentleman that came from Scotland, I guess you really could not call him a gentleman but he is a great guy. He turned me on to some good old <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neeps_and_tatties#Vegetables">British cooking</a>. Things Like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangers_and_mash">Bangers and Mash</a>, Nips and Tatties, and Haggis. Truth be told, I really like all of them. They are all very filling comfort food. So today, I had some pork shoulder left over, and had a hankering for some Bangers. The term Bangers comes from WWII days when the sausages had a higher water content due to rationing, so the sausages would pop and explode in the pan when cooking. This is a savory sausage with a sweet undertone and mildly spiced. I served mine with a reduction of balsamic vinegar with caramelized onions. Delicious. Onto the sausages. Very simple to make.<br />
<ul><li>2 1/2Lb 1149g Pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into strips</li>
<li>1Lb 453g Pork Fat, I used pork jowl cut into strips</li>
<li>1 1/2C 173g dry bread crumbs</li>
<li>1 1/4C 10floz Chicken stock Chilled</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><li>4tsp Banger seasoning( see below)</li>
<li>9ft Medium hog casings, rinsed and soaked for 30 min</li>
</ul><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsZgntFnS_YP62xL0AjQ5y7hgOUJnmOEp_sdqjJjtOxgydTjs5ppRyK0TfewLsIjMvd4s4hwmk7l2kR4gYtLZIxBszLnxZxL6SoDeDQ3j7bYZ0LDWk4802VwPa8kHT85dv1qBtpG83cs/s1600/S1170003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsZgntFnS_YP62xL0AjQ5y7hgOUJnmOEp_sdqjJjtOxgydTjs5ppRyK0TfewLsIjMvd4s4hwmk7l2kR4gYtLZIxBszLnxZxL6SoDeDQ3j7bYZ0LDWk4802VwPa8kHT85dv1qBtpG83cs/s320/S1170003.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Banger Seasoning, <br />
<ul><li>3tsp 9g White pepper ground</li>
<li>2tsp 4g Black pepper ground</li>
<li>2 1/2tsp 6g Mace ground</li>
<li>2 1/2tsp 16g Kosher salt</li>
<li>2tsp 4g Ground ginger</li>
<li>2tsp 2g Rubbed sage</li>
<li>1/2tsp 1g Nutmeg ground</li>
</ul>Combine all above ingredients together and put in airtight container. Use as need to make sausages, will keep in a cool, dry place for up to three months.<br />
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As in my last sausage post, I recommend slicing the meat into strips opposed to chunks. Using my Kitchen Aid mixer with the meat grinder attachment it seems to work the best. The meat feeds itself through the grinder making it much easier to handle on your own. Make sure you put your meat in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes until it is partially frozen.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqi8lUvyR4WecU7hY0hpER_P1N4gtxnsBHF7OLzOennP7qqA5XO9g5rxvtEVyIeqcr64t-0s62u7MiS4c2ePiPFGXf-YBSc3WEL1ede9qNHOA9bAwYk6f5C2-_XUcRrQc9uay1xzWiGU/s1600/S1170004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqi8lUvyR4WecU7hY0hpER_P1N4gtxnsBHF7OLzOennP7qqA5XO9g5rxvtEVyIeqcr64t-0s62u7MiS4c2ePiPFGXf-YBSc3WEL1ede9qNHOA9bAwYk6f5C2-_XUcRrQc9uay1xzWiGU/s320/S1170004.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Keep everything you are using very, very cold. Grind your meat into a bowl, that is set on top of another bowl with ice in it. Before I start grinding, I fill two bowls with ice and the mixing bowl to my Kitchen Aid, I fill with Ice and water, putting any utensils or attachments I will be using in there. This keeps your sausage from becoming grainy when the fat smears, and it is much more sanitary kept ice cold.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCopYX1aDvI6XZvSC9ipY3CIrwQPppuoVGhreoPluLv3FwIxn6OS8jQlvn9IsWgAZ7wLuKC_tCCjq4RVTDQl6116VkoAzmV8ej-Eo-UdmyZM_weY7KWwhGwqi9Afgk9D5n8kLr_Bqab8/s1600/S1170005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCopYX1aDvI6XZvSC9ipY3CIrwQPppuoVGhreoPluLv3FwIxn6OS8jQlvn9IsWgAZ7wLuKC_tCCjq4RVTDQl6116VkoAzmV8ej-Eo-UdmyZM_weY7KWwhGwqi9Afgk9D5n8kLr_Bqab8/s320/S1170005.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>This is the meat and the fat after the initial grind. I added the Banger seasoning and placed in the mixing bowl to the Kitchen Aid mixer with the Paddle attachment affixed. Begin mixing your meat mixture at a medium speed gradually adding the breadcrumbs and the chicken stock. Continue mixing until the mixture is very well incorporated and it becomes slightly sticky. You will notice a white build up on the side of the bowl. Very important here. Take a small amount of the sausage, form it into a patty, and cook it. Taste for seasoning. Add more as needed. If you made it to salty, you can always add more meat or breadcrumbs. I had to adjust seasoning after my test. The recipe above is the updated one.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDNgoAgczYkvQHBrghaCk02twrTRtRq2ixQutfCw6K9pzSKNj4a5OVO91fYsogf56FjhiVfINgj5yzZ___jscsfmSrcxh4f5aVNiIjW6m80jyazz2onc7q5zgSdBe5_hSfVt2spWj9aQ/s1600/S1170007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDNgoAgczYkvQHBrghaCk02twrTRtRq2ixQutfCw6K9pzSKNj4a5OVO91fYsogf56FjhiVfINgj5yzZ___jscsfmSrcxh4f5aVNiIjW6m80jyazz2onc7q5zgSdBe5_hSfVt2spWj9aQ/s320/S1170007.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Next, onto the stuffing. I prepared the hog casings by rinsing them of salt and flushing them. Se my previous <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/smoked-polish-kielbasa-and-pierogies.html">post</a> for detailed pictures of the hog casings. Thread the casings onto your fill tube. Make sure the tube is wet and that your sheet pan has a small layer of water. This prevents the casings from snagging and tearing. Plus it makes it much easier to feed the sausages. Fill the casings, being care full not to over fill. Twist off links around 4in long. I hang my sausages for a min of thirty minutes after stuffing them to let the casings dry a little then package and vacuum seal them. These will last in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for three months.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The best way to cook these sausages is low and slow. If you throw them into a pan on high heat you will see why they are called bangers and they will split on you. Lightly prick the sausages before cooking. Place them in a preheated pan with a little oil over medium heat and lightly brown on both sides. Place in the oven at 300F until the internal temperature of the sausage is 150F. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and onion gravy. I caramelized onions and deglazed with Balsamic vinegar. Very good, I also served with coarse ground mustard. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWblEABmEk3EI8CSf1wy00zMzs2WwBzM13djaI5hQE_eT_rG9JBSHKnMppb1IAM-YlWbzwns8vRENLVTPw60FOh5F6XWCekTfQ3YHnl8gydwceTljMDFy1_1pKgUTJE679jiMJIW0A80/s1600/S1170008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWblEABmEk3EI8CSf1wy00zMzs2WwBzM13djaI5hQE_eT_rG9JBSHKnMppb1IAM-YlWbzwns8vRENLVTPw60FOh5F6XWCekTfQ3YHnl8gydwceTljMDFy1_1pKgUTJE679jiMJIW0A80/s320/S1170008.