In French cooking there is an expression called “MIse en Place”, which translates to “setting up”. For our journey into the world of Charcuterie (i.e., cured meats), we start with a review of the equipment needed.
Read MoreBread and Butter Pickles
These sweet and tangy pickles are made sliced and can keep in the fridge for weeks, but best eaten fresh. A trick my Dad taught me when making pickles is to…..
Read MoreHomemade BBQ Sauce
Every got to the last stage of roasting ribs and realized you forget to get BBQ sauce yesterday at the store? Well fret not…
Read MoreButtermilk Biscuits
Here is a western classic, that can be quickly made in the morning for breakfast or when it’s a half hour before your guest arrive and you just realized you don’t have any bread for dinner.
Read MoreJourney Away From The Politics of Science
It was inevitable I suppose, the last bastion of free thinking left in a society where increasingly every word must be carefully considered; not from the standpoint of whether it’s right or wrong, but from the vantage of how it will be perceived by self appointed thought police. Science was supposed to be different, in science the power of your persuasion is based on facts rather than the righteousness of gender, race, or political affiliation.
Read MoreCold Smoking Considerations
Cold smoking is a method for infusing a smoking flavor in foods that don’t need to be cooked, for example in cured fish or salami. As the name implies, cold smoking does not heat the smoking chamber so the challenge in modern electric or gas smokers is how do you burn the wood chips without heating the chamber.
Read MoreGenoa Salami – Italian
Genoa salami originated around the city of Genoa, Italy during the Roman era. While Genoa is a dry salami, what distinguishes it from other dry salamis is the texture and whole peppercorns along with other spices that make it more zingy. Genoa is made from fermented meat and can be stored outside the frig for months.
Read MoreHomemade Hard Salami – dry
Hard salami dates back to the Roman era when cured meats were a staple. Today it’s a great way to utilize game or meats you’ve stored in your freezer too long because when roasts went on sale for $2 a pound you got carried away and were going to make jerky but then forgot. The foremost thing that distinguishes hard salami from other kinds of salami is that it is made from fermented meat and can be stored outside the frig for months.
Read MorePolish Sausage Kielbasa
People often think that kielbasa is Polish for sausage, but it’s not. Kielbasa is a special kind of Polish sausage and if you’ve ever been in a real Polish butcher shop on Chicago’s north side, you quickly learn there a lot of different sausages from the homeland.
Read MoreSweet Italian Sausage
Homemade Italian sausage is a bit of a lost art, but for those who process game, or can’t resist when the grocery store puts pork butts on sale for half price, here is a recipe you can try.
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