Two more jowls are hitting the cure chamber today. You may remember them from my first blog on Guanciale. 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 Berkshire and the Mangalitsa. 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!!! Andrew Michaels Italian Kitchen. Here we go.
Showing posts with label Primal cuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Primal cuts. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Primals!! (Updated)
I feel like I did not get as in depth when I first posted this. I have recently aquired a copy of Primal Cuts by Marissa Guggiana, if you love your meat buy this awesome book!! See below for the update beauty we call the Pig, or as Webster's Thesaurus states: boar, cob roller, hog, piggy, piglet, porker, porky, shoat, sow, swine
As I begin my blogging endeavor, I have to talk about the beast that means the most to me and the cuts that it entails. That being the pig. I grew up on a farm with my family in Denmark, Ohio. Don't worry no one else knows where that is it either. We had horses, chickens, a mean ass rooster, some cows and a bull, a couple goats, rabbits and pigs. My mom grew very attached to her pigs and in true Mary Ellen(my wonderful mother) fashion, she trained them. These pigs loved my mom, they did what she asked, she trained them to go up to the cars that came to our farm and would snort at them, they would come running whenever she left the house, and would follow here wherever she went. Pretty cute. Only down side is that she named them. I remember Pork and Beans and others, feeding them and petting them, then all of a sudden they were gone. When I would ask what happened to them, I would get "Don't worry about them....want more bacon?" Of course I wanted more bacon. This could be where my obsession started, only to sit in waiting until I was 35 and have discovered the wonderful world of salty, porky, treats. I had an opportunity that I held for granted as a child, we were a semi self sustaining farm..... I would love that right now. I remember my mom giving my sister and I each a small salt shaker and sending us to the garden for a snack. The fresh tomatoes, beans, and other vegetables were amazing. I am slipping away into another time right now and losing focus. Now for the business at hand.
As I begin my blogging endeavor, I have to talk about the beast that means the most to me and the cuts that it entails. That being the pig. I grew up on a farm with my family in Denmark, Ohio. Don't worry no one else knows where that is it either. We had horses, chickens, a mean ass rooster, some cows and a bull, a couple goats, rabbits and pigs. My mom grew very attached to her pigs and in true Mary Ellen(my wonderful mother) fashion, she trained them. These pigs loved my mom, they did what she asked, she trained them to go up to the cars that came to our farm and would snort at them, they would come running whenever she left the house, and would follow here wherever she went. Pretty cute. Only down side is that she named them. I remember Pork and Beans and others, feeding them and petting them, then all of a sudden they were gone. When I would ask what happened to them, I would get "Don't worry about them....want more bacon?" Of course I wanted more bacon. This could be where my obsession started, only to sit in waiting until I was 35 and have discovered the wonderful world of salty, porky, treats. I had an opportunity that I held for granted as a child, we were a semi self sustaining farm..... I would love that right now. I remember my mom giving my sister and I each a small salt shaker and sending us to the garden for a snack. The fresh tomatoes, beans, and other vegetables were amazing. I am slipping away into another time right now and losing focus. Now for the business at hand.
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