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Give these a try, you will not be disappointed. They also go very will with eggs in the morning. Remember, Source local, and Love Your Meat!!!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-50157649359058918242011-07-31T23:40:00.000-05:002011-07-31T23:40:13.379-05:00Smoked Polish Kielbasa, and Pierogies.Ever have one of those days when you miss home, you just miss your roots? Even though I move a lot I spent the majority of my life living in the area of Cleveland Ohio. I know, I know I have heard all of the jokes about Cleveland, and sure our river did catch on fire,....Twice. But to me, there is really no better place. The people of Cleveland are Real down to earth people, and they all have two things in common, we love our sports!! And we love our food.!! The Cleveland suburbs are a huge variety of different cultures and demographics. I remember going to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Side_Market">West Side market</a> as a child. (Really, click the link)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0PQw38AfUqkOcxa0kW8JHCilCyKp_ZGdJWxgCAJcGOgq3HfEgyyy3ntCdya2ogvW3sFplUuyeg093Wl6_SV5UdbV5LNl3x2GXm8lbgCx_9L5oIfg9TpjSAnHExrRdux2xAfL1luG3ag/s1600/250px-Westsidemarket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0PQw38AfUqkOcxa0kW8JHCilCyKp_ZGdJWxgCAJcGOgq3HfEgyyy3ntCdya2ogvW3sFplUuyeg093Wl6_SV5UdbV5LNl3x2GXm8lbgCx_9L5oIfg9TpjSAnHExrRdux2xAfL1luG3ag/s320/250px-Westsidemarket.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This place has tons of food stands, the outside is surrounded by fresh produce vendors, people sitting around talking and laughing, others playing music for money. All of the vendors trying to get you to try their veg, or fruits. Then you go inside and see all of the fresh cheeses and the tons and tons of meat stands. You can hear the gasps from the yuppies and their children looking at the pig, and lamb heads in the cases. There is a stand that has the best Gyros I have ever had, and the freshest baked goods around. So when I am missing my home town of Cleveland, I decided to make homemade, Kielbasa and Pierogies with Onions and potato filling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5H4KacZ4d-QxvQcEP65bSCdhLgHv-7m22bEvJx1TLAPUYnpoW4BZV6i0y7BWey4QmqRYuK2jdnTdtWuvAOWUE_V79aVQyTRvqcTzurd4JHZ8xOYOMv-Gfkp9m8kGUjDHAXMwPbfTmXyU/s1600/cleveland+skyline+uncle+Jim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5H4KacZ4d-QxvQcEP65bSCdhLgHv-7m22bEvJx1TLAPUYnpoW4BZV6i0y7BWey4QmqRYuK2jdnTdtWuvAOWUE_V79aVQyTRvqcTzurd4JHZ8xOYOMv-Gfkp9m8kGUjDHAXMwPbfTmXyU/s400/cleveland+skyline+uncle+Jim.jpg" t$="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div align="left">This Picture above really reminds me of home, This was taken by my great Uncle Jim Ptacek. Whenever I see any of these Sephira prints it takes me back!! Anyway, back to the Sausage (That's what she said)</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">This is a Fresh sausage recipe that was then smoked. This is going to be similar to the prepackaged Kielbasa in the meat case. But to tell you the truth that crap does not hold a candle to this. This is the best Kielbasa I have ever had. We start with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mis_en_place">Mise en Place</a> of spices and Products.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3MQnw78lQOcNKA4GxHZ0ZBlaJ33VdOGc44AeZ-8_I8bBzWmNnnFfQI_YXg2aP_QlHrKv9YDawVFz0dwJcKjCnivNsiFu6cKuKTNRw5aTxcPmKxUQ9HZffpzy5ACmBw-YBbUa-owyzRc/s1600/S1160001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3MQnw78lQOcNKA4GxHZ0ZBlaJ33VdOGc44AeZ-8_I8bBzWmNnnFfQI_YXg2aP_QlHrKv9YDawVFz0dwJcKjCnivNsiFu6cKuKTNRw5aTxcPmKxUQ9HZffpzy5ACmBw-YBbUa-owyzRc/s320/S1160001.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li><div align="left">Medium Hog casings, rinsed and soaked minimum of 30 minutes.</div></li>
<li><div align="left">3 Lbs Pork Butt with fat</div></li>
<li><div align="left">2 Lbs Beef Chuck, trimmed</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/4 C Nonfat dry milk</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1T plus 1tsp Kosher salt</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1T Sweet Paprika</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1T Sugar(I used Dextrose for a more even and quick distribution)</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1tsp White pepper</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1tsp Black pepper</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/2 tsp Celery seed</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/2tsp Cayenne pepper powder</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/2tsp Ground Coriander</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/2tsp Dried Marjoram</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/2tsp Freshly grated Nutmeg</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/2tsp Dried Thyme</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1tsp Cure #1(pink salt)</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1T Minced Garlic</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/2 C ice water</div></li>
</ul><div align="left">Just like making any sausages you want to start with very clean and very cold equipment. I put my meat grinder in the freezer as well as the bowls and spoons I will be using a min of 30 minutes prior to grinding my meat. I then take the Pork and Beef and cut them into long strips. I find that this way the meat actually feeds itself through the meat grinder, instead of having to be tamped down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSisCb8-LdyGdbLvmbzi8d3i21MDoHLZvDVBDBdcuACs3Z9mG2YNpKsJ_wfEJ4l7kFjau_tNNz2wMYTzEsnBUGaVddfsKG0z0KPlVOeG5_jDBIJ2iQfxfL1XAFuGMUGV_xroL9YBZVx4/s1600/S1160003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSisCb8-LdyGdbLvmbzi8d3i21MDoHLZvDVBDBdcuACs3Z9mG2YNpKsJ_wfEJ4l7kFjau_tNNz2wMYTzEsnBUGaVddfsKG0z0KPlVOeG5_jDBIJ2iQfxfL1XAFuGMUGV_xroL9YBZVx4/s320/S1160003.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left">After slicing the meat, place it in the freezer for a minimum of thirty minutes to get slightly frozen. Then move on to the nastiest part of this, that is cleaning and rinsing the hog casing. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casing_(sausage)">Hog casings</a> are in fact the intestines of a pig. They are generally packed in salt, and need to be cleaned very well before using. Below is a picture of about twelve feet before being cleaned.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zd080kTpaFUFMo7akbx76ELlVpGwnMuZNa-sH1n86-sMZ9Buyk7phfHHz77GYe_Z2aGadx4OeYifvC__yokhe-RxOPuxgNq7bXyERPppESO4juvwbv9-xXO2PruMYBENnocGOkktAgE/s1600/S1160004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zd080kTpaFUFMo7akbx76ELlVpGwnMuZNa-sH1n86-sMZ9Buyk7phfHHz77GYe_Z2aGadx4OeYifvC__yokhe-RxOPuxgNq7bXyERPppESO4juvwbv9-xXO2PruMYBENnocGOkktAgE/s320/S1160004.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left">Not the prettiest things and a little smelly as well. The easiest way to clean them is to soak them in Luke warm water then find the end and run water thru it like the pigs last meal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMktEHl7-IiQsuJe1pua5e8myOhsRYx8b_W2GVy14sn44yS6sJz9WIPZxAH4KAL8ZWL_oXDhQQ_NPTPuMbhlQaB7L3ppQiEqfKYhznzmgR4XWVmYS8BdpBDiK2c8w-eDkqqzLRvT97B0/s1600/S1160005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMktEHl7-IiQsuJe1pua5e8myOhsRYx8b_W2GVy14sn44yS6sJz9WIPZxAH4KAL8ZWL_oXDhQQ_NPTPuMbhlQaB7L3ppQiEqfKYhznzmgR4XWVmYS8BdpBDiK2c8w-eDkqqzLRvT97B0/s320/S1160005.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Now you can really tell what they are. After you have gotten all of the stink out of them, let them sit until ready to use. <br />
