Why I Need an Annual ‘Charcuterie Day’

KevinBacon, Big Game, Butchering, Charcuterie, Deer, Dry Cured Meats, From Local Farms, From the Cellar, From The Wild, Guanciale, Hunting, Nature's Green Acres, Pork, Sausage, Whole Muscle3 Comments

It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that an annual ‘Charcuterie Day‘ marathon immediately following the annual ‘Pig Day‘ is in my future for a long, long time. Here’s why. Bacon. Beyond bacon [reason alone], I’m not concerned with the possibility of trichinosis in my extremely high quality bush-raised-and-handled-by-me pork and skipping right past freezing and into to curing and dry … Read More

Dry Cured Pig Face, Complete.

KevinCharcuterie, Dry Cured Meats, From Local Farms, From the Cellar, Guanciale, Nature's Green Acres, Pork1 Comment

When we butchered pigs back in mid-October, one pig face was allocated to dry curing [details here], and today it came down from its hook in the cellar – 2 months later. I’ve successfully cured a number of jowls, and was keen to see how this one turned out as it lacked the slashes we’ve had from processor-butchered jowls, and … Read More

‘Charcuterie Day’ 2011

KevinBack Fat, Charcuterie, Dry Cured Meats, From Local Farms, From the Cellar, Guanciale, Nature's Green Acres, Pork9 Comments

I’m used to butchering pigs on ‘Pig Day‘, and largely leaving charcuterie fun for some point in the winter when I feel like it. Not this year. My cellar’s empty. I feel like it now. I wanted to get started as soon as possible on a few different preparations. I also had to resist going too crazy today. For example, … Read More

Guanciale Project: Day 8. Hang Day and Innovation

KevinCharcuterie, Dry Cured Meats, From Local Farms, From the Cellar, Guanciale, Irvings Farm Fresh, Pork6 Comments

Today was the day the plethora of guanciale was due to hang. They’d cured for a week, had released a couple tbsp maybe of fluid per, and a fry-up proved salty enough to proceed – not wanting to risk oversalting if we left them longer. So into a big clean sink of water they went, got a solid rub-down-rinse, then … Read More