The Swine Spectator

"Acadian Bacon"??? - What is Wrong With Me?

2011-09-21T22:31:00.001-05:00

When I started this blog, I intended to chronicle my forays into pork preparation and preservation. Before long, I realized that I was preparing (and preserving) the same dishes over and over. Lonzino is absolutely amazing, but one I've documented how I make it, does anyone really want to see it again and again? I think not. Furthermore, much of my work was recreating the work of Michael Ruhlman and Jason Molinari. Why read my work when you can read theirs? This led to a fairly long hiatus in posting. It's not that I lost interest in pork (or other meat) projects. I needed to make it interesting to read about. The good news is that I am back at it. If you've read me all along, you know that I am interested in barbeque, sausagemaking, meat curing, and basically anything that involves taking "long-cut" to preparing food. I really should join the Slow Food movement.

So among my recent projects was a random idea that hit me one day. I thought it would be cool to take a pork loin and cure it in the style of Canadian Bacon but, instead of using pickling spices, why not give it a Louisiana flavor profile like Tasso?
Pictured to the right is a half of a pork loin bathing in a brine of kosher salt, Cure #1, sugar, cane syrup, garlic, chili, cayenne, mustard seed, and bay leaves. This bath lasted 3 days and then the loin was treated with a crusting of garlic, cayenne, chili, and salt before being heavily smoked over hickory.

I am not posting the recipe yet because it needs some work. This final product was absolutely delicious, but it needs some work. It had the look and feel of high-end deli meat. I was looking for a denser, pinker cured effect. I think it may need more time in the bath. I am going to do some research and try again. I will post the recipe when I get it the way I want it. In the meantime, I am "stuck" eating all of this smoky goodness. Oh, well. I guess there are worse punishments for "failure".

David

Only one thing tastes like Bacon...

2011-09-21T00:09:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in an earlier post, I am trying my hand at making bacon. Well, the preliminary results are in... and we have a WINNER! I modified Michael Ruhlman's recipe for Maple-Cured Bacon by subbing our own Steen's Cane Syrup for the Maple Syrup and then hot-smoked over hickory for 3 hours. All I can say is that bacon is ridiculously easy to make and economical to boot. The main challenge is being patient enough to wait until it is done.

Let's take a look at the process:

First you need a "Green Belly". These can be challenging to find, but a call to the Gourmet Butcher Block here in New Orleans quickly solved the problem. Whole Foods can get them as well, but theirs are skinless. For the bacon project, I wanted skin-on. I cut the belly in half and used one piece for the porchetta (see prior post) and then I used the other half for our bacon test.

At the right you can see my finished product. Not bad for a first try! I would describe this as a very porky/smoky bacon with a mild salty/sweet flavor. Overall, very well balanced.

Rotisserie and Porcetta!

2011-09-19T22:40:00.001-05:00

Hello Spectators! As promised, I am getting my posts back up to speed. Here is the first of several. I mentioned that I built a rotisserie on a budget. Here's what I did:

I searched and searched on eBay until I found a deal on a rotisserie kit for a gas grill. I ended up getting a Weber kit that retails for $179 for $11 plus shipping!. Then I went to Lowes and bought some 1x4's to make a frame to mount over my existing tabletop grill. It is not perfect, but my total investment is sub-$30. Hard to complain!

Now that I had a rotisserie, I experimented with a few cheap grocery store chickens to get the hang of using it. One came out well, the other burned to hell. I learned that bricks can make good spacers to lift your meat a little higher.

Once I had the basic idea, I HAD to try to make a porchetta. I bought a whole pork loin and a whole pork belly. I cut them each in half and proceeded to make the porchetta. The demise of the other two halves will be forthcoming. For those of you who are unfamiliar, prochetta is a traditional specialty of Northern Italian butchers- a pork loin wrapped in an uncured pork belly and tied into a "roastable" log.

Cooking the porchetta was a little challenging in that I had to monitor the fire constantly. I think that I need to raise the meat and build a bigger fire. (I vaguely remember that heat dissipates with the square of the distance or something like that...) That said, this dish came out very well. It is very mild and very porky.

I went to a local bakery and bought ciabatta rolls to make sandwiches. I sliced the porchetta wafer thin and dressed the sandwiches with mayo, romaine, Roma tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, and jus from the resting tray. This was amazing. The skin was crispy and flavorful. It got a bit rubbery (the skin) as leftovers, but the flavor was still there. Good stuff.

Too much pork for just one fork!

2011-09-10T21:58:00.000-05:00

Hello Spectators! I will once again apologize for the spacing between posts. In the last year, most of my meat production has been remaking bresaola, lonzino, and pancetta. While I love each of these products, I cannot see the point in posting the same projects over and over again. Fear not! I am back to innovating and have several new projects to tell you about.

First, I have built a custom wood (and charcoal)-fired rotisserie. I live in New Orleans and, each year, the local Greek community puts on a fantastic Greek Fest. I always make a point of getting the spit-cooked lamb. This year, I decided that I needed to make my own. The large ones that can handle a whole pig or lamb cost $3,000+. I decided that it would be unlikely that I would cook a whole animal often, so I scaled my plans down. I will post the details later, but I ended up building a decent rotisserie that can handle cuts up to about 30-40 lbs for under $30!

Next, I have multiple new projects underway. I currently have Cane-Syrup Cured Bacon curing in the fridge. I also have made a Cajun-Spiced Porcetta that is drying in the fridge as well. I wil find itself on the aforementioned rotisserie tomorrow afternoon.

Lastly, I have a new project underway. Earlier this year, I made pastrami according to the recipe in Michael Ruhlman's Chacuterie. I decided to use his brine, less all of the seasonings, and use it to make a Creole/Cajun-flavored Canadian-style Bacon out of a pork loin. I am jokingly call it "Acadian Bacon" as a nod to out Canadian ancestors.

More postings (with pictures) to follow. I promise.

David

Pastrami

2011-06-30T23:23:00.000-05:00

I am working on getting this blog back up to speed. This has been a very busy summer for me at my day job, but meat projects are still on my mind.

My latest project was to make the Pastrami recipe in Ruhlman and Pollan's [u]Charcuterie[/u]. I made the brine exactly to the specifications and used a 5 lb grass-fed brisket from Whole Foods. I smoked it for 5 hours using oak and orange wood.

It is simply stunning. Delicious. I atee it by itself for a few days, then I made some sandwiches.

My very best was to place 6 slices on foil in the broiler until the edges started to crisp. Then I topped them with baby Swiss and continued to broil until the Swiss started to brown. I transferred the meat and cheese to toasted rye slathered with German mustard and pickles... Awesome, just awesome. So good I forgot to take pictures. Sorry. But it was really, really good. Try it.

David

Still here!

2011-06-10T23:58:00.000-05:00

Hello Spectators,

I am still here. In February I sat and typed a massive post including pictures of all of the meats I had made through the fall and winter only to have my browser crash and ditch it all at the end. My disgust after that experience is partially responsible for my lack of posts in the last several months. Still, I apologize to those who still follow me. I will try to make it up to you in the coming months.

Here is a brief catch-up on what the heck I've been up to for the last year:

1. I bought a new house and moved. The new house has a "shop" that I have renovated to include an area to store all of my meat processing equipment and house my brand-new (larger) curing chamber.
2. I have been making boatloads of fresh sausages, such as sweet Italian, hot Italian, bratwurst, merguez, and linguica. I also developed a new venison sausage that it really good (recipe available on request).
3. I have been curing the basics, bresaola, lonzino, and pancetta.
4. I have been preparing to take the dive into fermented sausages, which leads me to the secondary purpose of this post- I have run into a problem and am asking your help.

I bought a new curing chamber last year. It is a temperature controlled wine fridge. I chose it because wine fridges don't dehumidify like regular fridges do. It has a built in thermostat that controls the temperature from 50-65 degrees. I have used it for several months now ith great success. As I prepared to jump into fermented salmumi, I got the idea to check the accuracy of my controller. I set my thermostat to 60 and placed a digital thermometer in the chamber. 24 hours later, the new thermometer was reading 66 degrees. Perplexed, and thinking that my thermostat was busted, I decided to add an analog thermometer to cross-check the thermostat and digital thermometer. To make things worse, the analog read 58 the next morning, while the digital still read 66!

So I tried another experiment: I placed a glass of tap water in the chamber overnight. The next day I tested the water temperature with my digital meat thermometer. The meat thermometer read 60.8 degrees while the analog stayed at 58 and the digital 66.

As of right now, I am inclined to trust the meat thermometer and the thermostat in the wine fridge. However, I feel like I need a better handle on temperature control before I ruin a bunch of meat. Conversely, there is a part of me that thinks that there are probably many Italians who just make this stuff in their attic or basement with no controllers.

Any comments, advise, or suggestions from the Spectators are welcomed. How do you all ensure your temps are right? Am I over-thinking fermented meats?