Next you need to Grind your Pork thru the coarse die of your meat grinder, then grind the Beef through the fine die. Mix both meats together and add your spices.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPVMT1xYJrz0lL_IqRRlpvakLWf6dtFvG74l4NCqqscHfPVE4uKL3IoHFpfTsgcdl9sFlLDY8tNWJGdWD1P9H6Uh4sZWbwitnXCZ5ln2bNchS7a2iH88CxkN6r6Faa5KKj0CfIDYXihQ/s1600/S1160007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPVMT1xYJrz0lL_IqRRlpvakLWf6dtFvG74l4NCqqscHfPVE4uKL3IoHFpfTsgcdl9sFlLDY8tNWJGdWD1P9H6Uh4sZWbwitnXCZ5ln2bNchS7a2iH88CxkN6r6Faa5KKj0CfIDYXihQ/s320/S1160007.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>I then put another bowl full of Ice under this one to keep the entire mixture Icy cold. Then attached the paddle attachment of my kitchen aid mixer and mixed completely while slowly adding the ice water. You know you are done when a little white film of protein starts to stick to the sides of the bowl. Next thread your casing onto the sausage stuffer. Forgive the lack of pictures, I mistakenly deleted them. I know, bad blogger, next time I will be more in depth. Okay now you need to stuff the mixture into your prepared casings, then prick any air pockets. I tied off the ends with butchers twine, then put in the fridge for 24 hours so the flavors can marry and the meat can cure a little. Make sure to take the sausage out of the fridge about twenty minutes before you want to start smoking, to ensure the casings are dry before going in the smoker.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QR2rv5h7eOfjvWsCEn_31fmT3OCkuYWtLhBgwKAwuFSz6NaRt2_wORUgs2r01KP03ZODlDEg_qso7KHiXCc32rSZpVu6xOMRNEzmutRSv45V5Z18swM9j6owEM3WY6OKz2c1Xz_u76I/s1600/S1160009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QR2rv5h7eOfjvWsCEn_31fmT3OCkuYWtLhBgwKAwuFSz6NaRt2_wORUgs2r01KP03ZODlDEg_qso7KHiXCc32rSZpVu6xOMRNEzmutRSv45V5Z18swM9j6owEM3WY6OKz2c1Xz_u76I/s320/S1160009.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>The next day, I smoked the sausage(hee hee) at 180-190F for two hours until the internal temperature is 160F. Next place the links in a large bowl of cool water for 30 minutes to cool, then dry thoroughly and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and the freezer for six months. <div align="left">The next step is enjoying the sausage. I twisted it into four rings a little over a pound each. One I put on the grill and cooked slowly till the casing got crisp and brown. The meat was smokey and delicious.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs2tIGvK-QXr5cF2B0wPhSXahk0f4dctZOMhZW__JBylMH1HpFqrTV2LeS193mmFKCn_0S97kgIqnxd50wAY4_Gs_CtURDqp6uMejB0b_FJwv7m_DP0hAVHdpVY7ci_20BjxmF7mW-dA/s1600/S1170002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs2tIGvK-QXr5cF2B0wPhSXahk0f4dctZOMhZW__JBylMH1HpFqrTV2LeS193mmFKCn_0S97kgIqnxd50wAY4_Gs_CtURDqp6uMejB0b_FJwv7m_DP0hAVHdpVY7ci_20BjxmF7mW-dA/s320/S1170002.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>I made the pierogies with a potato and onion filling, and topped my sausage with some of the pickled red onions I made a few weeks ago and with some home made mustard. Damn good. See below for the Pierogi recipe. And remember, "Source local, and Love your Meat"!!<br />
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Potato and Onion Pierogies<br />
<br />
Filling-<br />
<ul><li class="ingredient">2 Large onions sliced chopped </li>
<li class="ingredient">2T (1/4 stick) butter, to saute the onion </li>
<li class="ingredient">4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks </li>
<li class="ingredient">2 Clove Garlic minced</li>
<li class="ingredient">3 T butter, for the mashed potatoes </li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 cup milk Heated </li>
<li class="ingredient">Salt and freshly ground black pepper </li>
<li class="ingredient">1teaspoon Paprika</li>
</ul><div align="left">Put potatoes in large pot with salted water and cook until tender. Meanwhile saute the onions and garlic until lightly colored and soft. Rice the potatoes and add the melted butter and milk, blend completely then add onions. Salt and pepper to taste and add paprika for flavor and a richer color.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Pierogie Dough</div><ul><li><div align="left">2Cups flour(all purpose) plus more for kneading and rolling</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/2 tsp Kosher salt</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1 Large Egg beaten</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/2 Cup Sour cream</div></li>
<li><div align="left">1/4 Cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces</div></li>
</ul><div align="left">This is a very simple and straight forward dough. It is going to resemble a light ravioli dough when finished. Put your Flour in a pile on the table and make a well in the middle. Put your egg, sour cream, and butter in the middle. Stirring the liquid mixture with your hand start to incorporate the flour slowly, as the mixture begins to tighten up and get sticky, start kneading the dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth and feels elastic. Then cover with plastic wrap and let rest for thirty minutes. Cut the dough into quarters and break out the pasta machine. Start on the highest setting and work your way until about 1/16 in thick. Cut out three inch circles with a biscuit cutter and add 1T of potato filling. Seal the edges and put the pierogi in lightly boiling salted water for 2-3 min. When the pierogies are floating they are done. Take them out and let them dry slightly. Saute them in a hot pan with melted butter until golden brown and crispy. Serve with sauteed onions and sour cream. And of course a big ole piece of my sausage.