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I just made my first batch of homade sausage (I used a recipe out of Bruce Aidells book) and am completely blown away by how easy it was to make and how good it is. Are there and favorite recipes for great sausage out there? I used to think Neese's was it, but now my eyes have seen the light! All I have to do now is just wait for the stuffer tubes and casings to get here so I can try some homeade links in my smoker. - Tom Tyson, Richmond, VA

So what other Confits can you use a Crock-pot for. Lets hear the ideas.

I’ve been unsure where to put this thread. Does it belong in Italy, which is where it all began? Or New Jersey, since one of my goals is to find a reliable local source of good pancetta? That may ultimately become a separate thread. But my immediate subject is pancetta as an ingredient, so I’m assuming that it belongs here. I’ve been on a haphazard quest to perfect my approach to pasta amatriciana ever since I sampled the dish on a trip to Italy about 10 years ago. This of course involves good pancetta, and that’s where the dilemma begins. At the start of this quest, time and time again, I wound up buying chunks of pancetta that were varying shades of grey, and had a bit of that taste you get when meat begins to turn. I assumed that this was a result of the curing process and didn’t think about it further, though I was never completely happy with the results of using this stuff in my amatriciana dishes. Then, on a subsequent trip to Italy, came the revelation. At our hotel in Verona, a platter of thinly sliced meats was put out for breakfast. I became enamored of a particular batch of circular slices and asked the server what they were, she smiled at my appreciation of the flavor and said, “Pancetta!” I was stunned. Every bite was full of wonderfully fresh cured pork flavor without a hint of gaminess. I inspected the slices closely, they were a glowing shade of dark rose from the center all the way out to the edge, no tinge of grey anywhere. So that’s what pancetta is supposed to be like, I’m now thinking. Am I correct? I ask of those who are wiser in the ways of pancetta than I am. Is that greyness a sign of an unscrupulous butcher who is simply unloading old product? Or is that some sort of aged pancetta and it’s supposed to be that way? Recently, thinly sliced domestic pancetta, vacuum sealed in plastic, has appeared in local deli departments. It has the look & color of good pancetta, but the thin slices don’t really work in an amatriciana dish. I’m after a good chunk of the stuff that I can slice into cubes. I bought a chunk of Boar’s Head pancetta for my most recent amatriciana effort. It was a bit grey around the outer edges but the center still had a decent pink cast. I trimmed off the edges and used only the center portion. It was pretty good but still had a bit of that gamy flavor. I have to believe that there’s better stuff out there, whether it’s domestic or imported doesn’t matter to me nearly as much as the freshness. What’s been your experience with pancetta? Do I simply lack a sufficiently refined palate for the delicacies of aged pancetta? Or have I been sold some real crap over the years by some of the most respected butchers in the tri-state area? All comments & advice are welcome.

There are limited options when it comes to the humble thanksgiving turkey - one which never comes up is confit. Is it possible to safely confit a turkey? Obviously you would need an almost absurd quantity of poultry fat, but I suspect a few gallons of duck fat wouldn't do the old bird any harm. I'm less concerned with the stupidity of this concept from a culinary standpoint than I am with the potential food safety issues. It would take quite a long time for the bird to reach 140*F and I'm not all that excited about poisoning the people we are sharing our thanksgiving dinner with. Are we safe to attempt this? Is there anything specific we should be worried about with a bird this size?

Any home sausage makers out there? I have a question regarding the Italian sausage one typically sees in butcher shops. Usually, the sausage is offered in the thick ropes (both hot and sweet) and then in thinner coils, which are often made with cheese and parsley. If I want to make the standard thick kind, I suppose I would use hog casings. But what about the thinner kind? Is there a special casing I should be looking for to make those? TIA J

I woke up this morning with an incredible bacon craving. Guess I needed something high-octaine to get past the front page of the newspaper. Who has got the best bacon? My recent experience was in this little restaurant in Middleberg, Hidden Horse or something, out of nowhere eureka my bacon cheese burger was hiding incredible bacon. I took it right off the bun and ate it in its purest form. I need more good bacon......where is it?