David

"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

2010-12-22T22:27:00.000-06:00

So said Mark Twain in 1887, and so say I in 2010.

I apologize for the complete and total lack of posting this summer and fall. I bought a new house and spent a huge amount of time on repairs, updates, and general handy-man stuff. I am still not done, but I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The good news is that I now have a dedicated work-room and I have purchased a new wine fridge that is more than double the size of my old one expressly for meat curing. I also bought a beer fridge/meat freezer that lives right next to it. Add to that the fact that my dad has promised me his commercial meat slicer for Christmas, and things are looking pretty good.

My sausagemaking has suffered this summer, and I am looking to make up for lost time. I did read Marianski's The Art of Making Fermented Sausages this summer as well as Polish Sausages, Authentic Recipes And Instructions. These are fantastic books for those of you who have not read them. I am considering building a makeshift smokehouse to attempt some of the Polish cured sausages.

I will be back in action shortly. I hope that there are a few of you still subscribed, and I hope to win back the rest.

David

Barbecue Sauce Recipes - A Taxonomy

2010-05-05T00:37:00.008-05:00

Before the untimely death of my old log burner, I was quite serious about barbeque. At one time I had several hardwoods curing on a rack in my backyard, including oak, hickory, pecan, persimmon, and fig. My idea of a good day was to get up at 7:00 AM on Saturday in the Fall and start a couple pork shoulders on the pit. I would tend to the fire all day so I could have them ready to serve my friends during halftime of SEC Game of the Week on ESPN. I would serve the pork pulled on rolls with homemade barbeque sauce and one of my specialty coleslaws. My horseradish coleslaw is always a crowd-pleaser:

Horseradish Coleslaw

2 packages for shredded cabbage
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup mayonaise
1 1/2 tablespoons of celery seed
1 teaspoon of prepared horseradish
salt and pepper to taste

Salt cabbage in colander and set aside. Blend remaining ingredients and chill. Once the cabbage has lost some water, place it in a bowl (I use a 2 gallon ziplock) and pour dressing over. Refrigerate AT LEAST 4 hours to overnight mixing periodically.

Over the years I have managed to visit several of the legendary barbeque joints and sample many of the the regional varieties of barbeque (See my recommendations). Barbeque is one of those foods that lends itself to opinionated folks, so I fit right in. (I once got in an argument over which was argued over most often: barbeque, chili, or gumbo. Everyone knows its gumbo of course.) For as opinionated as I am, I will probably like any dish that involves meat cooked with smoke from a hardwood fire. You might say I'm down with OPP (Other People's Pork).

As I result of my travels, I began experimenting with my own sauces. I have developed several of my own, a couple of which are really good. If you are interested in making your own, I'd suggest reading Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue Sauces. This is a fantastic book which will influence your thinking on seasoning food. His section on "flavor prints" is fascinating.

Here is one of my sauces if you need something to get you started:

The Swine Spectator's Sweet Sauce

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 TBS beef drippings (or rendered beef fat)*
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
3 cups tomato juice or V8
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 TBS paprika
1 TBS black pepper
2 TBS kosher salt
1 TBS celery seed
1/4 tsp brown mustard seeds

In a non-reactive pot, sauté' onion until translucent. Stir in mustard, ketchup, tomato juice, and vinegar. Bring to simmer. Stir in molasses and sugar until incorporated. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Cool, then refrigerate. Allow to sit in icebox for a day or two before using.

If you would like to learn about the various styles of barbeque sauces
Barbecue Sauce Recipes - A Taxonomy is a great place to start. This guy pretty much nails it, with the exception of his Louisiana sauces. We have a darn good regional sauce in Louisiana. It is actually mustard-based like sauces from certain parts of the Carolinas, but loaded with onions. Check out Jack Miller's if you are interested.

David

Bear with me...

2010-04-30T00:56:00.000-05:00

I'll ask you all to bear with me over the next couple of weeks. I am moving soon and most of my kitchen is packed for travel. The good news is that my new kitchen is huge. It has ~60 sq ft of counterspace, 5 burner gas stove, built-in humidity controlled wine fridge (aka "the curing chamber"!!!).

I will also be replacing the log-burning barbeque pit that I lost to that damn hurricane... So I ask you to bear with me as I resettle. I will make it up to you. I am keeping a list. To date, I owe my readers a batch of Chaurice, Saucisse, and Tasso. If you can hand on, I have an 100 year-old recipe for Creole Boudin that is wildly different from modern Cajun-Style Boudin.

Posts will be forthcoming,

David

A Sad Day for Andouille Fans

2010-04-27T22:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Jacob's World Famous Andouille and Sausage store in LaPlace, LA caught fire. It appears that they may have be able to salvage their original 82 year-old smokehouse. Fortunately no one was injured. Hopefully they will be back in business soon. LaPlace wouldn't be the same without Jacob's and Bailey's 50 yards apart.

David

Help Me Win!

2010-04-19T23:07:00.015-05:00

Friends,

A small group of Louisiana rice farmers got together to market the variety of jasmine rice that was developed by the Louisiana State University Ag Center under the name "Jazzmen Rice". I have been selected as a finalist in Gambit Weekly contest to develop a new recipe to help promote Jazzmen Louisiana Rice. Online voting runs through April 29. If you are willing, I'd appreciate your support for my Crispy Jazzmen Rice Cakes in Crawfish-Tasso Cream. (Click HERE to vote) Feel free to tell your friends as well. One lucky voter will win a new commercial blender!!!

I literally developed this recipe from scratch. I set out to create a recipe that would showcase the rice and incorporate local ingredients. I decided that would give myself bonus points if I could incorporate my pork products as well. I came up with the rice cakes first. Most people treat rice as an afterthought. I wanted it to be front and center in my submission. Then I decided to thoroughly "localize" the recipe by creating a Crawfish-Tasso cream. I am still in the process of perfecting my own tasso, but my current iteration is pretty darned good. The store-bought versions are good, but mine is a tad more assertive. Here is my entry into the contest:

Crispy Jazzmen Rice Cakes in Crawfish-Tasso Cream

Crawfish-Tasso Cream

Ingredients:

Directions:

Melt butter over a medium heat. Add Tasso and Vidalia onions. Stir until onions are translucent. Sprinkle flour over the tasso-onion mixture and stir until the flour becomes lightly fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk and stir until the sauce is thick and smooth. Season to taste with a grating of nutmeg and salt. Add crawfish tails, fat, and shallots. Return to a low simmer. Simmer for 5-10 more minutes until desired consistency is reached.

Rice Cakes

Ingredients:

2 Cups cooked Jazzmen Rice
1 Large Egg
1 TBS All Purpose Flour
1 TBS Whole Milk
1/4 Cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Sweet Paprika
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Granulated Garlic
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
3-4 TBS Canola Oil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except oil in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over a medium high heat. Divide rice batter into four equal portions approximately 1/2 cup each. The batter will be fairly loose, but will set during cooking. Take one portion of batter and form a ball in your palm. Place the ball into the skillet and press down lightly to flatten. Repeat for other portions, being careful no to crowd the pan. Once cakes begin to brown around the edges, carefully flip them over. The cakes are finished when they have a crispy golden exterior and a soft, moist center.

Louisiana Crawfish Tails

To serve:
Ladle about a cup of Crawfish-Tasso mixture onto a plate and place a hot crispy Jazzmen rice cake on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and a side of cold beer.

Don't even think about using Chinese crawfish, they are and unacceptable substitute. If you can't get crawfish, substitute shrimp instead.

Thanks,

David

Saucisses

2010-04-15T22:57:00.012-05:00

Last week I mentioned the wonderful Picayune Creole Cookbook when discussing Chaurice (see here). Another "lost" Creole sausage from the late 1800's and early 1900's is Saucisse, or more appropriately "Saucisse Creole". I generally do not reprint recipes, but since this was originally published in 1902 I assume that it is public domain.

This screenshot is from the 1922 edition. It is hard to explain the opulence of this sausage in its day. Spices such as allspice, nutmeg, mace, and clove were luxuries in the 1800's. Traditionally, this sausage was stuffed into sheep casings and fried in lard. I have made this as described and it is wonderful. Don't forget to brine the sausage. I am thinking about making a batch of this in the near future. Standby for updates...

David

Chaurice, Revisited

2010-04-13T15:46:00.003-05:00

About two years ago, I realized that "hamburger" apparently means something different to New Orleaneans than to most of the rest of the country. In most places, hamburger means beef, ground and formed into a patty, then grilled. It might be seasoned with salt and pepper. In New Orleans, hamburger is more accurately described as a beef sausage formed into a patty and grilled. The beef is usually contains minced onions, garlic, and parsley. It is also may be seasoned with little salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, and Worcestershire. Some people add an egg as well. I grew up eating this type of burger, and didn't know any different until I was in a restaurant in Virgina that advertised "New Orleans-style hamburgers". Then I noticed that everywhere else I went, burgers were predominantly just beef with different toppings. Like nearly everything else, we do it differently (and people in Texas thinks they're like a whole other country...).