</div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-39492625383854803482011-07-26T13:21:00.001-05:002011-07-26T13:25:02.630-05:00Pancetta Arrotolata, hits the cure chamber Today!!Hopefully you all remember my recent post, <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-of-belly.html">The Day of the Belly</a>. If you have not seen it, there is something wrong with you, click on the link and catch up!! So after much anticipation, and belly rubbing (not mine pervs, the pancetta. Taking the belly out of the fridge every other day, redistributing the cure mixture, and flipping the belly, this is called overhauling) The Pancetta is ready to get rolled and hit the chamber. There are two main kinds of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancetta">Pancetta</a>, Tessa, and Arrotolata. Tessa is flat and looks like regular bacon that is not smoked. Arrotolata is rolled very tightly, tied and dried for about two to three months. I pulled the belly out and rinsed it well to get most of the cure mixture off.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPosh9UcDYlQBZKVwBS2OIo16-DVLhm4hQlISpISSy7fIajmr2bU9S5gYa84pADPlTjgNeNoR6YQHu3965e6Tu58CQYwcEPyfplydmQzMN7Mi6l967BJ7dSIl-G7nag-qUdN4g1BqebFo/s1600/S1150009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPosh9UcDYlQBZKVwBS2OIo16-DVLhm4hQlISpISSy7fIajmr2bU9S5gYa84pADPlTjgNeNoR6YQHu3965e6Tu58CQYwcEPyfplydmQzMN7Mi6l967BJ7dSIl-G7nag-qUdN4g1BqebFo/s320/S1150009.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></div><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>You can see that some of the cure mixture is still stuck to the belly. Nothing to worry about here, you really want to get the salty mixture off so it will not be over bearing with salt.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1k5ArdNLINF2tD4Ghbr3NMiSl4Ggwm6SiTw6dfK5cuVY0RuPJXQvrWra0f8ECrZHa2ADbRCy3XsCFYu0LL70OP7Y9UNtD2EPqdVnix9kEab2fh3xd2y1v2bpaan8f_zSiESjSJ4GJiWA/s1600/S1150011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1k5ArdNLINF2tD4Ghbr3NMiSl4Ggwm6SiTw6dfK5cuVY0RuPJXQvrWra0f8ECrZHa2ADbRCy3XsCFYu0LL70OP7Y9UNtD2EPqdVnix9kEab2fh3xd2y1v2bpaan8f_zSiESjSJ4GJiWA/s320/S1150011.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>This is one beautiful piece of piggy delight. Trust me it smells amazing, all of the herbs really come to the forefront. I then crushed some Tellicherry peppercorns and coated the inside of the belly. This is where it gets tricky. You have to roll this very, very tightly. There can not be any air pockets inside the arrotolata, this can lead to bad mold and spoilage. After the now Pancetta is rolled and tied very tightly, it is time to rub the outside with some cracked pepper, making sure we do not forget the ends.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4esXVL9oq-DEwFwq4Avjtrw9wNLnWbC0b47uQpMykYjIU6w5xG60d5y-ZRpfunGZpZ9tjWfThD2EojLGwMGiRNAhy9QXLr7g9MYXCPA0AdKk_zcbefDfIj8bUBdaIuarycj6nAaKVII/s1600/S1150012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4esXVL9oq-DEwFwq4Avjtrw9wNLnWbC0b47uQpMykYjIU6w5xG60d5y-ZRpfunGZpZ9tjWfThD2EojLGwMGiRNAhy9QXLr7g9MYXCPA0AdKk_zcbefDfIj8bUBdaIuarycj6nAaKVII/s320/S1150012.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Notice my butcher twine inside of a small sauce pot. This stops the twine from going all over the kitchen when you are tying the pancetta. This then went into the cure chamber to hang out with its new friends.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMt-2RAK-NMYRKqKD0DyE6BPVq2BtrQMV4C5a2nBgufap0hnXU9P5CYARheKgfdnuKVpaA0a-xdg_hkX-fyOTTQG7DvJU_tAue_0LxB4qGL1ms7qFMz_I4ylFSdkxfjVc7erwULjS5qGg/s1600/S1150014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMt-2RAK-NMYRKqKD0DyE6BPVq2BtrQMV4C5a2nBgufap0hnXU9P5CYARheKgfdnuKVpaA0a-xdg_hkX-fyOTTQG7DvJU_tAue_0LxB4qGL1ms7qFMz_I4ylFSdkxfjVc7erwULjS5qGg/s320/S1150014.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>The Guanciale that is hanging is looking, feeling, and smelling amazing. I can not wait to make a carbonara with that Calabrian spicy Guanciale. The Lardo for <a href="http://www.andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com/main/index.html">AMIK</a>, has lost about 5% and is firming up nicely. With all of this meat and fat hanging, the humidity has been a little bit harder to control. At first I was having a hard time keeping the humidity up now it is climbing quickly. I put a small fan facing the outside hole of the fridge, at the hole where the power plug goes out, and it is cycling the air much better. Staying at 55F to 56F, and right around 68RH to 72RH. Looking good.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-c52sjIyGDM7O6opzxBZ3_Q5Wr_658gcesk5Rgau3Ha7YQMBWN2HpHUVyxpDMYotWVj74impe-2n_qVexMAVGnlE5J3rowdukjMW7mJQMqtn7k0OBaRz-8iTzRX0ScKEkFdr7NLhC42M/s1600/charcute-logo-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-c52sjIyGDM7O6opzxBZ3_Q5Wr_658gcesk5Rgau3Ha7YQMBWN2HpHUVyxpDMYotWVj74impe-2n_qVexMAVGnlE5J3rowdukjMW7mJQMqtn7k0OBaRz-8iTzRX0ScKEkFdr7NLhC42M/s320/charcute-logo-small.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I have some new things I am hoping to try between this week and next week. Hot dogs, I need to make some Trotter Gear, and while I am at it I am going to knock out Augusts <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/">Charcutepalooza</a> and make a Pig Trotter, and hock, Terrine. With spicy apple mostardo, house made whole grain mustard, and cranberry compote. Should be great. Check back soon, and remember. <strong>"Source Local, and Love your Meat"!!!</strong></a>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-61563531017284453522011-07-21T19:47:00.001-05:002011-07-21T19:54:38.357-05:00The Belly Turns to bacon with a little smoke!!I am sure you all have seen my recent <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-of-belly.html">Day of the Belly post</a>, this is the continuation. I have recently purchased an electric smoker.... I know for those of you who know me well how could I be using an electric smoker? Does this make me less of a man, not to be tending my own fire and grunting throughout the day. Well I live in an apartment, and hell it is so much easier. I smoked a shoulder the other day, all I had to do was rub my meet (hehehe) and toss it in the smoker, set my temp and time and walk away. WOW much easier. I do have to admit I miss my big old offset smoker. I love that type of cooking. As soon as I get out of an apartment I will be the meat Viking once again. On to the meat(that's what she said). I used a beautiful piece of <a href="http://newmanfarm.com/">Newman farms</a> belly for this.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3-ip7oAoEI3CeVXuJ3CwFe4ekN4lbsvkV55gu7sKs1h9O1BgN5gNy2EA_WifMJYa6w3ckspAsYrzSec8t_uX3Nac0xHvM9nLzSloOPn_iGRhT2-Jr85qq97tVFd2BKjPXG348-n1gp0/s1600/S1120004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3-ip7oAoEI3CeVXuJ3CwFe4ekN4lbsvkV55gu7sKs1h9O1BgN5gNy2EA_WifMJYa6w3ckspAsYrzSec8t_uX3Nac0xHvM9nLzSloOPn_iGRhT2-Jr85qq97tVFd2BKjPXG348-n1gp0/s320/S1120004.