I'm interested in making either of these, but can't find any hints on salt/cure ratios and seasonings. I'm guessing the lardo is very easy to make, and I have 6 fresh pork kidneys that could go into a salumi if the partner doesn't get to them first. I thought nduja would be a good candidate, but I can't find a recipe. Anyone? thanks, trillium

It is Saturday morning, 10am, I’ve got the top down on my rental convertible and am driving around trying to find a place to get some food to satisfy my hungover state. I don’t really get hungover but do suffer from what I call “fuzzy brain” or I’m just not Mr. Swift this morning due to many Guiness and Ciders the evening before. There are few food items better for a hangover than a greasy burger and fries. We never eat “American food” while on an international vacation, but I remember after a night of pitcher after pitcher of sangria in Madrid, my wife and I waking up to our systems CRAVING a greasy burger/fries. Thankfully the concierge in our hotel directed us to a spot nearby. I’ve got that same craving today. I’m at the intersection of Venice and Sepulveda debating if I should forgo the warming comforts of the sun on my face for soothing effects that the dark interior of my car would have on my eyes. I then spy Howard’s. The sign above the storefront proclaims "Howard's famous Bacon & Avocado Burgers" and “Famous” to boot?!!?, I’m there. Howard’s is a dive, probably has not changed much since 1971 when they opened. The same owners since ’71 are still there as well. I place my order off the menu board that has been updated simply by painting over old sections. One Bacon Avocado Burger and fries please. 5 minutes later I’m looking a wonderful looking burger, Big thick crisp bacon sliced poking out of some VERY VERY fresh produce and lots of avocado. It is a yummy burger for sure and I can feel the fuzzyness slowly slipping away. The overall verdict, I would not go out of my way for Howard’s, but if you are near the airport or on Sepulveda, Howard’s will sure satisfy. Howard’s Famous Bacon & Avocado Burgers 11127 Venice Blvd at Sepulveda West Los Angeles, CA 310.838.9111 Open 10am – 8pm Mon-Sat, closed Sunday

I am currently enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education Culinary Management program in New York City. I am looking into Culinary Arts programs following graduation in September in and around New York, but would also like to consider programs in France (Paris, Lyon, Southwest... just about anywhere). One of my main interests is in charcuterie and I was hoping someone could tell me about some of the better charcuterie programs in France. I am particularly interested in learning to prepare and age hams and dried sausages. Can anyone point me to some information on culinary programs in France that are particularly strong in charcuterie? I am interested in full-time programs as well as shorter-term intensive programs.

My favorite town in the world (and not just because of my Ole Miss alma mater) has a new place called L&M Kitchen and Salumeria. We picked up a to-go pressed sandwich last night. Mrs. Tater got the sausage/ragu and I got the house special with prosciutto, coppa and another forgotten italian pork product. Excellent italian cheeses too. Great atmosphere and really good service. EDIT: I'll update more when we try more. They have antipasta, ensalata, pasta and entrees as well.

Does anyone have a recipe for Chinese bacon? My husband and I are crazy about it but the only way we know how to cook it is with sauteed green vegetables. There must be some more interesting things to do with this delicious ingredient.

I'm a fan of Bobak's bacon, so I trekked down to their new Naperville store after reading a full-page ad in this week's Sun-Times food section. What a weird and encouraging trip: Bobak's occupies a defunct Jewel or Dominick's on 75th Street, right next to the Driver's Licence facility that flunked me twice before I got a state driving inspector who was drunk at 9:00 am. They sell real food, 60 per cent of which is Polish. Sausage and pork. Great deli. Strange Polish vodkas that come in bottles blown to resemble semi-automatic assault weapons. Piles of kohlrabi and parsnips in the produce section, and an amazing assortment of sauerkrauet, mushrooms and cherries, both fresh and pickled. They make their own sausage and deli meats -- if I wanted to, I could buy honeycom tripe or veal "oxtails." Everything is, of course, immaculate and neat. The place was packed, both with Polish speakers and Naperville soccer moms buying Choice beef. The prices were better than fair. It was fun. They also have a large buffet restaurant of the all you can eat for ten bucks variety. It was very, very busy. Heck, I'd happily pay ten bucks for all-I could-eat-pierogi.

as I'm in the posting frame of mind... I made duck confit the other night for a few friends. Unfortunately my car had been towed away by the fascist Brighton parking police the week before, so I had to buy frozen duck legs. Bought a bucketload of duck fat for the purpose too - which, incidentally, is now taking up half my bloody fridge and I refuse to throw away despite disgusted noises from the wife. (fabulous roast potatoes last night though from the bit at the bottom of the pan!) Anyway, it was far too salty and a big disappointment for all concerned, not least the cook. I had soaked (if thats the right term) the legs in salt for a day and a half in the fridge as Alastair told me to, to remove moisture. I am now presuming that I didn't give them a good enough rinse, but was a bit worried that running the damn things under the tap would negate any benefit done by the salt bath. Whats the trick here - a good scrubbing to get the salt off, or has the fact that they were frozen got anything to do with it?

