Curing and Cooking with Ruhlman & Polcyn's "Charcuterie" (Part 4)

[jeniac42]

I am thinking of doing a small amount of cured salmon, but the salmon available to me has all been previously frozen. Worth a shot? I think I'm going to try anyway, as I'm going to have an extra piece of salmon after tomorrow's lunch, so I'll post the results here. Ooh, my first project from Charcuterie....

[Mallet]

I find that sometimes the combination of my bumbling hands and salt/sugar granules prevents me from getting a true seal with a ziploc bag.  With granules in the zipper, sometimes there is leakage.  This is why I started using the foodsaver bags for curing.

=R=

←

I had mega-issues with this yesterday, until I realized that rubbing a damp towel on the seam dissolves caked-in cure and fixes everything. I might rubbing on the spoon after putting the meat in the bag as well.

[ronnie_suburban]

I am thinking of doing a small amount of cured salmon, but the salmon available to me has all been previously frozen.  Worth a shot?  I think I'm going to try anyway, as I'm going to have an extra piece of salmon after tomorrow's lunch, so I'll post the results here.  Ooh, my first project from Charcuterie....

←

I'm no expert but I don't think there are safety issues involved. This seems fine to me. Please let us know how it turns out.

I find that sometimes the combination of my bumbling hands and salt/sugar granules prevents me from getting a true seal with a ziploc bag.  With granules in the zipper, sometimes there is leakage.  This is why I started using the foodsaver bags for curing.

←

I had mega-issues with this yesterday, until I realized that rubbing a damp towel on the seam dissolves caked-in cure and fixes everything. I might rubbing on the spoon after putting the meat in the bag as well.

←

Thanks for the tip, Mallet. It's much appreciated.

=R=

[tristar]

I am thinking of doing a small amount of cured salmon, but the salmon available to me has all been previously frozen.  Worth a shot?  I think I'm going to try anyway, as I'm going to have an extra piece of salmon after tomorrow's lunch, so I'll post the results here.  Ooh, my first project from Charcuterie....

←

Hi Jenny,

I can't get fresh salmon in Indonesia so all of my cured salmon has been from frozen, can't say that I have had any problems, as long as the flesh is still firm to the touch.

[Mallet]

I made pancetta for the first time (can't believe it took me this long to try that recipe!), what a revelation! I'm absolutely in love with the flavours, and I haven't even hung it yet. My first thought was that it would make a great sausage, any thoughts? Would it work better as a dried sausage or a grilling sausage?

[jmolinari]

Grilled pancetta? you mean basically grilled cured pork belly? Hrm, might be a little fatty and tough!

[Mallet]

No, I meant ground pork with the pancetta seasonings/cure, stuffed into casings. I can't see it being any tougher than any other sausage.

[ronnie_suburban]

No, I meant ground pork with the pancetta seasonings/cure, stuffed into casings. I can't see it being any tougher than any other sausage.

←

I've done this several times, in an adaptation of Paula Wolfert's Toulouse sausage recipe from The Cooking of Southwest France (the first edition calls for salt pork but the 2nd edition actually calls for pancetta, which I'd tried, out of necessity, before I picked up the 2nd edition). I use 80% fresh pork shoulder and 20% pancetta. It makes a truly distinctive and delicious sausage, which works especially well in cassoulet. The main seasonings are garlic and black pepper with a little bit of mace or nutmeg. A bit of white wine mixed in at the end, while creating the primary bind, will take them over the top. Just be careful of the salt because when using 20% pancetta, you don't need to add nearly as much as when you are using 100% fresh pork; maybe only about a teaspoon per pound, or so.

=R=

[BRM]

I find that sometimes the combination of my bumbling hands and salt/sugar granules prevents me from getting a true seal with a ziploc bag.  With granules in the zipper, sometimes there is leakage.  This is why I started using the foodsaver bags for curing.

←

I have this problem too from time to time. You can also fold over the top of the bag, kind of like a pastry bag, before you fill it up then unfold and seal.

[NYC Mike]

Hi Guys,

Need a little storage and transporting advice for a few things I made from the book.

In a few weeks I will be going camping with my oldest boy for a friday night to sunday morning deal. I wanted to bring bacon and canadian bacon for breakfasts and sweet and hot italian sausages for lunch/dinner/whenevers. In my mind there is no reason camping should = canned, cold, ashy food.

I've got a decent/large sized cooler but there will be no place to keep them frozen at the campsite.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

-Mike

[MarkinHouston]

Hi Guys,

Need a little storage and transporting advice for a few things I made from the book.