So what does this have to do with Chaurice? Well, in the last 10 years or so, somebody got the bright idea to mix bulk Chaurice with ground beef to make a hot sausage burger. I have an 11 LB sausage stuffer that generally has about a pound of sausage in the piston and tube after stuffing. When I make Chaurice, I take this remainder and mix it with about two pounds of ground chuck to make burgers. They are really good. If you make Chaurice, I recommend that you try it.

David

Note: I failed to mention in the previous post that some people who still make Chaurice do not stuff it at all and use it in bulk form.

First Bambi, Now It's Skippy

2010-04-10T00:45:00.005-05:00

Australia's budding kangaroo meat industry is promoting the meat as a healthy and environmentally conscious alternative to pork, beef, or lamb. The article touts benefits of kangaroo because of their minimal emissions of greenhouse gas: "Cows fart, kangaroos don't."

Of course they make kangaroo sausage, called Kanga Bangas. I cannot find a description of the sausage. There is no mention of the seasonings, but I assume it is a contraction of "Kangaroo Bangers". The company website touts the sausage as being gluten free and 98% fat free. Pardon me for being skeptical.

I would bet that kangaroo meat tastes just fine, but the word "taste" does not appear in the article one time. I have a hard time worrying about kangaroo emissions when I would probably cook the sausage over charcoal or wood. It kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

David

A tour of Jacob's Andouille

2010-04-08T01:14:00.004-05:00

In a complete coincidence, I stumbled across this website tonight:

http://www.nolacuisine.com/2009/04/17/jacobs-andouille/

It seemed apropos in light of my last two posts. I hate to send you elsewhere, but this guy has already done the work for me. No point in recreating the wheel. He is from Detroit, but appears to be fairly knowledgeable about Louisiana. He made the trek to LaPlace to see the Andouille Capital of the World. He has great pictures and pretty good descriptions of Jacob's Andouille. I don't have the heart to tell him that he was 50 yards from Bailey's as well.

Stay tuned for a posting on Creole Saucisse and Saucisson.

David

Creole Sausage

2010-04-06T22:17:00.002-05:00

I mentioned in the previous post that I became interested in making sausage by finding historic recipes in old cookbooks that I collect. That prompted an inquiry about the recipe for Chaurice. I'll share my personal recipe that was developed based on the few recipes I was able to locate in older books. Before I do that, I would like to give a brief overview of charcutrie in Louisiana.

In simple terms, you can separate "Cajun" and "Creole" into "Country" and "City" (it's an oversimplification, but it will suffice for our purposes here). The Cajuns were of predominantly French decent with a sprinkling of German heritage. The very best Andouille is found in LaPlace, LA which is adjacent to Des Allemands (literally "The Germans" in French) along a stretch of the Mississippi river known as the "German Coast". The lore is that the Germans brought additional sausagemaking skills to the Cajuns. The Cajuns claim ownership of such products and Andouille, Boudin, Chaudin, Ponce, and Tasso. Because Cajun culture remains relatively undiluted, these traditional products are still made as they have been for 100+ years. West of Baton Rouge, one can spend a full day driving the coutryside and pondering the finer points of Boudin (save that argument for another day).

If you ever find yourself in New Orleans, it is worth the 40 minute drive to LaPlace to visit the twin meccas of Andouille, Jacob's and Bailey's. Both claim to be the "original". As I understand it, Bailey worked for old man Jacob. After the old man retired (died?) the kids changed the recipe to meet USDA regulations so that they could ship across state lines. Bailey was so disgusted, that he quit and opened up 50 yards away with the old recipe. So technically, both are correct. Jacob's has the original location and Bailey's has the original recipe.

In the late 1700's, the 1800's, and into early 1900's New Orleans was a city of great wealth. The Creoles built grand restaurants, such as Galatiore's, Antoine's, and Arnaud's, that are still with us today. The Creole culture has been diluted by wave upon wave of immigrants to the port city. Their cultural impact significantly eroded from 1900-1980, and was probably irreversibly damaged by hurricane Katrina. In books written from 1890-1960, you will find numerous references to "the good old days". I mentioned the Picayune Creole Cookbook in my prior post. I actually have two copies, the 1910 edition and the 1966 edition. The latter edition contains the same early sausage recipes, but adds that they are rarely made anymore and were only included "for historical interest".

In the 1950's, New Orleans chef Scoop Kennedy wrote the following reference to "the good old days":

"He remembers when the French Market of New Orleans was world famous. He remembers a lady who sat on a bench in the market at Madison and Decatur. She sold three articles and none other: pate de foie gras, hogshead cheese and hot sausage all homemade.

Most astonishing (and typical of the "old days") was the lady's personal pride in her products. Her stock was small and she sold it only to those whom she thought would appreciate them. In other words, she selected her customers. It was a type of beneficient snobbery. Like a queen she bestowed her favors with discrimination."

I think that it is important to remember the historical context of the old Creole recipes. In the 1800's and early 1900's, spices were very rare and expensive. The wealthy residents of New Orleans had the port to give them access to exotic spices and the money to afford them. In Jackson Square of the French Quarter, there is a restored home called the "1850 House" that is operated as a museum. In the house, one of the more interesting features is the spice safe. Highly seasoned food was a sign of affluence. One of the products of such seasoning was Chaurice. Here is my recipe for it:

Chaurice

10 LBS of Boston Butt
3 Cups of Onions, minced
2 Cups of Green Onions, minced
1/2 Cup of Fresh Garlic, minced (or run through a garlic press)
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, minced
4 Tablespoons of Kosher Salt
3 Tablespoons of Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons of Cayenne Pepper
2 Tablespoons of Thyme
1 Tablespoon of Crushed Pepper Flakes
8-12 oz of Ice Water (as needed)

Grind all ingredients through a medium plate. Mix thoroughly and stuff into medium hog casings. Arrange on a sheet pan and allow the sausages to mature overnight in the refrigerator.

Chaurice is used numerous ways. It can be smoked and used to make gumbos and jambalayas. To make a poor boy, it is grilled and sliced lengthwise, then served on toasted crusty French bread with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. It is also served just grilled with Creole mustard for dipping.

Enjoy,

David

Why Make Your Own?

2010-04-03T23:39:00.009-05:00

I may have posted this before, but I originally got interested in making sausage after I started collecting old cookbooks. One in particular, the Picayune's Creole Cookbook (2nd ed. - 1910), contains recipes for forgotten Creole sausages. Most people know Cajun andouille and boudin, but few are familiar with chaurice, and I know of no one that makes Creole saucisses or saucissons. My fist attempt to make sausage was chaurice. I was stunned by the difference in quality that I could produce at home and began to realize how poor the quality was in most store-bought sausage. I was surprised at how much "stuff" was in store-bought sausage. I appreciated the simplicity of homemade sausage; meat, fat, seasoning, salt.

If your experience with sausages is similar to mine, you may be interested in the book I am currently reading, Polish Sausages, by Stanley Marianski (2009). The book begins with a history of polish sausagemaking, explaining that the Poles originally learned the craft from the Romans. They then spent several centuries perfecting recipes for the many regional varieties through trade associations and unions. After World War II, the communist Polish government established a commission to formally document the traditional recipes. They identified and defined over 100 specific varieties in a book that was only distributed to licensed union butchers. After the fall of communism in 1989, most butchers absconded with their copies of the book. Mr. Marianski obtained a copy and has translated the standards, methodologies, and recipes for over 60 traditional Polish products.

I am still reading the book, but thus far I am impressed with the high level of detail and content. Of particular interest to me was a passage where the author compares a traditional recipe to the ingredient lists for four brands of store bought Polish sausage. He goes on to say that the only chemical or additive the Polish government allowed was saltpeter (Potassium Nitrate) and that there were severe punishments for butchers who used other additives or inferior meats in there sausages. The author notes two cases where butchers who used inferior meats were sentenced to death and executed. He concludes the section by saying, "if today's recipes and manufacturing methods were somehow introduced to the meat inspectors in 1959-1989 Poland, there wouldn't be enough jail cells to accommodate meat plant managers."

It is amazing to realize that the basic recipes for sausages and cured meats are ones that worked just fine literally for centuries and that in the last 30-50 years they have changed radically, usually at great expense to the quality. If you are a purist at heart, I strongly recommend this book.

David

New Orleans' Spelling Bee Tests Pork Knowledge

2010-03-30T22:50:00.004-05:00

'Bratwurst' brings bee at Xavier to a savory end. It was down to two spellers when Andrew Nguyen, 12, got stuck.

In the 20th round of Saturday's regional spelling bee, Andrew asked for his word's origin. German, he was told.

