Meat Club Charcuterie

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March 10, 2010

question de pâté

so i up and finally made some good old pate de campagne 2 weeks ago (hard to remember precisely with post pregnancy brain, though i guess i can't use that excuse for much longer). my question is, how long is it good for? we were in love with it for the first couple of days and then promptly lost it to the refrigerator. suddenly, with a good bottle of wine half empty, we realized we had it and were about to cut into it when we thought, will this be our LAST pate or is it still safe to eat. any thoughts?

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Posted from Glen Ellen, CA
Posted by yolanda 

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March 7, 2010

Prosciutto - Second Week

The two prosciuttos (proscuitti?) from the Big Pig Day class on the 27th have been in my fridge for a week. Today I pulled them for flipping, massaging, weighing, and repacking in salt.

Here is the larger one after being pulled from the salt and put into a "working" tub for massaging:

Here is the other side of it (the side that was down):

Here is the tub it was in. Some water has collected in the salt:

Here it is repacked in salt (topping of with new salt) to go back into fridge:

Here is the smaller one showing the side that was down:

Here is the other side of it:

And the salt that it came out of:

And repacked to go back into fridge:

The weights are now 27.5 lbs. and 31.5 lbs.

This weight for the smaller one is about the same as what we got when we weighed it at the class - water coming out, salt going in, and some residual salt on the surface.

The weight for the larger one is actually one pound more than what we got at the class (I think).

When massaging the meat, there is still quite a lot of "give". But, the coloration change is quite noticeable - much darker red.

This whole process will be repeated at least two more times on a weekly basis. The reporting of it on this web site will not.

The next step you will see will be pulling, washing off, weighing, and into drying chambers/rooms.

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Filed under  //   jim   prosciutto  
Posted by Jim 

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March 7, 2010

help

Does anyone have any advice. I currently have two large sausages: 1) a wild boar sausage and 2) saucission sec.  The wild boar started at 3053 grams and is now 2327 grams, a loss of about 26% in about 5 weeks, the saucission sec started at 2640 grams and is now 1863 grams, a loss of about 30% in 5 weeks.  Both are in large synthetic casings, 5 inch and 6 inch respectively.  However, they both feel still very squishy.  The conditions in the chamber  for the first 3.5 weeks were about 55 degrees and 80% RH.  The last 1.5 weeks it has been about 55 degrees and 70-75% humidity.  I wanted to start out high and gradually ramp it down. Maybe I went too slow.  It does not appear that the outside is starting to dry out faster than the rest.  What should I do?  Cut one open, wait, what is the max weight loss one has experienced in a product and it still been good.

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Posted by David Tulkin 

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March 6, 2010

Sloan Tuscan / Genoa update

Quick update on my Tuscans and Genoa from last weekend. I have kept my Genoa under a damp towel, changing and checking twice daily, for the past week. I have been able to keep the humidity at about 80-85% and the temp in the mid- to high-60s F. I took the Tuscans out of the oven on Tuesday morning and hung them downstairs in the same room as the genoa, but about 18" away and not under a towel. 

     
Click here to download:
Sloan_Tuscan_Genoa_update.zip (9866 KB)
My curing "chamber" is just a little closet under the stairs in the basement, but the conditions in general are good. At this point all the salamis are in the same room. I mist the room once per day and check everything in the morning and in the evening.

The casings look very good to me at this point, still very pliable and not yet beginning to really dry out. A little mold is beginning to form, and so far it looks--to me--like the good kind. I have wiped off (with white vinegar) any small bluish-green spots right away just to be on the safe side. 

There is a nice aroma of fermentation in the closet. I'm beginning to like that smell.

PS My genoa is in bondage because the string was too short to fit around my hanging rod and I was afraid it would slip off because the salami was so heavy.

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Filed under  //   erika   genoa   tuscan   update  
Posted by Erika 

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March 1, 2010

Pork Confit Rillettes

A few folks asked about how I made the rillettes that I shared for lunch at our Big Pig Day, and I just happen to have a photo series of the process, so I thought I'd post it. 

The short version is that I pulled four chops from the freezer and put together a salt/spice rub (I think basically using the recipe from the Ruhlman/Polcyn book) and left the chops in the spice cure for about two days in the fridge.  Then, I rendered about 5 lbs of back fat on the stovetop and strained and jarred it.  Then, rinsed the chops, melted the lard, and poured the lard over the chops into a casserole pan, and baked at maybe 250-300 for about 4 hours.  Then, skimmed the yummy garbage off the top, strained the fat and reserved for another event, and started hand shredding the meat, discarding excess fat, gristle, bone, etc.  Then, put the meat in the stand mixer with some excess melted lard, confit juices, and black pepper, and mixed it with the paddle attachment for a minute or more.  Then, jammed it in some canning jars and capped them with more lard.  That's it! 

Turned out pretty well I think, but if I did it again, I'd try to make it a little less salty and would not keep it in the stand mixer as long as I did, so it didn't look so much like cat food!

                   
Click here to download:
Pork_Confit_Rillettes_tag_Jami.zip (3196 KB)

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Filed under  //   confit   Jamie   rillettes  
Posted by Jamie 

Comments [6]

March 1, 2010

Big Pig Day -- More Photos!