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></div><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I cut half of this to make Pancetta, and the other half I cut into tow pieces to make a traditional Bacon and a sweet and spicy bacon courtesy of fellow Clevelander Michael Simon. I cured both pieces of bacon for ten days, I then took them out of the fridge, rinsed them off, dried them then put them in the fridge for 24 hours.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmV7FZEQ0Lqye4Mq5ZMUSwrSY1jqjGA9p49pz1l6gdbpQzvPEmZfEB4P4AbYAfXAAFGtP6FIIywblYSt7Ivr7YQr-EW8HfYP_cbXiWi0x1q1Um2QPFrjqDF7Ipve71_L3DoYBPH3cNeo/s1600/S1150001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmV7FZEQ0Lqye4Mq5ZMUSwrSY1jqjGA9p49pz1l6gdbpQzvPEmZfEB4P4AbYAfXAAFGtP6FIIywblYSt7Ivr7YQr-EW8HfYP_cbXiWi0x1q1Um2QPFrjqDF7Ipve71_L3DoYBPH3cNeo/s320/S1150001.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Here you see the belly before it hits the smoke. The reason I let this rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours is to develop a good <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellicle">pellicle.</a> This happens to be a fancy word for the proteins that build up on the outside of the meat that will help the smoke adhere to your meat. If you skip this step the smoke flavor will be more bitter and will not adhere to your meat. I used a combination of Hickory and Apple wood for this bacon. I love the sweet finish off apple! I prepped my smoker and let it come to 200F, then added my wood chips. I then added my meat and let it smoke until the belly reached 150F.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MS3HqqE1VDMKPyguoCFAoTiL1fJhkmTiyN957FqcXeNgEbiHWoQ-njAE__gtMvD200nLEMMbm4g0yuG2R410y8aMw5VTZS3QqY8RKW8oVLN5qH-n8DuDeM8ulpVnspCQIJ_P1fVfXzo/s1600/S1150003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MS3HqqE1VDMKPyguoCFAoTiL1fJhkmTiyN957FqcXeNgEbiHWoQ-njAE__gtMvD200nLEMMbm4g0yuG2R410y8aMw5VTZS3QqY8RKW8oVLN5qH-n8DuDeM8ulpVnspCQIJ_P1fVfXzo/s320/S1150003.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>I kept a water tray in the smoker to ensure that I was not going to dry out the belly. Trust me even with all of that fat you can dry out the meat. After the belly reached 150F, I removed it from the smoker and let it rest till it came to room temp.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGmqAjcKaZdMR-LsXs9DdN8Qrj7UEaKpS-v0HjXQB9-gMK32GUSZZwttqDHEPnC1Cet4rW7PbkKRTE_WFOv4LNKO90lGBsdHmMtkESm0FkFwr15PBwBHiOqU94hgLfmxq7cfcT0bZzq4/s1600/S1150005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGmqAjcKaZdMR-LsXs9DdN8Qrj7UEaKpS-v0HjXQB9-gMK32GUSZZwttqDHEPnC1Cet4rW7PbkKRTE_WFOv4LNKO90lGBsdHmMtkESm0FkFwr15PBwBHiOqU94hgLfmxq7cfcT0bZzq4/s320/S1150005.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>After it rested, I had to trim it up and make sure that it tasted okay. Freaking amazing!!!! I do think that I may have over smoked the meat. Next time I will not add as much in the way of wood chips but overall it came out great.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk76uNRbUZv8BF8BIuV3Qq3k1xH2uRkLBUmfhO4WIjZNkyMRJb5XebbP7DMANc5ZvlOs0DXL458xsJnVmH4lkbg7HoFdDO1Xl_gYwt23-NuIGnT4QYjlHHUYSfbQwNLtL7gcVBrNA5XBk/s1600/S1150006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk76uNRbUZv8BF8BIuV3Qq3k1xH2uRkLBUmfhO4WIjZNkyMRJb5XebbP7DMANc5ZvlOs0DXL458xsJnVmH4lkbg7HoFdDO1Xl_gYwt23-NuIGnT4QYjlHHUYSfbQwNLtL7gcVBrNA5XBk/s320/S1150006.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Look how thick the Heritage belly is. It was so good pan fried. I was hoping for a little more spice from the Lola style bacon. The flavor was great but I just wanted more spice. I will be rolling my pancetta this week and getting it to the cure chamber. I have had a couple of new additions to the cure chamber in the last couple days. I offered to help out my friends over at <a href="http://www.andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com/main/index.html">AMIK</a> and hang some Lardo for them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttCPfAfS_C2sUvv1MmemhvzUlPUTKUFxXBq52LFLxcxD-2kLagQqc7VNszSCK4zifNblWJ7QyUwEP4ZyJhCiv7xPyq0harGMeOcrjalIycnLlJnF2WlHDEkty-9T-OAgpyBCz86mx1-w/s1600/S1150008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttCPfAfS_C2sUvv1MmemhvzUlPUTKUFxXBq52LFLxcxD-2kLagQqc7VNszSCK4zifNblWJ7QyUwEP4ZyJhCiv7xPyq0harGMeOcrjalIycnLlJnF2WlHDEkty-9T-OAgpyBCz86mx1-w/s320/S1150008.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Now that is a happy looking cure chamber. Click on the pic for a better view. I tell you every time I open the door I start to salivate!! I really look forward to trying some new things. I have recently purchased a massive 19lb shoulder, and a couple more jowls. I am going to try my hand at "Nduja soon. I just have to nail down the recipe. I have been torn to try it first with supermarket grade ingredients or the Heritage style I usually use. What the hell, I am about the risk. I have learned a lot and have great ingredients courtesy of <a href="http://www.sausagedebauchery.com/">Sausage Debauchery</a> Not only a great blog, but an amazing online store. <br />
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Remember, know your Chefs, and Love Your Meat!!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></a>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-1849409761618065702011-07-13T19:48:00.001-05:002011-07-27T12:26:14.760-05:00It's a Pig Jowl Thing!Two more jowls are hitting the cure chamber today. You may remember them from my first blog on <a href="http://hardcorpsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/guanciale.html">Guanciale</a>. I made a couple of important promises to myself and my friends when I started my Charcuterie endeavor. #1, if I ever have a doubt that the project would be safe or not, I will toss it and start over (Trust me this is harder than it sounds when you think of the money and time invested), and #2, is to use only the Highest quality, sustainable ingredients. I prefer to get my veggies from farmers markets and my meats to be of the Heritage variety. There are really two big breeds of Heritage pork right now, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkshire_(pig)">Berkshire</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangalitsa">Mangalitsa</a>. I use the Berkshire, not only because it's freaking amazing, but I know a really good farmer that is known across the country, and he is local, so there. That being said I got two beautiful jowls a couple of weeks ago and prepared them in two completely different ways. One was more traditional with very fresh herbs and garlic, and the next I did in a southern Italian, Calabrian style, spicy and smokey. Lets talk more traditional first. I got some amazing herbs from my buddies that have an amazing restaurant here in Memphis. If you are ever near stop by!!! <a href="http://www.andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com/main/index.html">Andrew Michaels Italian Kitchen</a>. Here we go.<br />
