Charcuterie
by ballybeg
Charcuterie:The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn is a book which answers the question: why do we still love and need hand-preserved foods in the age of the refrigerator, the frozen dinner, Domino’s pizza, and the 24-hour grocery store? It is fundamentally about enjoyment and history: the pure pleasure you can find in preparing and eating delicious food, and the magic of preserving meat, and other foodstuffs, the way our ancestors did for thousands of years.
Even if you do not plan to make your own headcheese, duck confit or pancetta, this book is instructive and fun to read for learning the cultural histories of these, and other, foods and the timeless methods still used for preserving them. But if you DO want to try your hand at a batch of your own sausage or corned beef, you could not be in better hands, as these recipes are readily accessible to the beginner. Unapologetic about the value of animal fats for enhancing the flavor and digestability of many foods, and while praising the enduring traditions which make pork the “king” of meats, the book does cover more than just meat. One can learn here to preserve lemons, cabbage (sauerkraut), cucumbers (pickles), seafood, olives and make many sauces and relishes using traditional ingredients and methods.
It is written by two chefs/teachers/food writers, who are supremely experienced and passionate about their subject: “Embrace the sausage” – they instruct – “It’s an extraordinary luxury available to everyone, a perfect package of seasonings and juiciness unequaled by any category of prepared food, and we wish more home cooks would take advantage of it.”
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