Then he asked for its definition. "Fresh pork sausage, " replied TV news anchor Norman Robinson, who read the words at Xavier University event.

David

No Pork or Alcohol? Yeah, right...

2010-03-25T16:20:00.003-05:00

So I found this in the news: KFC diner told 'you can't have bacon in your burger here - we're now halal'

I'll preface this post by saying that I try at all costs to avoid eating fast food. To me almost everything that is served out of a window is the culinary equivalent of those little temporary "donut" spare tires that come with Toyotas and Nissans. They will get you by, buy you only use them when you absolutely have no other choice.

That said, I am increasingly irked by the stuff like this. What the hell is KFC doing trying to be halal-compliant? The article readily admits that they don't kill their chicken according to halal rules. Either do it or don't. It is ridiculous to think that they can tell a customer to go 5 miles down the road to the next non-halal compliant KFC.

This is the latest in a series of what I view to be dumb moves in the fast food industry. In case you missed it, Culatello covered the McDonald's debacle over the McItaly promotion.

David

Just how many things can you grill at once?

2010-03-16T23:29:00.006-05:00

Since my sausage-making has been at an ebb tide lately, I thought I would post my weekend grill report. We have had an unseasonably cold and rainy winter in here in New Orleans, which has inhibited my usual 12-month grilling season. This past weekend was a return to normal, so I jumped at the chance to fire up the Weber. (Someday I will replace the the old logburner that Katrina stole from me...but that's a whole other story.)

I decided that Sunday was mixed grill night. This is usually an effort to see just how many different things I can cook at once. As you can see here, that can be quite a bit.

Pictured are:

Chicken and Pork in a Dill-Mustard Marinade
Green Onion Pork Sausage
Red and Green Bell Peppers
Portabella Mushrooms
Zucchini
Squash
Corn
Roma Tomatoes
Bananas

All this served with a side of chicken-infused rice. There is just something special about food cooked over an open fire. Especially if the grill tender has a clue what he (or she) is doing. My fire was hot enough to put a good crust on the meats without overcooking them. I am also a fan of grilled veggies and fruits, especially bananas. Yes, I said bananas. My wife thought it was weird too until she tried them. I sprinkle them with a little cinnamon and brown sugar, then rub with a small amount of melted butter. I grill them for a few minutes to caramelize the sugar and warm them through. Then I serve them on the "half-shell". They are surprisingly good. Give them a try next time you fire up the grill.

Overall, I'd call Sunday's dinner resounding a success.

David

A Disaster of Biblical Proportions

2010-03-10T19:41:00.009-06:00

I envision the conversation in the mayor's office going like this:

Chefs Call Proposed New York Salt Ban 'Absurd'

By ARUN KRISTIAN DAS
MYFOXNY.COM - Some New York City chefs and restaurant owners are taking aim at a bill introduced in the New York Legislature that, if passed, would ban the use of salt in restaurant cooking.
"No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises," the bill, A. 10129 , states in part.

Somehow, I think that this law is ultimately doomed. Can you imagine New York without pastrami, corned beef, or lox in the delis? No Italian sausage in (what's left of) Little Italy? I can't. Although New York has banned smoking and transfats, so the precedent is certainly there. It becomes a slippery slope once you accept the argument that something can be banned because it is bad for public heath. Any good toxicologist will tell you, "It's not the poison that kills you, its the dosage." Salt, fat, sugar, and alcohol are all bad for you excess but safe and even good for you in moderation.

I was once stopped by U.S. Customs in Newark for attempting to bring wild boar salami home from Italy. I had declared it, so no harm done other than my wounded wallet and ego. However, I think that qualifies as experience in trafficking salted meats. Maybe there is a salami bootlegging career to be had if this becomes law. (Kidding, of course.)

David

The Pastrami is a Hit!

2010-03-07T22:24:00.004-06:00

Here it is. It was one of the easiest and best tasting things I have made yet. What you see here is served as follows:

Toasted German wheat bread
Wafer-thin slices of pastrami
Thin slices of a decent baby-Swiss
Spicy whole grain mustard
Pickles

I layered the pastrami on a sheet of tin foil and topped it with the baby-swiss. Then I put it under the broiler. I slathered the toasted bread with mustard and added pickles. When the cheese was bubbling and the edges of the pastrami where beginning to crisp, I slid the whole works onto the waiting bread. Let me tell you that this is one of my favorite sandwiches.

David

Some Housekeeping

2010-03-05T23:01:00.007-06:00

First, the pastrami is done and it is a resounding success. Pictures and a write-up to follow soon.

Second, a hat-tip to Tony (My in-house answer to Rick Steves) for the following:

"In bocca al lupo" is the traditional Italian way of saying good luck. Directly translated it means "in the mouth of the wolf", refering to when Romulus and Remus are saved and mothered by a she-wolf (As far as I understand.)
The proper response to "In bocca lupo" is "crepi il lupo" which means - "death to the wolf."
I don't know why you have to respond in this manner, but any other response is considered bad luck.

(See also: Bocca Lupo)

More to come...

David

Up Next: Pastrami

2010-02-25T21:26:00.008-06:00

With the curing box is temporarily shut down I needed a new project. As my grandfather always used to say, "When all else fails, consult the manual". Dry curing is out, but what about brining or smoking? Pastrami it is!

I have been reading The River Cottage Meat Book. Initially, I was a little put off by the long section exploring the morality of eating meat and the social contract between man and animals. I never have had any angst over meat before. My hunting experience is limited, but I learned to hunt believing that you never shoot anything you aren't planning to eat. Also, I spent some time with my college roommate at his uncle's farm when it was time to slaughter the family pig. They thought I'd be squeamish (His uncle's nickname for me was "City"), and were genuinely surprised when I jumped right in with the meat saw. When I finally trudged through the morality play in River Cottage, I came away more concerned about the quality of meat I am buying than about whether it was OK to eat meat. Maybe that was the point all along. After some introspection, I decided that cheap grocery store meat might be to blame for the failure of my Saucisson Sec.

I live near the Uptown Whole Foods in New Orleans. The patron's are very much the eco-conscious crowd. The store even offered a Vegan King Cake during Mardi Gras if that tells you anything. I am not so eco-conscious. However, I do like good food. I maybe the only customer in that store that goes there specifically to buy AA Grade eggs and Black Forest Bacon. (They also have one of the better cheese counters in town, but not as good as Dorignac's.) So I decided that if I was going to make pastrami, I was going to do it right. I had the butcher at WF trim out a grass-fed brisket for me. I prepared the brine according to Mr. Ruhlman's instructions and am waiting to crust and smoke this weekend. Pictures and a taste test to follow as soon as I find a decent Rye or Pumpernickel.

Now back to reading River Cottage.

David

A Detour in the Curing Road

2010-02-23T22:14:00.004-06:00

We are in the process of trying to sell our house and find a new one with a yard big enough for a walk-in brick smokehouse (shhhh - don't tell the missus about that last part). Shockingly, the Real Estate Agent's vision for showing our home does not include my glass-door wine fridge full of beautiful moldy meats in the office. Begrudgingly, I have agreed to store the wine fridge until we can sell and move into a new house, so dry curing is off of the table for now. I guess most buyers wouldn't appreciate the value of having a house inoculated with MEK-4. Oh well, I still have my grinder, mixer, and stuffer handy, so standby for postings on fresh sausages.

David

Pork, the Other Viagra?

2010-02-23T17:08:00.003-06:00

So I found this in the news:

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's president recommended pork as an alternative to Viagra Wednesday, saying she spent a satisfying weekend with her husband after eating barbecued pork.

"I've just been told something I didn't know; that eating pork improves your sex life ... I'd say it's a lot nicer to eat a bit of grilled pork than take Viagra," President Cristina Fernandez said to leaders of the pig farming industry.

She said she recently ate pork and "things went very well that weekend, so it could well be true."

Argentines are the world's biggest per capita consumers of beef, but the government has sought to promote pork as an alternative in recent years due to rising steak prices and as a way to diversify the meat industry.
"Trying it doesn't cost anything, so let's give it a go," Fernandez said in the televised speech.

Like any of us need another excuse to eat pork...

David

Salami Recall

2010-01-25T00:08:00.003-06:00

Did you hear about this? 184 people in 38 states? Who would have thought of Salmonella-contaminated black pepper?

Yet another good reason to make your own. I still haven't made the leap to fermented meats, but I will get there soon.

