Curing and Cooking with Ruhlman & Polcyn's "Charcuterie" (Part 3)

[Abra]

Now that I've finally gotten a source of cherry, I'm really liking it. The fragrance of the smoke itself is intoxicating.

But I find that I still want that hickory hit with some foods, like ribs, and I like to add a bit into the cherry with bacon.

[thomasevan]

I am going to cure and smoke 4 bellies next week time permitting with different regional cures, and smoking woods. One of them I would like to try using Corn cobs! I am wondering if anyone has experience using cobs for smoke?

Do they need to be dried?

Cow corn or peaches and cream?

Kernals or sans kernals?

Thanks in advance

Edited June 14, 2006 by thomasevan (log)

[Michael Ruhlman]

The best trotter recipe i know of is in bouchon cookbook. i'm biased of course but it can be done as much as a week ahead and is very easy to finish and serve when the time comes. it's the perfect entertaining dish.

In the meantime, I'll be concentrating on terrine, rillettes, and stuffed pig feet, in preparation for a party in a couple of weeks.  Those pigs trotters from Niman are as long as my forearm, which is pretty long.  I'm going to try a boned, stuffed, rolled thing that I'm hoping will be impressive.  I'll show it off, if it works out.

←

[Abra]

Thanks, Michael. I have been, in fact, planning to do a Keller recipe. It's stuffed with sweetbreads - is that the one you mean? I have the FL book, but not Bouchon, and I found this recipe here. Is that the one? Doing it a week ahead sounds really good.

I'm thinking that, plus boudin noir (trying out my pre-salted pig blood), and pork confit rillettes (put up the confit last month), plus a pate de campagne. It's meant to be a tasting plate to accompany a bottle of Cayuse Merlot, which warrants extra effort. If it looks like I'm making a mistake here, please set me straight!

[Chris Amirault]

I must say my charcuterie life is a breeze with this Grizzly. I cut up more pork butt on Sunday and, last night, ground it up and mixed it with the KA, then stuffed it pronto with the Grizzly. A night in the oven to get cookin', and I now have about five pounds of sopressata in the curing chamber downstairs. Looked a little smeary even though I was uber-careful about temps -- but I wonder if it's the milk powder and not smeared fat. We'll see soon enough....

[Michael Ruhlman]

that recipe is the french laundry version. the bouchon is easier and you don't wrap it in the pig skin, the pig skin is in the trotter mixture. if you want to try it i can send you an unedited copy if i can dig one up...

i'm eager to know how the blood works.

[Abra]

Michael, I'd love to see the Bouchon version! And I'll be sure to document the boudin noir process. Since you caution not to make it ahead, it'll be about 10 days before I can make it, but I have the blood, which is the first step.

Chris, I'm with you in loving the Grizzly. Of course, it's the very first stuffer I've used, but it works a treat. We did try to use sheep casings with it, when I did the merguez at our Play Day, and kept having them tear. Does anyone have sheep casing tips? They'd been soaking for a couple of days, and we were using the smallest nozzle.

And edited to say that I'm an idiot - my course is a Leonetti merlot. There's a Cayuse syrah, but someone else gets to pair that.

Edited June 14, 2006 by Abra (log)

[ronnie_suburban]

Does anyone have sheep casing tips?  They'd been soaking for a couple of days, and we were using the smallest nozzle.

←

I have never completed a tear-free run with sheep casings (in 4 or 5 attempts). OTOH, all those casings were from the same supplier and same package. Based on other runs I've completed successfully using hog casings, my guess is that another package from another supplier (or even the same supplier) could produce better results. That said, even my butcher tells me that they (sheep casings) are the bane of his existence and that F-bombs have been known to drop when he tries to fill the breakfast links in his shop.

=R=

[thomasevan]

Does anyone have sheep casing tips?  They'd been soaking for a couple of days, and we were using the smallest nozzle.

←

I have never completed a tear-free run with sheep casings (in 4 or 5 attempts). OTOH, all those casings were from the same supplier and same package. Based on other runs I've completed successfully using hog casings, my guess is that another package from another supplier (or even the same supplier) could produce better results. That said, even my butcher tells me that they (sheep casings) are the bane of his existence and that F-bombs have been known to drop when he tries to fill the breakfast links in his shop.

=R=

←

I will ask my uncle who is owns Rowe Farm Meats. They have switched to collagen casing as most have, but Trevor his sausage guru will be able to help you from dropping the F-Bomb!

[thomasevan]

I have also been working on trying to replicate Montreal style smoked meat or as i say BBQ Pastrami! This is my first attempt which I am proud to say that it is quite close to shwartz's. I split the brisket in half and did two cures. One was brined and the other was dry cured. Here are a few shots of the brined version which I had smoked over hickory for 6 hrs and steamed for 3hrs. I had tested for texture at 1/2 hr periods and found that 3 hrs. rendered a extremely succulant brisket.

