I started the cure on these ham cuts here. They were cut from the rear side of the ham, and post cure I decided that rather than stuff it into a bladder as is traditional with Italian Fiocco, I’d cut it in half and stuff it into some 61mm protein-lined clear casing I had on hand for making saucisson sec. … Read More
Abstinence & Seasonal Eating
Abstinence. As I get older I find the concept more and more intriguing. I went through a stage of enjoying posh wines quite frequently. After some time, it took more and more to impress as posh wines became the norm. I found my enjoyment of them decreased, and it took more and more awesomeness to impress. Having noticed this taking … Read More
Smoke-Day and My Current Smoking Setup
I’ve mentioned that on Pig Day I was slipping ham cuts and hocks into a big stock pot of prepped brine. Turns out that was a good idea. Just finished smoking those items, and they turned out really, really well. Heavily smoky, nice and salty with the classic pink-salt flavor and high-quality pork. Pretty much can’t go wrong there. Turns … Read More
‘Charcuterie Day’ 2011
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
Pig Day, 2011
‘Pig Day‘ as it’s known around here is the big day we cut pigs to supply us for the year. We buy no other pork. If we run out, we wait for the next pig day. And we pretty much had run out, so I was particularly excited to get my hands on a whole hog again. And it was … Read More
Hyldeblomstsaft. I think.
In 2006 I was in Copenhagen visiting family, and a couple days into the visit they set about making their annual batch of elderflower syrup, or in Danish: Hyldeblomstsaft. I’d never heard of the stuff. It was love at first sniff. I had them dictate the recipe to me and I have had it stashed away since then, hoping to … Read More
Moose Saucisson Sec at 8 Months
More learning as I go. Just checked previous posts to see when I made this batch of saucssion sec. 8 months ago today. I wasn’t sure how long this stuff would last, and apparently the answer is: ‘a really, really long time‘. I’ve wondered if one could indeed put up dry cured meats from fall-butchered animals and have them keep … Read More
Cellar Update: Storage, Conditions, And No More Stink
Having largely settled into my new way of life with our cellar, I find I’m forgetting to post about the odd item that might be helpful for those considering going down that road. So some thoughts about the cellar. [the one that holds my wine, charcuterie, and cheese, not my root cellar] First, the dry cured meats on the left … Read More
Saucisson Sec, Two Ways
These batches were put up on Tuesday [Mar 29]. I find I have to write about this kind of thing or I simply lose track of when they were made, which makes it a bit hard to remember how long they’ve been aging and how they’ve responded to temp, humidity, etc. Both are essentially Ruhlman’s recipes, with two major exceptions. … Read More
Elk Brési w/ Wild Mushrooms & Labrador Tea
When butchering this cow elk in late November, I noticed how particularly perfect the shape and size of the eye of round would be for dry curing. No wonder it’s been done for eons. As usual, here I am, not innovating. As I had run out of my first ‘test batch’, it was time for a more confident crack at … Read More