Here are some more photos from our excellent Big Pig Day.  For those who could not attend, we spent the morning breaking down the hog for later fabrication in the afternoon into: prosciutto, lardo, tessa (flat pancetta), guanciale, brine cured loin, dry cured lonzino, coppa, fresh garlic sausage, tuscan and genoa salami (and other things I've probably forgotten).  Then, we had a bunch of misc. parts leftover for individual home creativity (ribs, offal, trotters, ears, skin, etc.).  A great day in all.

For all that did attend, please post updates (with photos, insights, and confusion) on the progress of your curing and consumption!

                         
Click here to download:
Big_Pig_Day_--_More_Photos_tag.zip (2960 KB)

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Filed under  //   butchering   curing   Jamie   salumi  
Posted by Jamie 

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February 28, 2010

Great Day!


Personally, I had a fantastic day yesterday and I really wanted to thank Peter again for hosting us and teaching us all of the great charcuterie skills we have learned over the past nine months. 

Thanks to Sandy for the pig! Big, big thanks to Jaime for making this whole series of classes happen in the first place. 


Finally, how fun is it to make a whole bunch of new friends and talk about food all day?! I can't wait to confit some giblets! And make roasted eggplant with tamari and peanut oil.


I have my Tuscan and Genoa all set up in two different areas. Definitely not as stressful this time maintaining the temp/humidity for the initial period. I can smell the fermentation starting. Can't wait for my little curing room to be full of Tuscans, Genoa, Coppa and (hopefully by next weekend) Spanish Chorizo. Not to mention the stuff in the fridge (bacon, lardo, sausages & pig's foot). Rob only cried a little because I didn't bring home any ribs. 

(More to come on my blog in a day or two.)

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Filed under  //   butchering   erika   pork  
Posted by Erika 

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February 28, 2010

Prosciuttos Underway

Here is the story of the birth of the two prosciutto from the class at Peter's brewery yesterday.

One weights about 27.5 pounds and the other about 30.5 lbs. They were transported to my house both packed into one container with surrounding salt after being massaged with salt at the class for 15-20 minutes. I have an old refrigerator that will be used to keep them at about 40 degrees for the next three to four weeks. I moved each of them into smaller containers for ease of handling.

Here is one of them sitting in the new container which is in a utility tub in my basement conveniently located right across from the fridge in which it will reside. It has been totally immersed in granulated salt:

Here they are in the fridge:

Here weights (concrete stepping stone and floor tiles - wrapped) have been placed on them. The bag of granulated salt (donated to the cause by Jamie) will be used to top off when the hams are pulled, flipped, and massaged approximately once a week:

A closer view with the weights in place:

After the salting period, one of these will hang in a dark sealed off corner of my basement which maintains a 60-70 degree temperature range throughout the year with very slow changes from winter through summer. The other will go into a space to be provided by Oliver at his home.

Stay tuned!

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Filed under  //   jim   prosciutto  
Posted by Jim 

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February 20, 2010

humidity help?

Does anyone have any good ideas on how to cut down on humidity in a curing chamber?  Up here in Daly City the RHG is about 85%.  I would like to avoid buying a dehumidifier now.  My chamber is a full size fridge with a automatic temperature control.  I keep it around 50 degrees so it cycle on more, but the air it takes in is too humid anyway.  I thought of cutting a hole in the fridge and setting up an intake fan like Jamie's set up but then I would only be bringing in more humid air.  The only solution maybe to just get a dehumidifier with a digital control, but these seem so expensive  Any suggestions would be great.  In the summer when the temp is higher outside it wont be such a problem, but now it is keeping the RH at 80-85%

david

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Posted by David Tulkin 

Comments [4]

February 17, 2010

Genoa Salami - Second Harvest

We cut into the second Genoa salami that we had curing on Super Bowl Weekend (February 7, 2010). You may remember that surprisingly, we found that the weight loss on the first Genoa salami (created at the same class as the second one) was quick enough that we harvested it in late December at 31% weight loss. However, it was definitely not ready. The interior was not totally firm, and slicing produced delicate slices that sort of fell apart. This first salami continued to age in the fridge even after cutting into it - became firmer and tasted better. Perhaps I recorded the weight incorrectly at the beginning. But, I really do not think so. Can't explain the rapid weight loss.

The second one continued to lose weight at a slower and slower rate. At the end it was losing about .01 lbs. per week in an environment in the mid to high 50s degrees of temp and 50-60% RH. I finally decided 3.5 months was enough. It had lost exactly 30% of its weight and was very firm to the squeeze test.

Here it is before cutting:

Another view:

With and end cut off:

On a plate (top left) with other salumi destined to be consumed during the game, accompanied by (clockwise) dry cured pork belly, saucisson sec, peperone, Tuscan salami, and Genoa salami from Fatted Calf (for comparison purposes).

The final presentation:

Note how thinly the slicer can work on the slices of pork belly. Can actually see the bread sticks through them. I really like having a good slicer around. Use it at least once a week on something.

Bottom line - our Genoa salami beat Fatted Calf's hands down. Much more interesting flavors. Perhaps a little high on the fat content. This second one was definitely ready. Very firm inside and easily sliced. I have no doubt that it could have aged quite a bit longer. But, to what advantage I do not know. It is very good as it is.

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Filed under  //   genoa   jim   salami  
Posted by Jim 

Comments [1]