David

Bocca Lupo

2010-01-16T12:29:00.004-06:00

I finally got around to making another batch of sausage. The past few months have been very busy and really limited my meat production. However, after the holidays everything just seemed to fall into place. First my father-in-law brought me about 15 LBS of Mule Deer from his recent hunting trip in Colorado. Then I got a meat mixer (more on that in a future post) for my birthday. I knew that I had about 3-4 LBS of pork belly and trimmings in the freezer from making pancetta. So I decided to create a new sausage. "Bocca Lupo" is short for the Italian expression "into the wolf's mouth", and is an idiomatic expression that is used to wish someone good luck, similar to how we use "break a leg". It seemed to be an appropriate name for a game sausage. Here is what I came up with:

Bocca Lupo

3 LB - Venison
3 LB - Pork Belly (uncured)
3 1/2 - TBS Kosher Salt
1 1/2 - TBS Black Pepper
1/2 - TBS Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp - Chili Powder
4 tsp - Granulated Garlic
1 tsp - Rubbed Sage
1 tsp - French Thyme
4 TBS - Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, minced
1 TBS - Cane Syrup
3TBS - Ice Water

I ground the meat through a 5/32" plate and added it to the mixer. The mixer works great! The meat stayed very cold and bound nicely. I stuffed it into 32 mm hog casings and let it mature for 24 hours in the fridge. I fried some patties using the unstuffed remainder. I am very pleased with this one. The cane syrup adds a subtle earthiness that I really like. I may add a bit more next time. I can't wait to try some on the grill.

David

New Year's Resolution - POST!

2010-01-03T22:46:00.003-06:00

Hello, any readers left?

I have been grossly negligent in posting the past two months. I have been cooking up a storm, but my charcuterie has fallen by the wayside. I made bresaola and currently have pancetta in my curing box, but I have not been producing and experimenting as much as I like.

I hosted Christmas dinner at my house this year. I cooked a whole bone-in ham and a turkey. I am nearly obsessed with cooking meat to temperature and these large hunks-o-meat were no exception. I have cooked dozens of turkeys, but I have only ever cooked one ham. Being the cook that I am, the family has high expectations for me during the holidays. I certainly felt the pressure to get the ham right. I bought a 12-pounder and perused the web in search of glazes. Dissatisfied, I decided to make my own. Here is what I came up with:

Maple-Dijon Glaze

1 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Clove
1/2 teaspoon Allspice

I cooked the ham at 325 degrees for 15 minutes per pound as recommended on the package. According to this formula, the ham should have been done at 3 hours. It wasn't. I anticipated this and did not start glazing until the third hour. I mixed all of the ingredients in a saucepan and mixed them thoroughly. I basted the ham several times with the glaze. At 3 hours and 40 minutes, the ham read 148 on my digital thermometer. I pulled it an placed a loose foil tent over it. I was shooting for 160 as an internal temp. After 10 minutes, the carry over cooking had brought the internal temp to 159.9 degrees. At 15 minutes, the thermometer briefly touched 160- SCORE! The glaze was perfect. I also nailed the the turkey. Both were tender and juicy. Try this glaze, I promise you will like it.

david

Theme music

2009-11-27T22:47:00.005-06:00

Hi all. I apologize for the complete and total lack of posting. I have actually been quite busy porkwise and otherwise. At a minimum, I owe posts on coppa, bresaola, ribs, and barbequed lamb. Standby for those.

In the meantime, I friend sent me this. I believe that everyone should have theme music. I would like for this to be mine and played everytime that I entered a room:

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/Pork/

David

Not on my watch...

2009-10-26T22:05:00.002-05:00

Climate chief Lord Stern: give up meat to save the planet

"People will need to consider turning vegetarian if the world is to conquer climate change, according to a leading authority on global warming..."

I love vegetables, I really do. Especially with pork. Who doesn't like spinach sautéed in bacon grease, or beans seasoned with tasso? Later in the article comes the revealing sentence:

"Lord Stern, who said that he was not a strict vegetarian himself..."

The old "Do as I say, not as I do".

David

Saucisson Sec

2009-10-07T22:15:00.008-05:00

I am still catching up on some posts. I'm going to call saucisson sec a failure. (See previous posts for additional detail here and here, and here). I made four sausages. During the curing process, two turned gray and two turned rosy pink. They were made from the same pork, ground and mixed together with the same seasonings, and cured in the same chamber. Go figure. I decided that, in the face of potential food poisoning, that safety took precedence over valor and discarded the gray ones.

I sampled the pink ones with some (brutally honest) friends. We all agreed that this sausage was intensely bland and tasted mostly like cured fat (lardo?). I will not be making this one again.

David

Some Background

2009-09-19T22:21:00.008-05:00

I am still catching up on my posts. Look for much more in the coming weeks.

I got interested in making sausage shortly after I started collecting old cookbooks. I found modern cookbooks to be boring and simplistic and was intrigued by a 1940's-era Joy of Cooking that my mother gave to me. The recipes in it did not call for cans of cream of mushroom soup or Kitchen Bouquet. They called for raw ingredients, fat and calories be damned. My kind of cooking.

I discovered that cookbooks (as a genre) really did not proliferate until the 1950's and 1960's. I found a few old cookbooks on my family's bookshelves, garage sales, and finally on eBay. The "Ah-Ha!" moment came when I bought an original second edition of The Picayune Creole Cookbook published in 1910. This book contains hundreds of recipes as they were prepared at the turn of the century. By today's standards, they are nutritionally and politically incorrect. Think lard. Rivers of sweet, flowing lard. There is even detailed instructions on how to make a pork barrel. I'll have to try it sooner or later. It would be worth it for conversation's sake alone.

Today, Louisiana is famous for our andouille, boudin, and tasso. In the pages of this book I found several other sausages that are no longer made and had to resurrect them. You may still see recipes for a sausage called Chaurice, but they bear almost no resemblance to the turn of the century version. I set out to try these nearly extinct recipes and managed to resurrect them for a small group of friends. I have yet to make one called Saucisse Creole because it calls for pork shoulder, veal shoulder, and a whole fillet mignon(!) - ground, seasoned, and stuffed into sheep casings.

Once I started making sausage, I was hooked. Nearly everthing I make is a thousand times better than store bought* (*My boudin is good, but I still haven't mastered it like the butcher shops out in the country like Mowata and Jerry Lee's). You could say I was an unofficial member of the Slow-Food movement.

I make over a dozen fresh sausages now. Curing is relatively new to me and I am still reading up on fermenting. I plan to build a makeshift smokehouse soon.

David

Seattle!

2009-09-15T23:11:00.006-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I have several to make to get caught up. Two weekends ago I made a trip to Seattle with some college friends to see the LSU - Washington game. I have only been to the west coast a few times (San Diego/San Francisco), and never to the Pacific Northwest, to I was excited to take a culinary tour. We were only going to be there for three and a half days, with one being reserved for football, so I had to choose wisely.

My first choice was a no-brainer: Salumi Artisan Cured Meats

This is Mario Batali's father's restaurant/deli. I convinced my friends that it was in the best interests to wait 40 minutes in line for lunch. They were richly rewarded for their patience. We ended up sitting in a back room that resembled a large-ish closet. The good news was that the back room was adjacent to their curing chamber. The bad news was that when we asked to see it, they said that Health Dept. regulations would not allow them to give tours. However, the waitress did open the door enough so that we could see the where they cure two thousand meats at a time and snap a picture with the cell phone. I am highly envious of this setup.

So what about the food? The food was fantastic.

Two of my friends opted for hot plates. One got Grandma Batali's Meatball Sandwich and the other got the braised pork sandwhich. My other friend and I each ordered a cold salumi plate with the optional olive, cheese, and bread upgrade. Figuring that I may not be in Seattle again for a while, I ordered the hot salumi plate as well. (Yeah, like I could eat two entrees, or in Italian, "due Secondi"). (See picture, left, clockwise, starting at 1 o'clock: Cold Salumi Plate (2x), Grandma Batali's Meatball Sandwich, Braised Pork Sandwich. Center: Hot Salumi Plate) Everything was incredible. The hand's-down consensus favorites were the Lemongrass-Coriander Salami and the Mole Salami. Everything else rocked.

David

File under "WTF?"

2009-09-10T22:53:00.004-05:00

I know that some folks have strong feelings about animals, but this is just silly. I do not hunt personally, but I know several people who do. Serious hunters have more knowledge and respect for the animals that they hunt than any activist.

One of my college roommates was a very serious hunter. He made one of the best sausages I have ever had with fresh venison and wild hog. He taught me more about respect for wildlife and butchering than anyone from PETA ever could.

David

Quote of the Day

2009-08-30T20:36:00.004-05:00

"A peasant becomes fond of his pig and is glad to salt away its pork. What is significant, and is so difficult for the urban stranger to understand, is that the two statements are connected by an 'and' not by a 'but'."

John Berger

Nice one!

David

Kentucky Barbeque

2009-08-25T22:36:00.004-05:00

This is not pork-related, but it is barbeque, which makes it relevant in my book. Last week I broke my August inventory draw-down rule. Winn Dixie has "lamb shoulder chops" on sale. I summoned the butcher and talked him into selling me a whole front quarter (~8 lb) at the sale price.