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<ul><li>1kg Heritage pork jowl</li>
<li>70g Salt (Kosher, I use Morton's)</li>
<li>70g Sugar (superfine)</li>
<li>15ea Tellicherry Black Peppercorns</li>
<li>1 bunch Thyme</li>
<li>2 Bay leaves, Fresh</li>
<li>4 Juniper Berries</li>
<li>10g Garlic minced, or 2 large cloves.</li>
<li>1tsp Pink salt(optional, I use to maintain a good color and prevent food poisoning)</li>
</ul><ol><li>Rinse and pat the Jowl dry, Remove any stray tissue and any glands. The glands will look like little fatty discs that are off color.</li>
<li>Combine all of the dry ingredients in a spice grinder and pulse until well blended and evenly crushed.</li>
<li>Place the Jowl in a non reactive container and rub the dry cure all over the jowl ensuring that you get an even coat and cover all of the sides. Place the Jowl in a Ziploc bag, place in a container and refrigerate until it feels stiff, kind of like squeezing a tennis ball, it still has some give but is not squishy like raw meat, about 7 to 10 days depending on the fat to meat content. Make sure you overhaul the jowl everyday. Overhauling is where you take the jowl out of the fridge and redistribute the cure and massage the meat. Flipping the meat before placing back in the fridge.</li>
<li>Remove the jowl after it has cured and rinse well under very cold water to remove all residual cure, pat the jowl very dry.</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><li>Poke a hole in a corner of the jowl about one inch in and slip a long piece of butchers twine thru the hole. Hang in cure chamber until completely stiff to the touch but not hard through out. It should have a little give. Should take between 2 and 4 weeks to dry depending on temp and humidity. The longer you dry the Porkier and more intense the flavor will get. See Below.</li>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2WPd_QniceGrW7ZU4FR6bWkzV6PBTjkO0axI03nyQtWv2siLGY94-2fZl_nw24OzOJOrSrtJjBomwyD6Nc6UU_IuxVsgU-tuxRL1soeu67qDWNDdIbSVTW4k10FJCF00lu748RfNTJo/s1600/trad+after+cure+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2WPd_QniceGrW7ZU4FR6bWkzV6PBTjkO0axI03nyQtWv2siLGY94-2fZl_nw24OzOJOrSrtJjBomwyD6Nc6UU_IuxVsgU-tuxRL1soeu67qDWNDdIbSVTW4k10FJCF00lu748RfNTJo/s320/trad+after+cure+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSdf8IN2ot5rfT3HwS2WPFgZaENeCpWFTQVdjKDAmQ2j-rb_ezbrGGYPgTNpZgUr9Htv35HjDLJMSHyPtUt3qxQRAETgUFXE5SMMgYPWt_D_gu55CMIKz2aI2MUcGZPyFn-V3FLP0gFI/s1600/trad+after+cure+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSdf8IN2ot5rfT3HwS2WPFgZaENeCpWFTQVdjKDAmQ2j-rb_ezbrGGYPgTNpZgUr9Htv35HjDLJMSHyPtUt3qxQRAETgUFXE5SMMgYPWt_D_gu55CMIKz2aI2MUcGZPyFn-V3FLP0gFI/s320/trad+after+cure+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is the jowl, after being rinsed dried, and ready to be tied. Don't worry if there is a little bit of the herbs stuck to the outside, its fine. I am really into this sausage called N'duja it is a soft, spreadable Hot sausage from Calabria. I had it when I was in the Marine Corps a lifetime ago. I found a blog called <a href="http://sausagedebauchery.blogspot.com/">Sausage Debauchery </a> He is an avid Charcuterie guy and got me inspired to try an nontraditional Calabrian spicy and smokey Guanciale. See below for the recipe.<br />
<ul><li>1kg Heritage pork Jowl (2 lbs)</li>
<li>70g Kosher salt</li>
<li>70g Sugar superfine</li>
<li>6g Hot Szeged Paprika</li>
<li>6g Cayenne Pepper</li>
<li>6g Smoked sweet Paprika</li>
<li>15 Tellicherry peppercorns crushed</li>
<li>4 Juniper berries</li>
<li>2 Bay leafs crushed</li>
<li>10g Garlic minced</li>
<li>1tsp pink salt (optional)</li>
</ul>Technique is exactly the same as above. Ensure you wait until the jowl is cured. Since it is mainly fat it is not going to lose as much liquid as the other cuts we have looked at in the past. See pics below for the Calabrian Guanciale and the hanging of both.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh8KmvVr-rqdl94_XsJ8kT_9BhW9ssHvK9ahsn3dTTB-YnR06yafmKJelRKLBcCKuYyM2OwwI7P651oqGEakZzJ7SZadhto7wESxMssPCZzGMkeaTQlbtQ4YirIESMrIoIw3wl82Cjhk/s1600/calabrian+after+cure1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh8KmvVr-rqdl94_XsJ8kT_9BhW9ssHvK9ahsn3dTTB-YnR06yafmKJelRKLBcCKuYyM2OwwI7P651oqGEakZzJ7SZadhto7wESxMssPCZzGMkeaTQlbtQ4YirIESMrIoIw3wl82Cjhk/s320/calabrian+after+cure1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopgVd3oYMCGwutAGzvBjjRqyOE2U1_GEnrj3FIgNUbqkyxt_u63u1bWMa9wwyTUGmc8Z6jhOhNDgHHRU2L0greQM5fjcKcSUSCOXnn_M71V-e3keJqF3xfdzZPMUeZJa1T6Vj3AABda0/s1600/calab+after+cure+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopgVd3oYMCGwutAGzvBjjRqyOE2U1_GEnrj3FIgNUbqkyxt_u63u1bWMa9wwyTUGmc8Z6jhOhNDgHHRU2L0greQM5fjcKcSUSCOXnn_M71V-e3keJqF3xfdzZPMUeZJa1T6Vj3AABda0/s320/calab+after+cure+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Look how rich and spicy this looks. It smells amazing. You can almost feel the heat coming off of it and its has a really sweet essence to it. This is going to be amazing in some past!! Check out how the cure chamber is looking. My first guanciale is about ready to come out, I am giving it one more week then it will be living in my belly!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoHmD6S4RXzZf6JLOkWjvPiiFyXRez56oaj_v310ypz0nsJ4u8XbXHruevbnAG4fT_Uv5gmw8-MeNk1y7RGVq7WXwBrnc-68YCtvlIs9Zt1ujwuGC_wCY0tkmDnOgwMy5pM8qVwj5LL8/s1600/trad+hangin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoHmD6S4RXzZf6JLOkWjvPiiFyXRez56oaj_v310ypz0nsJ4u8XbXHruevbnAG4fT_Uv5gmw8-MeNk1y7RGVq7WXwBrnc-68YCtvlIs9Zt1ujwuGC_wCY0tkmDnOgwMy5pM8qVwj5LL8/s320/trad+hangin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSBwd9-Kb3_4zHpfmx-Xwc4h7Y3BjD5vJt07Ca_R4NwOIHdt8fc0nQzvhgolq1z9rsPhb_4gYn7ifbrB0HzOn-t1fzteKkhHzYoEPuQN6YD5l7Zylq1Tjt_fNZfQ18mYnb_eH3PUeGhI/s1600/calab+hangin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSBwd9-Kb3_4zHpfmx-Xwc4h7Y3BjD5vJt07Ca_R4NwOIHdt8fc0nQzvhgolq1z9rsPhb_4gYn7ifbrB0HzOn-t1fzteKkhHzYoEPuQN6YD5l7Zylq1Tjt_fNZfQ18mYnb_eH3PUeGhI/s320/calab+hangin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I will be posting the recipes these little beauty's will be in soon. Stay tuned this week. I am going to get my smoker set up for the Bacon that is coming out of cure this Sunday for an all day smoke. Then getting ready to tackle the N'duja. I tested some of the chili's the other day and DAMN, good and spicy. Remember if you like the blog feel free to post some comments, or follow. I will be posting on facebook and twitter as well. Its all about the MEAT!!