I must admit the headlining is becoming somewhat tedious now, so that's the last time it will be used.
Its been a month since I started reading the Menu in Progress blog that provided me with the necessary inspiration to pursue my desire to make my own charcuterie. I seem to be almost there having crossed an initial threshold over the Labour Day weekend where I completed smoking my first two pork bellies after a week curing in the fridge and produced bacon that was then hand cut. I don't own a slicer...yet.
This was followed up by me trying to obtain a "magic fridge" ( a bar fridge essentially that I can use as a sanitary and temperature controlled environment for curing my products) with no luck.
However I still made a major stride forward by making my own sausage for the first time also, over a two day period. It has taken me quite a bit of time to get some of the more specific items such as the prague powder/pink salt and the hog and beef casings, as well as my temperature controller for the fridge I don't yet own.
Nonetheless, the products seem to have been very well received by a couple of friends, though I have to admit that the bacon was saltier than I had planned, so thank goodness for the Quebec maple syrup that i had added to the cure.
Now Pandora's Box is open, who knows what up next; but I have some ambitious plans , though the lack of my curing environment, has forced me to go slower and in fact it has been helpful as I continue to t eh read the excellent tome by Michael Ruhlman & Brain Polcyn - Charcuterie as my current food bible on these topics. AN excellent investment indeed.
I have added some pikkies from Picassa.