I love lamb, but rarely buy it. I understand that it is available and more reasonable if you live somewhere with a large Jewish or Muslim community. New Orleans is heavily Catholic and awash in seafood. (I can get 12-16 count shrimp for $3.75/lb.) Lamb is just fairly uncommon in the groceries here and what they do have commands a premium. I always give lamb the Mediterranean treatment, with garlic, rosemary, and red wine.

I know that in Kentucky, barbeque means lamb. I have been wanting to try it for sometime. I am planning to barbeque the front quarter early this fall using an Owensboro-style baste:

Owensboro Barbeque Lamb Baste

1 C White Vinegar

1 C Water

1 C Amber Beer

1/4 Tabasco Worchestershire Sauce

2 TBS Granulated Garlic

1 TBS Dark Brown Sugar

1 TBS Kosher Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Rosemary

1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

I will season the shoulder with a complimentary rub and barbeque the shoulder at 250 degrees for 6-8 hours, mopping with the baste hourly.

I can't wait!

David

Update - Coppa & Saucisson Sec

2009-08-24T22:28:00.002-05:00

My apologies for the lack of posts lately. This is the time of year when my sausage making is at a minimum. The temperatures in Louisiana during July and August make it difficult to keep the house cool enough to work with meat for may extended period of time. Also, August and September are the height of hurricane season. Having lost two freezers-full of food to extended power loss in the past 5 years (Cindy and Katrina), I have adopted the practice of drawing down my inventory from June through September and then restocking once the weather breaks in October. Look for Bratwurst in October along with a bevy of other projects.

All that said, my coppe and saucisson sec are still plodding along in the curing box. I weighed the coppe today and they appear to be coming along nicely. The hot coppa has lost 26% of its weight and the traditional coppa has lost 32%. Both were cased and sprayed with M-EK-4 mold, but have minimal coverage. I'll give them a couple more weeks and check again. I'd like to get them to 35-38% before I pull them.

The saucisson sec is proving to be a nightmare (see previous posts). I made four saucisson at about 400g each. The one I cut two weeks ago has turned grayish along with one of the others. The remaining two are nice and rosy red. I'll post pictures for comparison. Hopefully, I'll be able to salvage these last two, but I am about to scratch this project off of my list.

David

Advice Needed...

2009-08-14T21:34:00.005-05:00

O.K. This Saucisson Sec is driving me nuts. According to Michael Ruhlman, this is supposed to be one of the easiest dry sausages to make. My first attempt was a total failure (see previous post). Thus far, my second attempt does not appear to be going well.

Yesterday it hit 18 days in the curing box. My hygrometer has held at a steady 55 degrees/68% rh throughout. I decided to pull one susage and weigh it. It had lost 34% of its weight. I thought that 40% was ideal, but that 34% would be sufficient, so I cut it open. It appears to be cured throughout and smells very good, but it is extremely soft and the interior is grainy. I opted not to taste it until I could get further input. I hung the two halves back in the curing box.

Here are my questions for anyone who cares to answer:

Did I jump the gun on this first one and should I have waited for 40%?
Can I continue to dry the one I cut and rasonable expect it to be edible?
Is the soft/grainy interior a sign that I didn't tie it tight enough?

Any input would be greatly appreciated here. I have had good luck with whole muscles and really want to make some fermented sausages, but I think I need to get this one right first.

David

Coppe - First Attempt

2009-08-04T23:34:00.003-05:00

Nine days ago, I made my first attempt at curing coppe. Tonight I pulled them out of the cure, stuffed them in casings, and hung them out to dry (after a little mold spray). I had a fit trying to squeeze every last bit of air out of the casings. After 30 mintes, I said "Good Enough" and tied them up. If anyone has advice on how to improve this procedure, I'm all ears.

Here we have added two coppe (one hot, one traditional) to the Saucisson Sec. Happiness is a full curing box!

David

La Saucisse D’Or

2009-08-04T17:01:00.000-05:00

I originally got interested in sausagemaking to prepare recipes for forgotten sausages I found in 100-year old cookbooks. Recently, while searching for lost recipes, I found this gem:

"Restaurants for the working classes in Paris have now-a-days resource to every species of invention to attract attention. One has just been opened in the Faubourg Montmartre, which promises a dinner of two courses and a desert to whoever writes, in a legible hand, the answer to a rebus offered every morning for solution by the dame de comptoir. Another, in the Faubourg St. Afftoine, hit on a still more strange expedient. He chose for his ensign a gigantic golden sausage, which he swung enticingly over the door of his restaurant, the words ‘A la saucisse d’or’, in huge gold letters blazing beneath. His salon was large, its white walls decorated by festoons of the tempting edible so highly appreciated on the other side of the Rhine, and in every fiftieth sausage a five-franc piece in gold. His principle was, that as his customers called for sausages, they should be cut off in regular rotation from the string, so artistically arranged around the dining hall. The result may be better imagined than described. The eager anxiety depicted on the countenance of every ouvrier as he nervously examined and finally ate the sausage, would have supplied a physlognomist with many good subjects for study. The expedient proved most remunerative to the proprietor, but the quarrels that ensued were of so serious a nature that the police have interfered, and the master of the establishment has received orders either to shut up his shop or to proceed on a less exciting system."

Scientific American, December 10, 1864

Sounds like a fun place, but I wonder if the sausage itself was any good.

David

Big Green Egg (BGE)

2009-08-02T23:09:00.003-05:00

For all of my years of barbequing, I have never had the opportunity to use a Big Green Egg (BGE). I learned how to cook "whole log" on my old smoker. Having mapped the temperatures of my grill at multiple points ((+/- 50 degrees!!!) and also experimented with insulating the grill, I can fully appreciate the insulating qualities of a ceramic grill. I like the idea of the BGE, and it has a cult-like following of advocates on the various barbeque forums. I also know that there are high-end Komodo-style cookers out there for the well-heeled (as though the BGE were cheap).

However, I was disappointed to find the new Bubba Keg on sale at Home Depot over the weekend. It appears to be a cheaply made imitation of the BGE. At $599, it appears to be a keg-shaped knock-off of the BGE aimed at helping promote the Bubba line of beverage holders.

Komodo-style cookers work by allowing the cook to control the airflow and therefore the burn of the fire. They are aloso well-insulated to allow tight temperature control. The Bubba Keg appears to be loosely constructed, which would interfere with fire control. While I can admit that I have not had the opportunity to cook on either the BGE or the Bubba, my experience has let me to believe that the BGE is worth the extra $150.

David

Saussison Sec

2009-07-28T07:54:00.001-05:00

Monday night I made Michael Ruhlman's Saussisson Sec. This is actually my second attempt. When I first got interested in curing, I was operating under the delusion that my attic could serve as a curing chamber during the dead of winter. I made some Saussison Sec and hung it in my attic. After 18 days I had a fossilized casing with a perfectly raw center. I decided that it was better to chalk it up as a learning experience and discard it.

This failure ultimately led me to purchase the wine fridge that I use as a curing box now. It works quite well because, unlike a traditional refrigerator, wine fridges do not dehumidify the air when cooling. This helps preserve the corks. I bought a hygrometer, and I get fairly stable readings of 55 degrees and 68 relative humidity. The temperature can be adjusted as low as 50 and as high as 65 degrees. I have successfully made pancetta, bresaola, and lonzino in the wine fridge. I intend to try my hand at salume in the near future.

The picture above is the new batch of Saucisson Sec. I am hopeful that I will get better results than last time. I'll post updates.

If I could just figure out what to do with the squeal.

2009-07-26T14:42:00.011-05:00

In Louisiana, we have an expression that you can "eat everything on a pig but the squeal". This morning, I was flipping through the Sunday paper when I saw that Rouse's had Boston Butts on sale for $0.87/lb. After a second cup of coffee and short trip to the store to buy two shoulders (16 lb worth), I started several projects that I have had in the queue:

Following the instructions on Jason's Cured Meats Blog, I harvested two coppe. I will put them down to cure later tonight.
I set aside one shoulder to make Saussisson Sec, per Michael Ruhlman's instructions in his excellent Charcuterie. I might as well make them tonight also. (Happiness is a full curing box, right?)
I trimmed the fat caps from both shoulders to render lard for my version of Pommes Anna. My version layers russet and sweet potatoes with lard, seasoned with paprika, garlic, cayenne, and salt.
I took the other shoulder and seasoned it with a spice rub. As I write this, it is one cooking over a small hickory fire at exactily 250 degrees. It will be ready for pulled pork sandwiches tonight. I guess I better hurry up and make some slaw!

Not too shabby for a Sunday afternoon. Reports to follow...

David

Project: The Mini-Smokehouse

2009-07-20T23:00:00.006-05:00

For years, I have joked with my friends that I would never consider myself successful until I owned a barbeque pit that had a trailer hitch and turn signals. Anything made by Klose will do. (Check out the Paul Kirk model!).