</div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-92056285030875473222011-07-08T20:18:00.001-05:002011-07-27T12:23:29.283-05:00The Day Of the Pork Belly.......Today I decided to tackle the Pork Belly that I got from <a href="http://www.newmanfarm.com/">Newman Farms</a> at the <a href="http://www.memphisfarmersmarket.org/">Memphis farmers market</a>. I am all about using local ingredients. I want to support my local farms for a few reasons. Number one, the food tastes better, and number two, I know where my food is coming from. The difference in taste and quality is second to none. So here is the belly that Mark sold me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8CJvHuvSPvh3s65fYT5gR08kdpCXSqaPq99in-VXc0UwjeUO16060PxGUtcPVQ_YSbFkFVHbYcw359iJI6qpTWWYwiMrhyphenhyphenqZRHhnSCwV6ER8I5aaf2OqcnkmR8dtnSneUkzUN8KFPbQ/s1600/S1120005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8CJvHuvSPvh3s65fYT5gR08kdpCXSqaPq99in-VXc0UwjeUO16060PxGUtcPVQ_YSbFkFVHbYcw359iJI6qpTWWYwiMrhyphenhyphenqZRHhnSCwV6ER8I5aaf2OqcnkmR8dtnSneUkzUN8KFPbQ/s320/S1120005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>That is one piece of delicious porky goodness. If you look back to the primals post I did you can see where the belly comes from. It is not only the belly but the side of the hog. You can see where the spareribs were once attached to this cut of meat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6zE_-PAnbL1S07gqE3hPGaszb8JM8B-DI5YOBUr9SqftitHMoNKsnAu8ym9UU9a4RxSmjqYjegNt9F2rN8lwMXXveNdblS-nyyo20NC9tpMvrQQ5qIylPo-oezM5aU4z5o2etG1Xk2I/s1600/great+primalpic.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6zE_-PAnbL1S07gqE3hPGaszb8JM8B-DI5YOBUr9SqftitHMoNKsnAu8ym9UU9a4RxSmjqYjegNt9F2rN8lwMXXveNdblS-nyyo20NC9tpMvrQQ5qIylPo-oezM5aU4z5o2etG1Xk2I/s320/great+primalpic.gif" width="320" /></a></div>For this recipe we will be using the thicker cut by the spareribs to make a traditional style bacon. This recipe is from the Book Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. Very simple to make. Takes approximately seven days in the refer then the smoking to 150 degrees F, chill in the freezer for three hours then slice. We will get more in depth into the smoking process next week when these little beauties are out of the fridge and into the smoker. I started with the pork belly(2lb 4oz. 1033g)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpNCcUxNtqJXgzv6Wh3FZEpfihRMHZoarR33x8ufY73ppdr7be3S-FmOOmhxOF_EV4oH0-4R7107FJqR5d6FUaVISOQlLU6kbjxvReSyvD4yHAWwzLmzV8Qsyuj1K70e_mEid1m42l8I/s1600/S1120008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpNCcUxNtqJXgzv6Wh3FZEpfihRMHZoarR33x8ufY73ppdr7be3S-FmOOmhxOF_EV4oH0-4R7107FJqR5d6FUaVISOQlLU6kbjxvReSyvD4yHAWwzLmzV8Qsyuj1K70e_mEid1m42l8I/s320/S1120008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And added 50g of the basic cure, and 20g of Turbinado sugar. This got Vac Sealed and will be in the fridge for a week. Coming up you will get the spicy Lola bacon and my recipe for pancetta.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUYLsvQLbj2OSLmGOx1IHseJWwZ5XQ1MDRJWONIRXOzTrsCB1Lb8wPomkaGPnQVnSEwlx0GPxvlEaP6QDOgBhMfMRS10QSsftv8Bc0LnIVvgZJO3ur5Rr4GU3AaTW4o985pSgE0sm7Ts/s1600/S1120009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUYLsvQLbj2OSLmGOx1IHseJWwZ5XQ1MDRJWONIRXOzTrsCB1Lb8wPomkaGPnQVnSEwlx0GPxvlEaP6QDOgBhMfMRS10QSsftv8Bc0LnIVvgZJO3ur5Rr4GU3AaTW4o985pSgE0sm7Ts/s320/S1120009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I am sure that most of you have heard of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Symon">Michael Symon</a> He started<a href="http://www.lolabistro.com/"> Lola</a> and other restaurant's in Cleveland area. And since I am from Cleveland, and that he has the same culinary point of view of mine, I thought that the first post I do of pork belly had to consist of some of his influence. I have to tell you I have eaten at Lola, and Lolita and am a huge fan!! His menu is straight up porky goodness!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVLkEE31tloQPQd5fCvDgDyp4Avk6EPBKh66ui1m8tMmLos9VZPxtHTqMY8IinbXzE5eJ47_AQTCODTmhSudaNZVhKb7E15KskMrB2br-Ej3iU-0Jnh4Weq2Nk6qgWVfnv1PAd6r49s4/s1600/S1120010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVLkEE31tloQPQd5fCvDgDyp4Avk6EPBKh66ui1m8tMmLos9VZPxtHTqMY8IinbXzE5eJ47_AQTCODTmhSudaNZVhKb7E15KskMrB2br-Ej3iU-0Jnh4Weq2Nk6qgWVfnv1PAd6r49s4/s320/S1120010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This how I got started. You can see Michael Symon's Live to Cook in the background it is a great book!! This is my variation on his recipe.<br />
<ul><li>883g, 2lb pork belly(heritage of course)</li>
<li>1/4 C 60g kosher salt</li>
<li>2tsp 10g Pink salt #1</li>
<li>1/4 C 48g Turbinado Sugar</li>
<li>2T 8g Crushed red pepper flakes</li>
<li>2T 12 g smoked sweet paprika</li>
<li>1/4C 100g honey (from <a href="http://peacebeefarm.com/">peacebeefarm.com</a>) remember source local!!!!</li>
<li>1tsp Cumin seed Toasted</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkT1mMQVrf4f1u978Q2pjaAQGDhfh7jdhxpeqJpGjGJTv6oHTrrxgBEyA1c-65VssBSLW6LkQX4FNiid0uN3GkBY699GGmjx9U39hi84VqIkpqkqICJBX8IEkRl1TS7sGz_QgtY1vrFY/s1600/S1120011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkT1mMQVrf4f1u978Q2pjaAQGDhfh7jdhxpeqJpGjGJTv6oHTrrxgBEyA1c-65VssBSLW6LkQX4FNiid0uN3GkBY699GGmjx9U39hi84VqIkpqkqICJBX8IEkRl1TS7sGz_QgtY1vrFY/s320/S1120011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Mix all of the above ingredients and coat the pork belly. Trust me I know how much a pain in the ass this is. But the color and smells you get from this are amazing. This is going to sit in the fridge for a minimum of seven days, to see its stiffness then it is going to hit the smoke chamber. I will update on this one. Check out the pics after it had the master Aaron rub down.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7FkQn8cS6bMu8cuO8cKP3Dds7mNMXR5UbTVG7YwUeOLsVAzJo1d3nHchwlGxgTUnHpvJc_jjyCJYZ3XLwqQcX7jYsBQoJoWbS80TTsmpFCKQx7RwFXDbH9FHmdXdlzrBDgkASphjrgk/s1600/S1120012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7FkQn8cS6bMu8cuO8cKP3Dds7mNMXR5UbTVG7YwUeOLsVAzJo1d3nHchwlGxgTUnHpvJc_jjyCJYZ3XLwqQcX7jYsBQoJoWbS80TTsmpFCKQx7RwFXDbH9FHmdXdlzrBDgkASphjrgk/s320/S1120012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueexW1ilK_xARJy4XS-1G8-Z_YPjJ99ziZAId9aXobZg0XVU4RgsxKtoNuweclfwHIvx9Nft65rMfRHkn2KOYOvhTqKlXma190OnzyWB4z1FY95uW7kOshDYAX5Ju2HhIrvGXi9P-tIM/s1600/S1120013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueexW1ilK_xARJy4XS-1G8-Z_YPjJ99ziZAId9aXobZg0XVU4RgsxKtoNuweclfwHIvx9Nft65rMfRHkn2KOYOvhTqKlXma190OnzyWB4z1FY95uW7kOshDYAX5Ju2HhIrvGXi9P-tIM/s320/S1120013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>MMMMMMmmmmmm Spicy smokey goodness!!!!!<br />