In a few weeks I will be going camping with my oldest boy for a friday night to sunday morning deal.  I wanted to bring bacon and canadian bacon for breakfasts and sweet and hot italian sausages for lunch/dinner/whenevers.  In my mind there is no reason camping should = canned, cold, ashy food. 

I've got a decent/large sized cooler but there will be no place to keep them frozen at the campsite.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

-Mike

←

Mike, I would start with the bacon fresh, unfrozen and ready for Saturday morning. You can have your Italian sausages frozen when you start, and they will be thawed and ready for cooking by Saturday afternoon/eveming. reeze the Canadian bacon and it will be ready for Sunday morning.

[qrn]

Hi Guys,

Need a little storage and transporting advice for a few things I made from the book.

In a few weeks I will be going camping with my oldest boy for a friday night to sunday morning deal.  I wanted to bring bacon and canadian bacon for breakfasts and sweet and hot italian sausages for lunch/dinner/whenevers.  In my mind there is no reason camping should = canned, cold, ashy food. 

I've got a decent/large sized cooler but there will be no place to keep them frozen at the campsite.

Any ideas?

Mike ,The bacons are cured and will be ok for a few days in the cooler...Poach the fresh sausages before leaving and they will also be ok for a couple days...

Bud

[ojisan]

No, I meant ground pork with the pancetta seasonings/cure, stuffed into casings. I can't see it being any tougher than any other sausage.

←

I've done this several times, in an adaptation of Paula Wolfert's Toulouse sausage recipe from The Cooking of Southwest France (the first edition calls for salt pork but the 2nd edition actually calls for pancetta, which I'd tried, out of necessity, before I picked up the 2nd edition). I use 80% fresh pork shoulder and 20% pancetta. It makes a truly distinctive and delicious sausage, which works especially well in cassoulet. The main seasonings are garlic and black pepper with a little bit of mace or nutmeg. A bit of white wine mixed in at the end, while creating the primary bind, will take them over the top. Just be careful of the salt because when using 20% pancetta, you don't need to add nearly as much as when you are using 100% fresh pork; maybe only about a teaspoon per pound, or so.

=R=

←

I just looked at Wolfert's 2nd ed. recipe for Toulouse Sausage - there seems to be a typo. It calls for pork tenderloin and pancetta, but the directions say grind the "tenderloin, fatback and pancetta". There is no mention of fatback in the ingredients. I assume the 1st edition has the correct recipe. How much fatback should there be?

[ronnie_suburban]

I just looked at Wolfert's 2nd ed. recipe for Toulouse Sausage - there seems to be a typo. It calls for pork tenderloin and pancetta, but the directions say grind the "tenderloin, fatback and pancetta". There is no mention of fatback in the ingredients. I assume the 1st edition has the correct recipe. How much fatback should there be?

←

The recipe in the 1st edition calls for 4 ounces of lean salt pork (no rind), 12 ounces of pork tenderloin and 4 ounces of fatback. My take on this is to just use 4 ounces of pancetta and 1 pound of typically-fatty pork shoulder or, for a 5-pound batch, 1 pound of pancetta and 4 pounds of fatty pork shoulder. Adjust the seasonings as necessary.

=R=

[ojisan]

Thanks Ron - sounds about right.

[FoodMan]

No, I meant ground pork with the pancetta seasonings/cure, stuffed into casings. I can't see it being any tougher than any other sausage.

←

I've done this several times, in an adaptation of Paula Wolfert's Toulouse sausage recipe from The Cooking of Southwest France (the first edition calls for salt pork but the 2nd edition actually calls for pancetta, which I'd tried, out of necessity, before I picked up the 2nd edition). I use 80% fresh pork shoulder and 20% pancetta. It makes a truly distinctive and delicious sausage, which works especially well in cassoulet. The main seasonings are garlic and black pepper with a little bit of mace or nutmeg. A bit of white wine mixed in at the end, while creating the primary bind, will take them over the top. Just be careful of the salt because when using 20% pancetta, you don't need to add nearly as much as when you are using 100% fresh pork; maybe only about a teaspoon per pound, or so.

=R=

←

I just looked at Wolfert's 2nd ed. recipe for Toulouse Sausage - there seems to be a typo. It calls for pork tenderloin and pancetta, but the directions say grind the "tenderloin, fatback and pancetta". There is no mention of fatback in the ingredients. I assume the 1st edition has the correct recipe. How much fatback should there be?

←

Yes it is a Typo and I spoke with Paula about it way back when I first got the book. Basically the fatback needs to be omitted.

[ojisan]

Yes it is a Typo and I spoke with Paula about it way back when I first got the book. Basically the fatback needs to be omitted.