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, I owned a small log-burner that served me well (pictured left, R.I.P. old friend). I kept a good stash of wood (oak, hickory, pecan, persimmon, and fig) and barbequed often. A week in Katrina's salty floodwaters ruined my pit and, to date, I have not replaced it. Someday I will do so.

In the meantime, I have been using a Weber Kettle as a grill, but have been limited in my ability to smoke. I got the idea of builing a small smokehouse that uses the Weber as the "firebox". It will be much easier to explain by taking a few pictures, but suffice it to say that I had a metal shop make a tray that will fit the Weber in place of the lid. I will need to build a small box on top of the tray. I intend to use it this Fall to smoke sausage and bacon. I better get to work finding some more wood to cure.

David

Jambon a la ya-ya

2009-07-19T23:08:00.012-05:00

In Louisiana, we use pork in everything (and that's a good thing!). According to John Folse, the word Jambalaya comes from the colloquialism "Jambon a la ya-ya", "Jambon" being French for pork and "Ya-ya" from an African Bantu word for rice. Jambalaya is derived from the Spanish dish paella. There are two basic styles of jambalaya, Cajun and Creole. If you travel the Louisiana countryside, you are not likely to find tomatoes, bell pepper, or celery in the jambalaya. The Cajuns call this "brown" jambalaya. Cajun jambalaya is generally made with chicken or pork with sausage and onions. In New Orleans, jambalaya almost always contains seafood, onion, bell pepper, celery (known as "The Trinity") and tomatoes. This is known as Creole, or "red", jambalaya. Creole jambalaya often has shrimp or crawfish instead of chicken. The debate over whether red or brown jambalaya is "real" jambalaya rages on. I generally prefer the Cajun style, but am perfectly happy with either one.

This weekend I pulled out my 5 gallon cast iron kettle to make a pork and sausage jambalya (aka "brown") for the extended family. It has taken me several years to master the technique to produce a good brown jambalaya. Cooking in a kettle presents its own challenges, in addition to learning to moderate the 200,000 btu propane burner that I use with it. I always get compliments on my jambalaya, but being the perfectionist that I am, I usually expect more from myself. This weekend was as close as I have come to perfection.

Let me describe how I did it:

Ingredients:

8 lbs Boston Butt, cut into golfball size pieces

3.5 lbs smoked pork sausage, cut into 1/2" slices

3 lbs Vidalia Onions, diced (or other sweet onion, such as Texas Sweet)

6 lbs long grain rice (extra long if you can find it)

4 quarts of chicken stock

2 quarts of water

1 bell pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 cup Italian parsely, chopped

1/2 cup Bacon grease

(Creole Seasonings) Black Pepper, Kosher Salt, Cayenne pepper, Chili pepper, Granulated garlic, Oregano, Thyme, and Paprika to taste.

Heat cast iron pot over high heat until smoking. Add bacon grease and stir quickly with a metal paddle to coat the sides of the pot. Add the Boston Butt and use the paddle to spread the meat ot in the pot. The meat will stick. Wait until it releases (about 2-3 minutes) then use the paddle to turn the meat. At this point, the meat will start giving off a good amount of liquid. Add the sausage. Stir frequently, but not constantly, speading the meat ot each time. The idea is to cook off the liquid, render the fat, and brown the meat and sausage without burning the whole works. As the liquid reduces, you have to reduce the temperature to prevent burning.

As the meat gets brown, a "fond" develops on the sides of the pot. This is all of the porky goodness that sticks to the sides of the pot. Do not burn the fond. When the meat is thoroughly browned, turn off the fire and remove the meat to a large bowl using a skimmer leaving the rendered pork fat and bacon grease. Set the bowl aside.

Turn the fire back up to medium and add the onions. Use the paddle to stir vigorously. As the onions start to sweat, the fond will break free and dissolve into a brownish liquid. This is a good sign. Moderate the fire as needed to cook the onions down. The onions are done when the onions and fond have an almost caramel-like appearance. Add the meat back in and toss with the paddle.

Add all remaining ingredients except rice. Season the pot fairly heavily. Taste the meat, veg, stock mix, remembering that 6 lbs of rice will soak up a lot of it. Once you are satisfied, increase the heat to bring the pot to a boil. Use the paddle to scrape the sides of the pot to ensure that all of the fond has been released. Reduce the heat to low and put a lid on it. After 20 minutes, turn the heat back up to high for 60 seconds and then turn it off. Do not lift the lid. Allow the pot to rest covered for 20-30 minutes.

Remove the cover and gently fluff the rice with the paddle. Serve with hot sauce and crusty french bread.

David

A Bit Off-Topic, but...

2009-07-14T22:44:00.004-05:00

I mentioned in a earlier post that I am reading Fat. This is a fantastic book for anyone who just enjoys food. The first section is devoted solely to butter. After being fully indoctrinated into the joys of butter, I went down to the local Whole Foods to browse their butter selections. Lo' and behold! I found the mother of all butters on their shelves:

Parmigiano Reggiano Butter! OK, so it is $5 for a half pound, but it may be the best butter I have ever had. Sweet. Creamy. Awesome.

Read the book. Eat butter.

David

(P.S. I have just started the section on Pork Fat. Standby for more updates.)

Guanciale Review

2009-07-14T22:08:00.007-05:00

Sorry folks, I fell a bit behind on posting. Last week I finally gave in and pulled the guanciale from the curing box. I can't say that I am disappointed, but it is not what I was expecting. It has a very rich pork and salt taste. It has almost no hint of herbs or pepper. My first taste was a slice that I pan-fried. It tasted almost exactly, but not quite like cracklin'.

Two days later, I made Spaghetti alla Carbonara with it. This came out startlingly good. I had it for dinner and leftovers for breakfast (Hey, its just eggs, bacon, and cheese with pasta, right?).

I sliced most of it very thinly, saving a few 1/2" slabs just in case. I forgot to take pictures until after I had vaccum sealed it all up.

Overall I like the final product, but I learned a few lessons for next time:

1. Get a smaller jowl. The jowl I had was 4 1/2 lbs. Most recipes that I have call for 2 jowls totalling 3 lbs. I think that this one had a higher fat-to-meat ratio than most.

2. Use more herbs and pepper to impart more flavor. If I want cracklin' I can make cracklin'.

As I write this I am finishing off my excellent lonzino and a bottle of wine. Good livin'.

David

Barbeque on the Road

2009-07-07T11:08:00.003-05:00

When I am not making sausage or barbequing myself, I enjoy sampling OPP (Other People's Pork). I especially like any and all forms of barbeque. I have put together a list of barbeque joints that I have eaten at personally and would reccomend to you. Keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list of the places I have sampled, just the one's I'd recommend if you are in the area. They are predominantly "mom-and-pop" places, with a few small franchises included. I also have listed a dish I'd recommend at each place.

Here we go (In no particular order):

Dreamland Barbeque: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Spare Ribs with White Bread

(Highly Recommended)

Dreamland Barbeque: Mobile, Alabama
Spare Ribs, Coleslaw, and White Bread

Hillbilly BBQ: New Orleans, Louisiana
Pulled Pork, Ribs, Beans, Cole Slaw

The Joint: New Orleans, Louisiana
Pulled Pork, Beans, Slaw

Whole Hog Café: New Orleans, Louisiana
Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken

Mrs. Hyster's, New Orleans, Louisiana
Spare Ribs, Coleslaw, Beans, Roll

Walker's Barbeque, New Orleans, LA
Cochon de Lait Poorboy!

(Highly Recommended)

Bowie Junction, Raceland, LA
Brisket, Sliced Pork, Smoked Sausage

Country Tavern, Shreveport, Louisiana
Spare Ribs, Brisket, Beans, and Coleslaw

Arthur Bryant's: Kansas City, Missouri
Burnt Ends Sandwich and Beans

Gates and Sons: Kansas City, Missouri
Spare Ribs, Coleslaw, Beans

(Highly Recommended)

Charles Vergos Rendezvous: Memphis, Tennessee
Loinback Ribs, Coleslaw, Beans, and Rolls

Corky's Bar-B-Q: Memphis, Tennessee
Spare Ribs, Coleslaw, Beans, and Rolls

Cozy Corner: Memphis, Tennessee
Spare Ribs, Sausage, Barbequed Bologna, Beans, Coleslaw

(Highly Recommended)

Interstate Bar-B-Q: Memphis, Tennessee
Chopped Pork Sandwich and Beans

Neely's Bar-B-Q: Memphis, Tennessee
Chopped Pork Sandwich and Beans

Big Daddy's: El Paso, Texas
Beef Ribs, Brisket, and Hot Links

I hope you have a chance to try a few of these in your travels.