My husband really wants to make his own sausages and he asked me to pick up a sausage maker/stuffer on my trip to the US. I haven't been able to find one in stores anywhere and just now looked on ebay and there are tons there, I have no idea of what exactly I should be looking for. Are there any goods brands? anything I should know? I really don't have much more than $40 to spend....

I admit; I'm not good with sausages. I think of them as preserved items so I was under the impression they last a good long time. Anyway, we bought some bockwurst a week ago and have had them in the frig. I just took them out of the butcher wrap and the casings are all slimy now. Does that mean we shouldn't try cooking them?

I was stuck in Chelsea for a time today and thought I might as well check out Salumeria Biellese, reported maker of fine salumi, some of the city's best. Ed Levine, I believe, called the owner a genius of salumi in his Times article on heroes. I expected salumi hanging from the ceiling -- an Aurthur Ave/Mike's Deli kind of experience. This place was a run down little shop with some raw sausages, some prepared pasta and eggplant, and some salumi peaking out of a fridge behind the counter. I'll spare you the long description of my awful hero: bland salumi and flavorless roasteds. When I got home I reread Ed's article and found this . The one I tried was on the corner of 8th Ave at 29th Street.Are there two places with the same name, one designed to fool impatient readers like me? I was obviously in the wrong place, right? ... right?

As a follow up to Meat Grinders I would like some recipes for sausages. The things I have easy access to are beef and pork and chicken. My inclination would be for beef and/or pork sausage. Cased or not. Thanks in advance!

I found the following in 2-years old UK Wine Telegraph article: "Even Indian chefs are introducing chorizo. During his 'Salaam Bombay' festival, Mehernosh Mody of La Portes Des Indes served a Goan sausage masala, which featured chorizo, slow-cooked for three hours until meltingly soft with a rich spiced tomato and onion sauce." How would you approach cooking this dish? Thank you.

I'd like to make duck confit for the first time, any tips are welcome!

In the Nathan's Famous thread http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=34814 wesza said: I always was impressed with the many varieties of Sausages available that were actually made in Japan. They even had a excellent Hot Dog that was made from Tuna that was comparable to a Hebrew National Frank that was used as the model at the Japanese owned Factory located in Taiwan. It was amazing how similar in taste and texture they tasted to compared to the real thing. Wonder if they are still available. Irwin

It's probably the combination of the frigid weather, the bag of new-crop lentilles de Puy in my cupboard and the bottle of Madiran (Château d'Aydie '95, which should be hitting its stride about now) in my drink-soon queue, but I've suddenly developed a major hankering for one of my favourite winter combo, duck confit with warm lentil salad. The problem is the duck. Back in the good old days, Boucherie de Paris, the little butcher's shop on Gatineau across from the former HEC building, sold the best confit de carnard I've ever tasted anywhere. After a quarter hour in a hot oven, it would emerge all golden and crispy-skinned and falling-off-the-bone tender. The meat had a texture somewhere between unctuous and silky and a mild yet deep, dark flavour with salt and fat in perfect balance. Had he done nothing else, then-butcher André Philippot would have earned my eternal gratitude for this triumph of gastronomy. (In fact, he did much more. I first learned of the shop when Bee McGuire proclaimed it the winner of the Gazoo's toulouseathon, its search for the Montreal's best toulouse sausage. André's terrines were also works of art.) Alas, the Philippots sold their shop a decade or so ago and retired who knows where. And while the new owner does some things as good or better, confit isn't one of them. (Neither are the toulouses; I suspect the main problem is his decision to cut back on salt and fat in deference to les goûts modernes, as he once put it.) It's not that his confit is bad, it's that it's not great. So, finally getting around to my question, who in your opinion now makes the best duck confit in the city? Although I'm mainly interested in retail outlets, please feel free to mention any restos that do a bang-up job. Thanks!

In a recently received gift basket, I got a large package of Andouille sausages from D'Artagnan. Since I limit my rare occasion of meat consumption to fish and shellfish, I have no idea what to do with them except as flavoring agents in Gumbo and Paella. Does anyone have any ideas? I don't mind cooking them, I just don't want to eat them.

Any suggestions on where to find interesting, ethnic and/or artisanally-made sausages in Toronto?

The home charcuterie book sounds mouth-watering. Would you mind describing what your concept is, how it's working out, things that have surprised you, etc.? Is there a regional focus? Amusing anecdotes? Thanks for sharing.

A day without bacon is like a day without bacon.