←

1st Ed.: 12 oz. tenderloin + 4 oz. salt pork + 4 oz. fatback = about 33% fat?

2nd Ed.: 12 oz. tenderloin + 4 oz. pancetta = about 10% fat?

That's quite a cutback on the fat. Has anyone tried it?

[FoodMan]

Yes it is a Typo and I spoke with Paula about it way back when I first got the book. Basically the fatback needs to be omitted.

←

1st Ed.: 12 oz. tenderloin + 4 oz. salt pork + 4 oz. fatback = about 33% fat?

2nd Ed.: 12 oz. tenderloin + 4 oz. pancetta = about 10% fat?

That's quite a cutback on the fat. Has anyone tried it?

←

hmm...good point. I could've sworn Paula said to omit the fatback, but looking at your formula above I think the Pancetta should replace the salt pork and the fatback was simply omitted in the ingredient list by mistake. I do not have the old edition so I had no basis of comparison. Sorry about that.

[MarkinHouston]

Yes it is a Typo and I spoke with Paula about it way back when I first got the book. Basically the fatback needs to be omitted.

←

1st Ed.: 12 oz. tenderloin + 4 oz. salt pork + 4 oz. fatback = about 33% fat?

2nd Ed.: 12 oz. tenderloin + 4 oz. pancetta = about 10% fat?

That's quite a cutback on the fat. Has anyone tried it?

←

I was under the impression that the fatback was omitted rather than needed to be omitted. I used both and mine turned out quite falvorful and juicy. Perhaps we need the voice of authority to clarify?!

[Pallee]

I asked that question last year as well, and here's Paula's answer -

I want to make the Toulouse Sausages. The instructions call for fatback but there it's not listed in the ingredients. Any ideas on how much fatback to add?

I'm really sorry about this error.

I've sent the correction to the publisher.

Here is the correct list of meats to be used in the sausage:

4 ounces very lean salt pork without rind, washed to remove surface salt, dried carefully and cubed by hand.

12 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed of all fat

4 ounces pancetta, at room temperature

[ronnie_suburban]

Yes it is a Typo and I spoke with Paula about it way back when I first got the book. Basically the fatback needs to be omitted.

←

1st Ed.: 12 oz. tenderloin + 4 oz. salt pork + 4 oz. fatback = about 33% fat?

2nd Ed.: 12 oz. tenderloin + 4 oz. pancetta = about 10% fat?

That's quite a cutback on the fat. Has anyone tried it?

←

If you make sausage with less than about 25% fat (by weight), you can expect it to be crumbly and dry. Some things one just knows (thanks to reading Charcuterie )

=R=

[ronnie_suburban]

I asked that question last year as well, and here's Paula's answer -

I want to make the Toulouse Sausages. The instructions call for fatback but there it's not listed in the ingredients. Any ideas on how much fatback to add?

I'm really sorry about this error.

I've sent the correction to the publisher.

Here is the correct list of meats to be used in the sausage:

4 ounces very lean salt pork without rind, washed to remove surface salt, dried carefully and cubed by hand.

12 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed of all fat

4 ounces pancetta, at room temperature

←

I hate to contradict the extraordinarily knowledgeable Paula Wolfert but when making sausage, all your ingredients should be as cold as they can be, without actually being frozen. I don't understand why one would recommend 'room temperature' for any ingredient in sausage. I don't see how that could possibly help the finished product.

=R=

[ojisan]

I asked that question last year as well, and here's Paula's answer -

QUOTE(Pallee @ Nov 27 2005, 01:11 PM)

I want to make the Toulouse Sausages. The instructions call for fatback but there it's not listed in the ingredients. Any ideas on how much fatback to add?

I'm really sorry about this error.

I've sent the correction to the publisher.

Here is the correct list of meats to be used in the sausage:

4 ounces very lean salt pork without rind, washed to remove surface salt, dried carefully and cubed by hand.

12 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed of all fat

4 ounces pancetta, at room temperature

←

That's better, but still quite lean - looks like 11-18% fat. I'll try it, although I've not had much luck with anything under 25% fat

[NYC Mike]

Hi Guys,

Looking for a little modification help with the recipe for Sweet Pickle Chips on pg 298.

I recently had BBQ at a place that served what they called "Texas Hellfire Chips". Essentially these were sweet pickle chips with a really hot chaser and they were amazing. Best pickles I've had!

I'm thinking of adding hot pepper flakes to both step 1 and 2.

Anyone seen or made these before? Thoughts?

Thanks!

-Mike

[NYC Mike]

noob question....

Pork Back Fat & Fat Back = same thing?

-Mike