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Now onto the last endeavor of the day. Yes I have been playing with pork belly for most of the day. I did help a friend get in touch with the digital revolution earlier... but that is an entirely separate story. Okay Moving on. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancetta"> Pancetta</a> Is the God of Italian Bacon. And as you all know, bacon is Foodie Candy. I came up with this recipe after reading just about every Charcuterie book out there. This post will document the curing process. I will get the hanging one up in two weeks. This cut will sit in the fridge for two weeks being overhauled every other day(pulled out and rubbed down). I wish I got as much attention as the meat I cured. Anyway this is how we started today.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRlhx7rtrQO8VsDnZc-Iv0YzDp19X6dws0E9VGuLHft7x9hNaGwiU_VYTGwu_9XzfvqJd0l3-7DMCf-wvS3L7T9dondRm-v6xo-pc5PZBS_R1nMP-DoM7xjlzUkpZ5P5Pz7VtXgDyTbo/s1600/S1120014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRlhx7rtrQO8VsDnZc-Iv0YzDp19X6dws0E9VGuLHft7x9hNaGwiU_VYTGwu_9XzfvqJd0l3-7DMCf-wvS3L7T9dondRm-v6xo-pc5PZBS_R1nMP-DoM7xjlzUkpZ5P5Pz7VtXgDyTbo/s320/S1120014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXOvgg_cSifv6KDxV2TChgB3Zo8LeEgj0ws_Q0KooVKrjS271M2UzHyGWDTM9n7jyI2i39EsypMblG4GrEOiaf9JxYJLzToJVERbvtwWrghcTiJSDc-xxik99qM7-_KFLtiClPVOpIUo/s1600/S1120016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXOvgg_cSifv6KDxV2TChgB3Zo8LeEgj0ws_Q0KooVKrjS271M2UzHyGWDTM9n7jyI2i39EsypMblG4GrEOiaf9JxYJLzToJVERbvtwWrghcTiJSDc-xxik99qM7-_KFLtiClPVOpIUo/s320/S1120016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><li>4lb 1814g Pork belly</li>
<li>1/4C 60g Kosher salt</li>
<li>2tsp 10g Pink salt #1</li>
<li>3T 38g Turbinado Sugar</li>
<li>4clv 25g Garlic Chopped</li>
<li>1T 2g Fresh Rosemary chopped</li>
<li>1T 2g Fresh Thyme chopped</li>
<li>1T 3g crushed red pepper flakes</li>
<li>3T 20g Tellicherry peppercorns crushed</li>
<li>1T 5g Juniper berries crushed</li>
<li>4 ea Bay leaves crushed</li>
<li><div align="left" style="text-align: left;">Little bit of porky love.</div></li>
</ul>Mix all of the above together and rub all over your belly. OK now wait, don't take your shirt off yet, this is meant for the pork. Get this in every nook and cranny of your pork belly and seal. This is going to sit in the fridge for 7-14 days until it is firm and ready to be hung. It is then going into the cure chamber. I will update when ready to hang. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqd3LTM1KY7VbyCHPyAZp1sqe8wU1mHhmHkXEcIAr2eSJLdEP2YtKk1MbFwGTgMLkTsGd9IwdA_mxh2KTSaQIm888uUX6eHXO5trBkJVSDg_liqw9ONGNEzb9crvB3Ih4cy2RY4-s7MVg/s1600/S1120019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqd3LTM1KY7VbyCHPyAZp1sqe8wU1mHhmHkXEcIAr2eSJLdEP2YtKk1MbFwGTgMLkTsGd9IwdA_mxh2KTSaQIm888uUX6eHXO5trBkJVSDg_liqw9ONGNEzb9crvB3Ih4cy2RY4-s7MVg/s320/S1120019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrK85aD3HKy_FM61tZNvXIxQhKoSlgrALIsEsr4ujzNwIUTTtq9wzp47jw9u4QjWhP0MHOO4L9QAzejjJxLHFn7zYhuZXaKFSDyVrllR3RMem8e8EDoQJz1I9PRq1sBGQOiZ3hiYVIS10/s1600/S1120018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrK85aD3HKy_FM61tZNvXIxQhKoSlgrALIsEsr4ujzNwIUTTtq9wzp47jw9u4QjWhP0MHOO4L9QAzejjJxLHFn7zYhuZXaKFSDyVrllR3RMem8e8EDoQJz1I9PRq1sBGQOiZ3hiYVIS10/s320/S1120018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Remember what I say, Support your local farmers and restaurants. This is where we need to get our country going with fresh and natural foods. Thank you for supporting my blog. Please become a follower to my blog at hardcorpsfoodie.com or to my hardcorpsfoodie twitter. Plenty of fun stuff a coming!!!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043229772184431121.post-56169146521269704482011-07-08T19:12:00.000-05:002011-07-08T19:12:32.548-05:00My Calabrian Christmas!!!Today I got a package from a person I have been following for a while. He has the same passion for Charcuterie as I have and has paved the way in this country to discover one of southern Italy's best and most underrated foods. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nduja">N'duja</a>....I know what you are thinking. What the Hell is N'duja, it is a smokey, fiery, porky, spreadable sausage that will blow the top of your head off, and it is on my top five of flavor profiles I think everyone needs to have on a weekly basis. My buddy Michael Hudman from <a href="http://www.andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com/main/index.html">AndrewMichaels Italian Kitchen</a> here in Memphis and I are going to tackle this beast soon and bring the light of Calabria to Memphis. I know I sound like a nut ball, but when I post the makings of this spreadable beast, and you make it at home you will want to send me your life savings.... Its that good. Really you don't have to send me money.... Unless you really want to that is.... This is what Scott from <a href="http://www.sausagedebauchery.com/">Sausage Debauchery</a> sent to me today. You have to check out his store and his blog. His blog is Ridonkulous. Looking at his cure chamber is like me stepping thru the wardrobe into Narnia for me. Not to say I love his meat, but his technique is amazing.... Damn that does not sound right. But He has inspired me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRmfhFGKtvTwl5g7neaRYcx9cxG0C2BkVPe6nwV2J94PxcmbvHTBUrFJtkUcJ4uqezJZMq4gA5fMNboYkR_S0S-sAxMcNaAIqkLLsd0kLFz1ednmyd_UP0xLp5LxnYetTajXXNeBZO1c/s1600/S1120001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRmfhFGKtvTwl5g7neaRYcx9cxG0C2BkVPe6nwV2J94PxcmbvHTBUrFJtkUcJ4uqezJZMq4gA5fMNboYkR_S0S-sAxMcNaAIqkLLsd0kLFz1ednmyd_UP0xLp5LxnYetTajXXNeBZO1c/s320/S1120001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here is everything I got today. Marinella Sweet Pepper Powder, Marinella Hot Pepper Powder from Calabria, Coluccio's brand sweet pepper paste from Calabria, Coluccio's brand hot pepper paste from Calabria, and some Adriatic Sea Salt from Puglia. How can you expect to season the perfect Calabrian sausage without salt from that region. Seriously folks, check out the website <a href="http://www.sausagedebauchery.com/">Sausage Debauchery.com</a> He ships quickly and the prices are great. I look forward to being his best customer!! Thanks Scott!!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx3HlR6TTt1Fc2FRL4plyIGvGv2NXfEigO794bamURi99TOU_lb3-KkOiwJEE_g2YiERilIHmmrodw2-gMdTEo_35PgHMoppIXY5mq7NHsXCCn1wrrZNQQLy_vBmTlaFysy7Huw7AlQE/s1600/S1120002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx3HlR6TTt1Fc2FRL4plyIGvGv2NXfEigO794bamURi99TOU_lb3-KkOiwJEE_g2YiERilIHmmrodw2-gMdTEo_35PgHMoppIXY5mq7NHsXCCn1wrrZNQQLy_vBmTlaFysy7Huw7AlQE/s320/S1120002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEugE7qBBifZDLX7k-clLACRk_sDR340OKIj-BZSt8HUdD6hSsoPhgtW0OisyXBLmvU1104ufx3uCVOVfxsAzBpyABHZTsdE2W3XbpRzph0vWKeScaEbvD58GKJsVtYh02XO89XoLtJE/s1600/S1120003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEugE7qBBifZDLX7k-clLACRk_sDR340OKIj-BZSt8HUdD6hSsoPhgtW0OisyXBLmvU1104ufx3uCVOVfxsAzBpyABHZTsdE2W3XbpRzph0vWKeScaEbvD58GKJsVtYh02XO89XoLtJE/s320/S1120003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check back soon for the Hudman/Winters Calabrian sausage extravaganza...NoHomo of course. Well maybe a little.</div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13852059391144569723noreply@blogger.com1