mdbasile
-
Posts
238 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by mdbasile
-
-
For our charcuterie author ....
To our charcuterie chef....
Just celebrated a nice victory with some serious sausage !!!
Go Pistons !!!!!
-
Does anyone know about how safe it is to taste a mix with DC #2 in it? I cooked up a bit of the saucisson sec mix, just to test the seasoning, but I thought I could taste the nitrate, so I spit after getting the flavor. Now, should I make a joke about spitting instead of swallowing, or a joke about needing corpse reviver #2 after tasting DC #2? I was worried, though, so any science on the subject would be appreciated.
I have eaten mine everytime.. and I am still alive ... well... never thought about it - I hope it is ok.... as for spitting vs swallonwing... I gave a piece of my Tuscan salami for my wife to try... and no she didn't spit it out either... ohhh this could get funny...
-
See the photo below and you can see how the KA tends to mash and grind the fat - loosing the definition. This has happened before and my Tuscan was good, but the definition of the fat is not what I like!!!
Mark, not sure whether this is your problem or not, but I had very uneven results trying to use the fat that comes on the meat. Unless you get rid of virtually all of the soft, elastic connective tissue, it will clog up your grinder and begin to smear. My solution was to trim the butts free of almost all fat and go to 100% fatback for the fat. I also have the fatback almost frozen when I grind it. Works like a charm, and I'm also using the KA to grind (but not to stuff). FWIW.
Thanks. I will try using only the backfat.
I have had absolutely no problem grinding and my meat/fat is almost frozen when I grind. This only seems to happen when I us the KA for stuffing. I think it is the way it works that helps create the smear.
Actually I have really only had the smear problem with the Brats(I think because of all that protein) and the Tuscan. I do, however keep and use as much fat as possible -- maybe even more than called for.
-
I have to report a little guanciale thrill I had yesterday.
We met a friend for appetizers and drinks at a nice Italian place in Seattle, and we ordered the cured meat platter. I had brought a chunk of my guanciale for our friend, and thought to open the package and give him a slice to try with the restaurant's house-cured meat. Just then the server happened along. Busted! Would there be a corkage fee for guanciale?
I quickly sliced a piece for her and one to send to the chef. Later she reported to me that the chef had given his slice a quick sear, eaten it, and said "I'd be happy to sell this here." Woohoo. I actually thought it was brave of him to eat meat cured by some anonymous customer, but that raised my esteem for him several notches.
Very cool!! You should be very proud!
Is this a very nice Italian place on a corner..downtown?
-
Tuscan Salami..
Why I need a sausage stuffer....
See the photo below and you can see how the KA tends to mash and grind the fat - loosing the definition. This has happened before and my Tuscan was good, but the definition of the fat is not what I like!!!
-
Got my Chirizo done yesterday too... here are the photos...
I am hoping -- please no mold... had success with my tuscan - no mold... so hopefully....
-
Ok kiddies -- need some advice here...
Below is an 8 lb boned out leg of lamb that I have in the fridge using Jason's method..
How long should I fridge such a large piece - Jason has 14 + 7...
Also how long do you think this thing will need to hang for?
Thanks.
Mark
-
We have a 6 qt KA and the same issues apply here. I actually use a large spatula to hold down the mixture when beating for the bind with a 5# batch.
Same for me -- usually a bit of a battle.
FWIW - the stuffer was ok with 2 people
-
That Lamb is incredible --- think I'll be starting one of those this weekend
-
This is a truly amazingly wonderful thread. I admire all your delicious work.
I have one question (well, actually I could have dozens, but...), for those of you who are using the meat grinder attachment for your KA, does that work reasonably well? I really want to avoid spending $300 or more for a serious dedicated grinder, since I will be doing small quantities -- mostly fresh sausage, max 5 pounds at a time, at least for the time being.
Made the 20lbs - 80 links with my KA... worked fine... however.... I too am considering buying a stuffer...
... again COLD product helps for stuffing too!!
-
-
This sausage had the right mix of fat, and I kept it really, really cold throughout the grind and bind. An instant read thermometer is another piece of necessary equipment, I think (cha-ching; another piece of stuff to buy for The Most Expensive Cookbook ever).
Peter put it perfectly. Mom, is is creamy but has definition (the latter word is on his spelling list this week). He was right. The only change I would make is to up the black pepper to 1T and be a bit more generous with the sun-dried tomatoes.
I knew I was in good shape when my 14 yr old who was helping load the meet asked if could take a break because he could feel his fingers!!!
-
-
Geez. This is turning out to be one expensive cookbook. I need a stuffer. I need a vacuum sealer. And more charcoal.
... and the cold smoker...
-
I don't seem to have much of a problem figuring out storage, as everything seems to go pretty fast. That said, it's extremely gratifying to put a plate, like I posted earlier, in front of your guests and listen to them moan.
Yes this part is the best -- moan and then devour them in a very short period of time.......
hell even my teenaged sons are all geeked when they know they are getting fresh sausages or salami - just like when I started making my own pasta way back...
In any event -- thanks all for your tips. Vacuum sealing 80 sausages might be a bit time consuming - not to mention a pain. I think I'll follow your suggestion Susan - seem easiest and I doubt they will last more than a couple of weeks.
-
While am here....
I have storage question. What is the best way to store the sausages? How long before I should freeze them.... and what will that do to the texture?
... not like I am going to be able eat all of those puppies in a week, a it would be nice to have them around when I need 'em.
Thanks all!!
Mark
-
Hey Dave -- I made the Tuscan a few weeks ago (sorry no photos) and they looked preety much like yours. They had a slightly sweet taste -- do yours? I ask because I couldn't find dextrose and used fructose instead - (1/2 the amount as instructed)...
