Home Charcuterie

British cheesemaker Thomas (Home-Made Cheese) delivers a thorough and easy-to-follow manual of deli delights with a nose-to-tail sensibility. A chapter covering charcuterie basics explores the various types of casings--be they beef, hog, sheep, or cellulose--discusses mincers and grinders, and advises on proper food hygiene to avoid harmful bacteria and parasitic worms. Thomas offers recipes for eight different types of salami, including a spicy salami piccante with chili flakes and garlic added to a mix of ground pork that, once stuffed, takes less than two weeks to mature. A chapter of pates finds the author reveling in the joys of haggis (though the lamb lungs included in the traditional Scottish recipe are prohibited in the U.S.). More accessible projects include pastrami and the British equivalent of corned beef, known as salt beef. Bringing home the bacon means choosing between dry-cured and brined varieties, while savory pudding fans can make a black pudding with fresh pig's blood, or a tamer white pudding that forgoes the hemoglobin. All recipes come with precise, step-by-step instructions paired with color photos to ensure clarity. Established techniques and hearty ingredients lead to delicious results in this restorative guidebook.-- Publishers Weekly PW, July 2020 Forgive me if you've heard this endlessly but since lockdown Making your Own - whether Charcuterie, Bread, Pickles or even Cheese - has become All the Rage. Whether this trend continues when we're forced back to normal living remains in dispute, but meanwhile read, enjoy, benefit and make from the timely publication of Home Charcuterie by Paul Thomas. Thomas is perhaps better known for his Cheese Expertise but his interest in curing meat has fast developed (Paul is a judge at The British Charcuterie Live Awards 2020). As he writes, Charcuterie production and cheesemaking share something in common: both contain elements of science wrapped up in a coat of magic . Magic notwithstanding, Paul Thomas is strong on guidance as how to cure safely as well as imaginatively. There are chapters on the main food safety hazards - how to avoid them; special equipment - novices needn't worry, you don't need much; and explanations of essential ingredients - proper curing salts or which casings for which Charcuterie you're about to make. As well as clear, concise stage by stage recipes (here is a Bresaola Recipe as an example) for such favourites as Coppa, Salami (in its various guises), Nduja, Salt Beef, Pastrami, Jerky and Bresaola, there are instructions on various techniques for making your own from home-cured bacon to air-dried ham. There's also a useful glossary - hands up who knew what are bioprotective cultures - plus a handy list of suppliers. Having judged the National Lincolnshire Chine Championship a couple of years ago, Henrietta writes I was delighted to find a recipe for it. I tried it and it worked....tasted good and looked pretty professional. Whether it would have scored in the competition, who knows? But I was pleased with my first attempt at making Lincolnshire Chine . Let me know how you get on....-- Charcuterie Live website, July 2020 Ready to take the cure? Get back to food basics and learn how to cure and preserve your own meat with Home Charcuterie, which showcases the age-old craft of preparing meat and fish products by home curing, salting and drying. The air-dried products include hams and salami as well as chorizo, sobrasada, and kielbasa. There are brine-cured hams, chine, salt beef and pastrami, pates, terrine and haggis. The book also includes sausages, black and white puddings, pancetta and dry-cured rack of lamb. You can try your hands at jerky and biltong, while the smoked foods include salmon, bacon and ham. Paul's research into charcuterie began when he started to make his own cured meats while working as a cheesemaker on a farm.--Marion McMullen Evening News (syndicated regional newspapers), June 2020 So many more people are becoming interested in home food preparation. It could be making bread, baking cakes or growing veggies. Home Charcuterie: Make your own bacon, sausages, salami and other cured meats has been published in timely fashion to give advice on the art and science of meat and fish curing and preserving. This substantial tome offers clear, step-by-step photographs to introduce the novice to techniques and ingredients needed to make some favourite deli treats. The air-dried goodies include traditional hams, lomo, lardo, coppa, bresaola and salami, as well as chorizo and Polish kielbasa. There are some British speciality meats such as pressed tongue (do try this), haggis, and faggots. It's good to see this style of food revival, taking advantage of those overlooked cuts. There are bangers, too, and those recipes might be a starting point for those new to these processes. The sausages include the ever-popular Cumberland and Toulouse, as well as black and white puddings. Home Charcuterie doesn't forget fish-lovers. There are recipes for cured gravadlax and rollmops, and smoked salmon. Yes, one can buy them at good fishmongers, but there is nothing better than boasting 'of course I made it'. Invite the in-laws. This is a beautiful gift-quality book and perfect for these days when we long for as much self-sufficiency as possible. One might not go to the extent of buying a pig but Home Charcuterie: Make your own bacon, sausages, salami and other cured meats teaches one what to do with your butcher's bounty. Great value for money, too!--Chrissie Walker Mostly Food & Travel blog, June 2020