I wanted to showcase what it’s like making cured meats and charcuterie at home for someone unfamiliar with this topic. I’ve been doing it for over 20 years. Whilst also writing about it for many years online. It all began, when I was lucky enough to obtain high-quality wild meat, and seeking ways to celebrate and honor the animal that …
Everything You Need to Know About Cured Meats
Cured meats actually come in many different formats and types, it can be hard to categorize some types of cured meats because of this. This article covers some of the nuances and confusion, that are commonly asked around this website, which is focused on cured meats. From my teaching, experiences, and practice across all aspects of the art and craft …
Full Detailed Review of INKBIRD ITC-308 Temperature Controller
For the important aspects of temperature control, I’ve been ‘reviewing’ the INKBIRD ITC-308 for many years now and using it to get a target temperature range. I’ve used this for charcuterie, dry cured meats and many other temperature controlled environment projects at home which I’ll talk about. For about 20 years I’ve had many hobbies (food and alcohol based) that …
Best Woods for Smoking Cured Meats
I’ve used about 15 different kinds of wood to smoke-cured meats. Often, I’ve found it easier to categorize wood used for smoking into light, medium, and strong flavors. The best woods for smoking cured meats are often the woods you’ll find locally in abundance and sustainable. Local, Non-resin-filled, deciduous wood is often the best wood for smoking cured meats. This …
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Curing Meat
Over the first 10 years I was curing meat, I made many mistakes. This had a lot to do with the lack of information, and I just hadn’t read the textbooks that are available nowadays, the internet was quite young at the time in the early 2000’s! Over the second 10 years, I practiced and learned meat curing at home …
Frequently Asked Questions About Meat Curing
There are a lot of questions that are frequently asked about meat curing that I have to answer from this site. So I thought I would put all of these common FAQs in one article. I love to cure meat and have been doing so for many many years, I’ve been to places in Italy or America specifically just to …
How to Store Cured Meat: Tips and Tricks
The way you store cured meats does depend a lot on what style of cured meats you have. I’ve got a true passion for cured meats of all kinds, and that’s why I started this website. I buy and make my own types of cured meats of every style you can imagine across the globe. I thought it would be …
Cured and Hot Smoked Trout Recipe
I want to dive deep into what I’ve learnt and also about tips and tricks on how to cure and hot smoke trout at home or when you are outdoors. I’ve been curing and smoking trout for 25 years, as well as, catching probably over a thousand trout across New Zealand. The odd one also in Scotland when living on …
Can you Make Sausage Without Nitrites
You can very definitely make sausages without nitrites or nitrates, the decision is always yours, especially if you are making them at home. The reason why I decided to write this article was, because I have been reading, studying and making all the different types of sausages you come across in the world over the last 25 years. I thought …
List of Spices Good for Sausage (Quantity Guide also)
When it comes to the spices, herbs and aromatics you can use in a sausage, it’s pretty endless. The combination and synergy definitely can produce more then the ingredients separately. However, not all things work together in terms of spices and herbs! Over the 20 odd years I’ve been making and studying sausages. I’ve had friends and acquaintances that have …
Is Cured Meat Raw? Why Does it Look Raw
It gets a little bit confusing with the cured meats and raw meats since the definition of cured meats does have a lot of variations across the globe. I’ve been lucky enough to have tasted and experienced, as well as made, many of the variations of cured meats in the traditional and modern context. I will try to give a …
Different Types of Cured Sausage
A cured sausage can have many types and variations, most people I come across don’t really even know what a cured sausage is! Defining a cured sausage, specifically needs to be done to categorize it, there is wide interpretation I’ve foundboth online and offline. I’ve been curing and making sausage, even uncured sausages for more than a few decades. I’ve …
What is a Cured Sausage? Explaining Different Kinds
Not all sausages are cured, I want to go over what is a cured sausage. Believe it or not, after 20 years of making, eating, and looking up cured sausages around the world. I still am amazed with the variations of cured sausages. Often, it’s due to the misunderstanding of what curing is. Yet, the meaning of ‘uncured’ differs in …
How to Ferment Salami and What it Does
Specifically talking about the fermentation stage, which is decreasing the pH level in the salami, which produces a more acidic environment. Hey there, fellows cured meat enthusiasts! I want to talk about one of the crucial aspects of salami fermentation that gives it that irresistible tang and distinct flavor. Yes, I’m referring to the creation of an acidic environment during …
Cured Meat vs Uncured Meat – Differences
Recently, I delved deeper into the realm of cured and uncured meats, and to my surprise, I discovered that the distinction between the two isn’t solely about the curing process itself. Rather, it lies in the packaging legislative aspects that govern the use of certain additives. Let’s explore this intriguing aspect further. What is the difference between uncured and cured …
Can you Cure Meat with Just Smoke?
Curing and Smoking is often seen as a similar or the same process and are often related or depending on the recipe. However, the question is – is smoking meat a type of curing? Let’s get into this in detail! I have cured all different types of meat whether it’s red meat or different types of fish. For some things …
Does Grinding or Mincing Meat at Home Save Money?
Having the right tool to mince and grind your meat could potentially save some money. I wanted to share how I do it and what I’ve learned over the years. When I got my first grinder, it was about portioning bulk meat (farmed and wild), whilst also making small goods like sausages. After a few decades, I’ve found through experiences …
Interesting & Unique Salami to Buy in America I’ve Found
I have seen and tried many salami styles from Italy and Spain, reproduced in America and worldwide – common variations such as Picante, Feline, Pepperoni, Genoa, and Italian styles of dry-cured meats. Undoubtedly, they are good, and some are great; however, they are still mimicking mainland Europe. For thousands of years, they have been loved across Europe -often using traditions …
Preserving Meat: The Cheapest and Most Economical Methods
I have been preserving meat over many years. Here I want to highlight tips for economic methods to help you from my experiences and what I’ve learned about. It is not always about expensive charcuterie, sometimes the perspective on economics has to come into play. Are you looking for affordable ways to preserve meat? Look no further! In this blog …
Easiest Ways to Preserve Meat
The easiest ways to preserve meat are using the simplest methods and procedures, this is where I will focus this article. There are many ways you can preserve meat (like canning, dry curing, etc.), however, the easiest ways tend to need the least effort and resources. I’ve often got excess farmed or wild meat, so I’ve explored all the ways …
Ways of Preserving Meat at Home – Overview
The ways you can preserve meat at home are varied, I’ve found there are some overlaps in the techniques, and since you can’t always rely on the freezer. Some of these other methods of preserving meat at home could help create an entirely new passion, well that’s what I’m hoping for. It definitely started me on the journey. I’ve done …