Since you asked, I had to go cut off a piece and really examine the flavor components.
Tough job, I know. Anyone have any questions that would cause me to taste the peperone too?
The answer is no sweetness that I can detect. I might be wrong here, but I think the main use of the sugar is for the fermentation process and there shouldn't be much in the way of residual sweetness if it is consumed.
Hmm soo how spicey are those peperone?
I am planning to make Tuscan and Chirizo this weekend - and I am ordering some dextrose - I think this other stuff actually added a slight sweetness to them.
-
Hey Dave -- I made the Tuscan a few weeks ago (sorry no photos) and they looked preety much like yours. They had a slightly sweet taste -- do yours? I ask because I couldn't find dextrose and used fructose instead - (1/2 the amount as instructed).....
-
You'd think, with all my mistakes, I'd have a picture of one. I just looked though and can't find one. I think Susan posted one up thread of some chicken that crumbled on her.
I did take this one yesterday of the charcuterie plate I put out before dinner.
There is bresaola in the middle with some lemon, olive oil, ground pepper and shaved parmesan, and duck proscuito, tuscan salame, venison salame, and peperone around the outside.
Very nice Dave - that is mighty tasty looking...
...and thanks
-
Hostellerie Jerome in la Turbie is a great 2* with a view - if you manage to get a (the) table by the window. Worth a trip even without the view.
This recommendation sounds perfect - friends have wanted to go to La Turbie for years...just wrote for lunch reservations for 23 mai - hope they can accommodate us. Thanks so much.
yplady
Ask for a table on the little terrace - for lunch it should be perfect!! I am sure you will not be disapointed.
-
I Does anyone have a good photo of how the bind on a non-emulsified sausage shold optimally look? I think it's one of those things I need to see,
Abra, I'm not sure if this will help. I looked through my pictures and only have one after paddling. This is my lamb sausage.
Still not sure it will help you.
That looks pretty much like what mine did. Actually I'd like to see one that had "broken."
-
P.S. Don't miss the Picasso Musée in Antibes, and the Picasso ceramics showroom, displaying the plates made from the molds he designed for Madoura, in Vallauris. Renoir House in Cagnes is wonderful as well.
I am leaving next week and I can't wait. We just found out that the Picasso Museum is closed for renovations.
I was really looking forward to seeing this. Oh well, another excuse to go back.I will give a full report when I return.
Any last minute suggestions?
Right nearby in the town of Haute Cagnes sur mer -- be careful this is the old hill town - not the resort by the sea... there is a restaurant call Josy-Jo - 1 michelin star but not michelin prices. Great restaurant in a great hil town - just outside Antibes.
-
Way to go, mdbasile!! That picture is simply glorious. About how long did that take you? I'd love to run that many batches back to back but I don't know if I have the capacity to do so. Can you describe the process a bit? I'm in awe!
=R=
I meant to add that the process was fairly simple - though took a long time.
I pre-ordered all my meat ahead of time, and then picked it up Sat mid day. I was able to get my butcher to bone the duck, which saved me a ton of time. BTW- nice thing about using the duck - is that you have bones and fat you can use to make stock and render the duck fat.
I prep'd all the meat first so I could keep it cold -- cutting them all up while my wife (THANK YOU!!) put all the seasonings together. Then I seasoned and then ground each sausage and then paddled them.
I put each mix in a zip-loc bag and refrigerated for Sunday. This was the more time - consuming - the prep work.
We stuffed each sausage on Sunday - The Marguze was the easiest and the brats the hardest - it is soo gluey with all that soy-protien, egg and cheese. I will be using very little of that soy protein in the future... anyway... I stuffed each one right after the other - starting with the duck, then Italian - the Marguze - right in a row -- creating a couple of what my 14 yr calls "hybrids." The Brats I did separate because I wanted to chill everything before stuffing.
That was pretty much it. I am a little "sausaged out," primarily do to alot of cooking and tasting while making...
Mark
-
That's a lovely sausage array, mdbasile!
Me, I'm still having problems with my Italian sausage. Today I tried roasting some, to see whether even heat all around would keep them from bursting out of the casings. Yes, it did. They remained whole, but got very, very small. Why? Because an incredible big-ass lake of fat melted out of them, right through the casings. And then they were dry.
So, did the fat need a coarser grind? Was it not bound properly? I'm at a loss, since no one else has reported on any problems. Can it be that I have bad sausage ju-ju?
Funny that you say this. This is my second batch of Italian and I have been having problems too. I am not so sure about the grind either. I used a small die for 3 of the 4 and only the large die for the Marguze, and that has a much better texture. So it could be the grind.
It is so odd how it is different though. I made all 4 batches at the same time - and the method is all the same - really only the seasoning and what kind of meat is different(well except for the brats - with all that cream and egg).
This sausage is much better than the last Italian I made and I am thinking 2 things made it different.
1) I didn't paddle the susages for more than about 30 seconds - just enough to get a mix.
2) No coriander seeds. I think the seeds have an effect as to how the sausage cooks - not sure how - but it seems to make a difference. The Marguze and duck are much more uniform and less tempermental and neither have anything real solid in them - the ad-ins are soft. The fennel is bad enough, but the coriander is like these little pebbles - maybe if we crushed them like in the tuscan salami - it would help.
Have you tried any other sausages?
Curing and Cooking with Ruhlman & Polcyn's "Charcuterie" (Part 2)
in Cooking
Posted
Melissa - I am with Jason -- seems the stuff starts getting hard fast....
BTW here are my Choriz(yesterday) and Tuscan(today)... very fast drying after 24 hrs...
FWIW my Tuscan looks 100% better after sitting "warm" for the 12 hr warm sitting time...