The dry cured brisket was smoked for 8 hrs but I am suffering from mouth over stimulation and rather lethargic and sleepy at this point, so I will steam tomorrow and post pics.

Edited June 15, 2006 by thomasevan (log)

[peteswanson]

Jaques Pepin has a great blood sausage recipe.

The best one I've had was from John Campbell (i'm not sure if his recipe is in his book, but it's a great recipe I have) but it actually uses dried pigs blood. The salted blood can be a real pain in the arse to work with, as it is congealed...

[Abra]

Thomas, that's a gorgeous brisket. Will you tell us more about how you made it?

[Meez]

I can't breathe.

[thomasevan]

Thomas, that's a gorgeous brisket.  Will you tell us more about how you made it?

←

Thanks everyone!

Here you go:

I wet brined this brisket for 9 days, then soaked it for one day with 4 water changes. Let it air dry in my fridge for 6 hrs. Coated with deli mustard and rubbed coriander and cracked pepper. Smoked over hickory for 6 hrs, then I wrapped it in foil and let it rest until it cooled, refrigerated over night and them steamed (Gently!) for 3hrs. I checked every 1/2 hr. to find the best texture and found that 3hrs. produced the what you see in the pics!

I am documenting in more detail in my link below.

Edited June 16, 2006 by thomasevan (log)

[thomasevan]

Small white spots (slightly fuzzy?)on my Chorizo and Salami! Smells fine.

Any help here?

[Abra]

Wow, nine days is a long brine! Was that a pretty weak solution, like 1 cup to a gallon? Did you use sugar, herbs, or just salt?

That's a really nice catering menu you have. I'm especially craving that Brazilian chicken app. And a cool mobile smoker. You really need to join in on the famous ang long-running Behold My Butt thread. A lot of serious home smokers hang out there.

Hey, I'd wipe those sausages down with vinegar in a hot second. Fuzzy mold is a no-no, and vinegar seems to nix it if you get it fast.

Edited June 16, 2006 by Abra (log)

[Chris Amirault]

What Abra said. Did the trick for my peperone!

[mdbasile]

That mold looks like the good white stuff to me - can you get a clearer photo?

[mdbasile]

Ok - I have a nice one...

One of my pieces of Venison salami fell to the floor in my cellar... I am thinking it was there for about 1 week... with nice white mold - BTW... anyway the parts that were on the floor were still "soft and wet meat, while the exposed areas were pretty dry. Floor is a cellar floor - though I doubt any bugs...

It looks and smells fine - Do I have to pitch it or should I continue to hang and wait?

Edited June 17, 2006 by mdbasile (log)

[Eastgate]

I made the salmon, shrimp, and spinach terrine yesterday.  After-action report en route, with luck.  (Oddly, I haven't found any discussion of this recipe here.)

Any suggestions on saucing or garnishing it?

←

Things I tried this week:

* Served plain. Nice texture, but the terrine was probably under-seasoned. Certainly acceptable, especially as My First Mousseline.

* Basil cream: I had some lovely basil, but I scorched the cream and didn't have enough to start over. Too thick, too salty. Still tasty -- everyone ate every last droplet.

* Garlic and red pepper aioli: very tasty, but overwhelmed the terrine

* A little sherry vinegar: my favorite

[Abra]

Well, Mark, I can tell you what I'd do with it, which is toss it and start over. But if you decide to re-hang it and live to tell the tale, I wouldn't be surprised!

[Chris Amirault]

I'm about to do three of the recipes in the smoking section, one I've done (the turkey breast) and the other two I haven't (whiskey-glazed smoked chicken and hot-smoked duck ham). Does anyone have experience with these? In particular, I'm wondering about what kind of wood to use (I've got hickory, alder, and apple and want to smoke all of the birds together) and about the glaze.

[mdbasile]

Well, Mark, I can tell you what I'd do with it, which is toss it and start over.  But if you decide to re-hang it and live to tell the tale, I wouldn't be surprised!

←

Thanks for the vote of confidence... I think...

It is only 1 of a dozen links, and I am now hanging it under refridgeration... I'll decide in a week or so if I will freeze and then eat or toss..... or just slice em and have a nice day...

[ronnie_suburban]

Well, Mark, I can tell you what I'd do with it, which is toss it and start over.  But if you decide to re-hang it and live to tell the tale, I wouldn't be surprised!

←

LOL! Mark, I'll say that I'd definitely just brush it off and eat it. After all, I ate that green jowl bacon. I guess that I'm up for just about anything.

=R=

[Bombdog]

Well, Mark, I can tell you what I'd do with it, which is toss it and start over.  But if you decide to re-hang it and live to tell the tale, I wouldn't be surprised!

←

LOL! Mark, I'll say that I'd definitely just brush it off and eat it. After all, I ate that green jowl bacon. I guess that I'm up for just about anything.

=R=

←

Just think of the resistance your building up!