David

My Butcher Can Beat Up your Butcher

2009-06-19T22:40:00.004-05:00

I have not posted too much about my pork projects here yet. I have been very busy since I launched this site, and my curing chamber (a.k.a. "the wine fridge") has been full. I am making Guanciale for the first time. For the uninitiated, guanciale is a Roman-style bacon made from hog jowls. The first big obstacle to overcome is to find hog jowls. They are nowhere to be found in today's modern grocery store. If you do find them, they have been cured and smoked. I have had more so-called "butchers" at grocery stores look at me like I am nuts when I ask for specialty cuts; such as jowls, fat back, or bones.

Recently, Chef and Restauranteur, Donald Link opened Cochon Butcher here in New Orleans. These guys run an impressive operation. I was most impressed when I ordered jowls and they came in a 4 1/2 lbs. Most of the recipes I have seen call for 1-2 LB jowls.

I bought one and salt cured it. It has been curing in my wine fridge for a month now and I am dying to try it. It should be ready after a month, but stands to improve with age (up to 6 months). Patience is a virtue, so they say. I'll wait a few more weeks.

Stay tuned...

David

No Rain

2009-06-19T21:54:00.005-05:00

Those of you who know me are well aware of all (or most) of my pork-related projects. I readily admit that I am *a little* overboard when it comes to pork. Some of you may remember the 1993 Blind Melon video (Shannon Hoon, R.I.P.) with the Bumble Bee girl searching for a friend and ultimately finding a field full of like-minded bees.

Well, every now and again, I find my own field of bees. Today I found a blog post entitled: Bacon: The Other White Heat. When I see the phrases "bacon-plasma torch" and "seven beef sticks and a cucumber" within a paragraph of each other, I know I stumbled on a field of bees. This is even out there for me. This guy set out to use bacon to cut steel and succeeded. Impressive. You really should watch the video, because he makes a vegetarian version as well, albeit with less success. The main point is that bacon (prosciutto, actually) is packed full of energy, whether you use it to fuel your body or a plasma torch.

David

It'll cure what ails you...

2009-06-19T21:31:00.002-05:00

So now it's official - Bacon Cures Hangovers! reports the Telegraph UK. Actually, a bacon sandwich appears to the the winning combination:

"Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. Your body needs these amino acids, so eating them will make you feel good."

Ms Roberts told The Mirror: "Bingeing on alcohol depletes neurotransmitters too, but bacon contains a high level of aminos which tops these up, giving you a clearer head."

Suddenly all of those late night college excursions to Louie's and Waffle House are justified. I feel better just thinking about it.

David

Swapping Cracklin' for Crack

2009-06-10T16:44:00.000-05:00

Lot's of pig news today:

"Police in Syracuse, New York... arrested a 45-year-old man who offered a slaughtered pig as partial payment for a bag of crack cocaine."

I'd much rather have half a pig than crack too.

David

Harry Trotter

2009-06-10T07:04:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the wild world of Pig Racing! Apparently the idea was born in the U.S., but the sport is picking up in England and New Zealand. Originally, the race was held on a 100m flat track, but now they have added jumps for additional excitement.

I love the names. Harry Trotter and Pigtoria Beckham are my faves.

David

Finally! Lard is cool...

2009-06-03T21:32:00.004-05:00

The Lipid Hypothesis was developed in the late 1800's and gained wide popularity starting around the 1950's. It has led Americans to fear dietary fats. In the 1990's, the notion of so-called "good fats" took hold and increased the popularity of olive and canola oils.

I have Jennifer McLagan's new book Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient in my reading stack. I am very much looking forward to reading it. I was pleased to see that it was mentioned in this article proclaiming that lard is finally cool again. It appears that lard fits into the current interests in minimally processed foods and environmental consciousness. Those of us who really cook know that some fat in your diet is good and have never been scared of lard. Whatever floats your boat, I just know its good stuff.

David

Pork Fat Pies!

2009-06-03T07:43:00.001-05:00

I stumbled across this article about New York's emerging "Golden Age of Pizza". It describes several new pizzerias that are producing tradiational Neapolitan pizzas. Among them, is a lardo version. I'd love to try this next time I make it to NYC. I just won't mention it to my yet-to-be-named cardiologist.

David

Guanciale

2009-05-31T23:58:00.001-05:00

I have wanted to make Guanciale for some time now. For those who don't know, Guanciale is a Roman specialty that is essentially pancetta made with hog jowls. It is supposed to be among the finest bacons in the world. I have never had it, but dying to try it. However, it is nearly impossible to find raw hog jowls. A few weeks ago, I finally found a butcher who could get fresh jowls for me. I was expecting two at about 1 pound each. What I got was a single 4 1/2 pound jowl! It MUST have come from Pigzilla. That was two weeks ago. Now it sits (Expertly salt cured) in by drying box for 2-6 more months. I will be posting on this project as it progresses.

David

Hey, will you watch my pig for me?

2009-05-28T07:44:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Gioia for sending this article discussing the concept of "remote pig ownership". It also has a comparison of Italian and Brittish butchering styles. You can read for yourself, but let's just say that the Italian put the Brittish butcher to shame.

I am also very interested in "Pestadice", a sausage with little nuggets of fried, crunchy pork skin mixed into it. I'll have to do some research on this one.

David

How to Make the Best Ribs Ever

2009-05-27T23:06:00.006-05:00

Did you know that the folks at Google have a new service called "Knol" that is a world-wide knowledge database? (Picture a cross between Wikipedia and Yahoo! Answers. I found it tonight and noticed that the #2 most popular article was titled "How to Make the Best Ribs Ever".

In case you don't know me, I am a massive barbeque snob. Initially, this guy had my attention. Especially when he said "If you boil ribs the terrorists win". He was doing it right. Then he pulled out "The Texas Crutch". Bzzzzzt! Total Failure!

The Texas Crutch is much debated in barbeque circles. It involves wrapping your meat in foil towards the end of cooking to tenderize the meat. Many, myself included, argue that wrapping the meat in foil ruins the crust and actually overtenderizes the meat. Maybe I should write a rebuttal.

David

More on carbon footprints

2009-05-27T09:49:00.004-05:00

Wrap your brain around this one:

One scientist was cited in The New York Times Magazine as saying that, while burning charcoal produces more carbon emissions than natural gas or propane, the carbon was offset by the carbon-consuming properties of the tree used to make the charcoal during its lifetime.

(More here)

According to that theory, barbequing is OK. Maybe I should add a slogan to this site: "Saving the Earth, one pork shoulder at a time". I sure wouldn't want to have to use one of these.

David

On Second Thought

2009-05-26T23:10:00.000-05:00

I 'm thinking more about the previous post on pork having a lower carbon footprint than lamb or beef. It occurred to me that if you are that concerned about it, you probably shouldn't be eating barbeque anyway. Six hours on a fossil-fueled smoker probably wipes out any goodwill you had with your environmentalist friends.

David

Good News...

2009-05-26T21:50:00.001-05:00

Apparently, pork is environmentally friendly because it has a lower "carbon footprint" than lamb or beef. See article here.

Whatever. Like the carbon footprint of a pig will ever stop my quest for porcine goodness. You could argue that eating lamb or beef is more environmentally friendly because dead sheep pass no gas... ...and don't think that I didn't notice the side-swipe at alcohol. Sober and pork-free is not a world for me.

Onto better things: Today was tasso day. I had a boston butt in the freezer that I wanted to use. I had a few ideas, but had really been wanting to make tasso for some time. I have several wildly varing recipes for tasso. One is brined and another calls for dry curing (w/ pink salt). I ultimately chose to adapt one from John Folse that used a kosher salt and brown sugar cure. I put it up tonight. I'll give it a day or two in the fridge and then smoke it. More to follow.

David

So how did I get into sausagemaking?

2009-05-21T12:04:00.004-05:00

I'll admit, it is an odd hobby. I have been making sausage for about 7 years. Several years ago I started collecting old cookbooks. I liked old cookbooks because they do not use shortcuts (a can of this, a packet of that...). I found that some of these cookbooks contained recipes for regional sausages that are no longer made. I bought a Kitchen-Aid Meat Grinder and Stuffer Attachement to give some of these recipes a try. My first attempts yielded mixed results. I had some successes and some failures. However, after several batches, I started to get the hang of it. The Kitchen-Aid quickly became a limiting factor.

Everything changed when I got a small commercial sausage stuffer for my birthday. It became a full blown hobby when I added a stand-alone meat grinder and vaccuum sealer. I make over a dozen fresh sausages now, mostly adapted from old recipes. I favor Cajun/Creole, Mediterranean, and Western European styles.

Recently, I have tried my hand a meat curing. I have made pancetta, bresaola, and lonzino with good results. I am planning to try my hand at fermented salamis before the end of the summer.

David

Welcome

2009-05-15T21:10:00.005-05:00

I have started this blog to catalog my numerous projects and experiments. They usually involve pork in some way or another. All are welcome here, but if you are a vegitarian, this may not be the blog for you.

Enjoy,

David