I Started a Blog Too!

This all occurred right as we got our first C-Dory. It was kind of a touchy issue in the beginning, with some C-DOG loyalists, and after all, they weren't bad, they just had dumb rules that a lot of people never rubbed up against. I think I remember most of it right, some details came from Mike, and if I have any of it wrong, I am counting on Mike to correct me. I am kind of surprised this has not been a sticky thread here. How could people NOT ask "C-Brats????"

jhwilson":tx418ooz said:
Thanks Pat,

I had never heard the story.

Harper
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Pat, since I never have had Charcuterie, a couple of questions:

-- is this like jerky? What is the historical background of the process?

-- Do you use the process on other meats besides pork?

-- does the finished product have to be refrigerated?

Thanks,
Warren
 
Well, I guess jerky might be a form of charcuterie, I never thought of it that way though. My cured, spiced, dried loin is nothing like jerky. If you have ever had coppa, that will give you more of an idea. If you haven't, get over to DeLaurenti's Deli and buy some! Traditional charcuterie is probably best exemplified by Italian artisans. Mario Batalli's father's shop in Seattle, Salumi, is one of the most famous charcuterie places in the world.

You can use any kind of meat, but pork is certainly the most common.

Charcuterie covers a LOT of territory! Coppa, proscuitto, salami, pates, terrines, chorizo, many kind of cured and cured sausages are all "charcuterie."

You do not need to refrigerate dried loin, it hangs at or around 60 degrees F for three weeks - proscuitto hangs for months! The longer you hang it, the drier it gets of course. When it is dry enough, we usually do wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it, and after slicing usually vacuum pack it so it doesn't dry out. But it is not a problem to send a vacuum packed package to, oh, say, Apalachicola via Priority Mail!

Here are some web definitions:

Definitions of charcuterie on the Web:

* a delicatessen that specializes in meats
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* Charcuterie (IPA: , IPA-fr: ), derived from the French words for flesh (chair) and cooked (cuit), or in Italian Salumi (sing: salume), is the ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcuterie

* The practice of cooking and preparing ready-to-eat meat products, especially pork; cured meat; meat that is ready to eaten, especially pork; A shop or part of a shop specialising in cured meat
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/charcuterie

* The preparation of pork and other meat items, such as hams, terrines, sausages, pâtés, and other forcemeats.
www.ciakids.com/forkids/dictionary/dictionary_c.html


Doryman":1gh9e2k4 said:
Pat, since I never have had Charcuterie, a couple of questions:

-- is this like jerky? What is the historical background of the process?

-- Do you use the process on other meats besides pork?

-- does the finished product have to be refrigerated?

Thanks,
Warren
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I semi-frequently encounter recipes that call for proscuitto, so there's a reason right there to get involved with this! Marc already got me excited about coffee roasting (I'll start next month, hopefully).

Do you have a Bradley Smoker, too?

Warren
 
Hey, Pat, I'm having fun reading your posts. Your writing is informal, informative and flows well. Not too long, and always interesting, whether it's about time vs. money and your 73 year-old motorcycle papa, longtime 9/11 friend or Patti's twice-repeated suggestion to simply go see what kind of deal they're offering.

Like Bill and El, and others, it's a talent to be able to keep an audience coming back for more.
:film
 
OK, Warren, here is the straight dope on storage of cured and dried meat products, a cut and paste right from Armandino Batali's web site. And yes, I do have a Bradley Smoker, a Maverick 5501 grinder, a Sauage Maker Inc. 5 lb Stuffer, and a Chef's Choice Slicer (which is awesome, by the way). Yesterday evening I picked up about 10 pounds of Boston butts, next project is Tuscan salami, with red wine and fennel!


How to Store Cured Meats

Storage
Upon receipt of our products, we suggest you hang them in a cool/dry location- between 60 and 70 degrees F. These can hang unwrapped (we suggest upon slicing, that you do place saran on the sliced end to keep it fresh as long as possible). If you place it in the refrigerator, we suggest you store it in a dry area within it, wrapped in butcher paper, and check it frequently for surface moisture. If you detect moisture, leave it on the kitchen counter to air dry for 1-2 days. The salt we use in the curing process makes the product shelf stable and it will continue to dry and harden, which to some customers, is even better than the freshest product. Your products should last a minimum of 30 days and up to 2-3 months, depending on size.
Slicing
We strongly recommend you use a slicing machine. Soon, we hope to offer 2-3 good slicers at affordable prices. If you do not use a slicer, use a good sharp knife and slice thin (between 1/8" and 1/16") at a slight angle. This enhances the texture, aromas and flavors of our products. If they are cut in chunks, your taste buds will get overwhelmed with unnecessary bulk and texture and the experience won't be as pleasurable. Our products are at their very best when sliced thin, and served with red wine and some bread.
 
Thanks. Brock - I am having fun to boot!

Catman":2xdert5l said:
Hey, Pat, I'm having fun reading your posts. Your writing is informal, informative and flows well. Not too long, and always interesting, whether it's about time vs. money and your 73 year-old motorcycle papa, longtime 9/11 friend or Patti's twice-repeated suggestion to simply go see what kind of deal they're offering.

Like Bill and El, and others, it's a talent to be able to keep an audience coming back for more.
:film
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Warren, as you can probably tell, I have not really zeroed in exactly on any audience, it is kind of whatever is on my mind at the time I open up the trusty Macbook, but I will be getting back to C-Dory or C-Brat related topics!
 
You know, I think I actually learned a lot from reading that post on your blog.Not only informative and helpful, but very well written. Thanks. Now, just one more thing. I have been waiting for Dell to put their little Inspiron 9 on sale for about $200. I only want it for email, and to book hotels and get C-Brats when I'm travelling. What addons should I get, if any?
 
Pat Anderson":7fbo4jw2 said:
Today my rant On Computers.
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Thanks for the trip down memory lane -- reminds me of how much I enjoyed supporting the publications department's Windoze PCs at Unisys -- NOT. Much preferred the Unix workstations we engineers used. And as you know, I am a happy Mac user these days (which is essentially a Unix workstation!)

Warren, in Ellensburg
 
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