stinkycheeseman

Chris, thanks for the 'loan'. We six are eager to ogle and flip the pages. Chefmobile leaves at 3am. Au Pied brunch at 10am. Wish us (and our livers) luck. There's no doubt the Egullet society will be well represented on this trip. Here's to poutine & gravy baths for all. Updates soon, or follow our # HASHTAG on Twitter: #chefsincanada for a live stream of our conquests and poor decision making. @matthewjennings @newriversbeau @chezpascal @nicksonbroadway @josephvhafner And no doubt, Jake will have a twitter account for Tallulah by the time we sit down for roasted pigs heads. Best to all, M

Oh- and Susan, I actually don't use pink salt right now. We used to, but all of the ones I found had some various weird 'extra' additives to it, and being that we like to keep as all-natural as possible, we have decided to stick with straight, good 'ol kosher salt- diamond crystal only. Keep me posted! -Matt

All, We have chosen to both brine and cure for the following reasons: 1. Brining cuts down on the time needed to cure, and in a restaurant environment, the less prep time an item takes, the better. 2. Brining prior to curing provides the extra depth of flavor and perfect balance of sweet/salt that we are looking for. We also think that the belly sitting in both a wet and dry cure saturates the bacon and helps it get those 'little crystally' components, more. 3. We know this is an unusual method, but trust us- we've tried everything under the sun to achieve the proper balance for our bacon. So far, this has worked best. As far as smoking goes, I can't divulge too much information just becuase of legalities- afterall- I want to keep making this amazing stuff! However, we prefer a cold smoke method, with an abundance of fresh, circulated air, hovering around 70 degrees. To be a real believer, come on in and taste the bacon. Grilled cheese becomes a treat, and burgers- sublime. Now we are moving onto other cured goods. We've been experimenting with lots of other cured pork items, various cured and smoked seafood, and now poultry. Once satisfied with the results, some of these things will make their way on the menu. Some great helps in all of these processes have been books, videos, and internet guides for which we can't express enough thanks. You all- and egullet- are no exception to those who continually contribute to our own strive for culinary (and tasty meat) excellence. -Matt

Chris,...have no fear- 'porkchop' is here. (Or so they called me in culinary school.. don't know if that was a good thing...hmmm.) Now of course this thread could go on for EVER, but as a starting point- here goes: Brine: (now you may know all of this, and if so- my apologies) The three most critical aspects of brining, are salt, sugar and time. The salt and sugar are great because they help offset each other- and the salt provides the 'kick' and the sugar the residual sweetness and eventual suppleness to the pork. Contrary to popular opionion, you really want brine to be much sweeter than saltier. This is especially true if you are brining large batches of pork belly, as we do. Don't forget- you can always make up for the salt factor later in your dry cure. (yes- we dry cure AFTER brine. A much more effective way.) Best ratio for brine: 3/4 quart salt to 1 full quart of brown sugar, per gallon of water. This is the La Laiterie *secret* brine recipe...although I guess not that secret anymore! You should of course heat up your brine in a pot, steep it with fresh herb sprigs, shallots, garlic, juniper berries and the like. Then cool down your brine, strain it and once cool- submerge the belly. Let it sit for anywhere from 2 to 4 days (depending on the size of the belly). After that, you can COMPLETELY dry it off with a kitchen towel- no paper towels here- the real thing. Make sure you absorb as much of the moisture as you can, as this is always going to be your worst enemy with bacon- moisture. Moisture is what makes cured meats spoil quickly. SO dry it GOOD, man. Once dry, proceed with your dry cure rub....sorry- for this you are on your own. Ours has taken over two years to perfect and we think we might finally be there, so no details on that one. After you cure for however long you'd like to- (play around a bit...cure some for only a day, and others for a week and see what happens), rinse it all off, COMPLETELY dry again and then smoke that SH*T! Preferred chips are either maple or cherry (again- a Laiterie preference), and smoking time can varry depending on so many factors- size of belly, size of smoker, etc... But plan on at least 4-7 hours, turning often and inspecting chips often. Once smoked, refrigerate wrapped well in plastic wrap (or freeze. The stuff freezes beautifully!). Best to slice it when it is still slightly frozen (it will be easier), and then bake it off. Sit back, drink a cup of joe, scramle some eggs in truffle oil and dig in. Now that my friend, is the perfect Sunday..... Good luck. -porkchop (Matt)

Thanks to all of you for your patronage, which has helped make both Farmstead and La Laiterie a sucess...thus far! We were honored to have been selected by Saveur for their Top 100 issue. We also are excited to continue to bring fun, exciting & hand-crafted food to Providence in 2007. Chris- We would also like to congratulate you in your newest duties with Egullet. It sounds like it will prove to be quite the busy year for you as well. Happy New Year everyone, & we hope to see you at Farmstead and La Laiterie, very soon. All the best, Matt

There is a small knife shop in the Providence Place Mall, on the third floor next to Hannoush Jewelry, that sharpens knives on premise. I think they are fairly priced.

All, It is wonderful finding a cheese thread here on egullet, and even better that so many of you are excited about the world of cheese! It seems many of you have already developed some favorites over the years, or are enjoying being introduced to new amazing cheeses, as well. You should all know that American artisan cheesemakers are really on the brink of the next wave of the movement, with various types/varieties being introduced every year. The U.S. is producing some un-rivaled cheeses, that are quickly gaining respect throughout the world. A great example of this is the famous Neal's Yard Dairy in London, and their recent commitment to carrying American artisan cheese. Only recently has Europe allowed the importation of American cheese- quite a feat for the U.S. I would say, considering Europe's history with 'fromage'. In fact, this year the Americans took bronze, silver AND gold medals at the World Cheese Awards in London. Check here for the full listing of American competitors and winners: http://www.finefoodworld.co.uk/ The new generation of cheesemaker in America is quality focused, and dedicated to ideals such as sustainability and biodynamics. It is an excititng time to be a cheese lover in the US, and to be able to support the industry is a paramount goal of mine personally, and of my company. We suggest you join us by buying locally, seasonally, and helping establish these small, family owned and operated farms. Watching them succeed at a truly magical craft that is the result of incredible hard work and a deep passion, is inspiring for us all. Enjoy the cheese thread....and don't forget to stop and smell the cheeses! -Matt

We were very excited to be selected by Travel and Leisure for their July edition of favorite places. We are also excited because we had some folks come in last week who were members of egullet, and said they saw our photo essay here! It is always nice to meet the folks in the neighborhood- so come on by! Have a great 4th, all. Best, Matt

Tuesday through Saturday, starting at 5pm. For the week of July 4th, La Laiterie will be closed the 2nd through the 5th. Can't wait to see you there!

Hey all (and Chris), Just a note to let you all know we are now "live" and about 5 weeks into the new project- La Laiterie. Chris- thanks for stopping by, and we hope to see you again. Everyone else- you should know that Kate and I are really trying to create the first true artisan cheese and wine/beer bar in the Northeast. The goal is to keep it ingredient driven, focus on quality over quantity (we are only 35 seats), and to bring New Englanders a completely new experience, at a rational and reasonable pricing structure, given the 'lineage' of the ingredients. Not too far away are new additions to the menu- beer and cheese flights, salumi/charcuterie flights, Kate's cakes next door at Farmstead, etc.... We are really excited and can't wait to just keep pushing along, creating the best we can, cooking the best we can, and continuing to bring you the best in domestic and international artisan cheeses, meats, charcuterie, oils, dry goods, and so much more. Hope to see you soon at Farmstead, or La Laiterie!