Regarding beef, there’s nothing quite like a juicy, tender steak. Buying individual steaks is the most expensive way, buy bulk saves money. However, purchasing steaks from the grocery store or butcher shop can quickly add up, especially if you have a large family or enjoy grilling out frequently. That’s why many people are buying whole beef cuts to save money …
Saving Money by Butchering Your Own Meat
People often feel overwhelmed by the idea of butchering their own whole cuts of meat and are driven by convenience to buy pre-cut and prepackaged options. However, I want to emphasize that it’s not as complicated as it seems, and I’ll share some ways to butcher whole cuts that can help you save money and develop a deeper understanding and …
How is Cured Meat Made?
Cured meat can be made in many different ways, this article will go into quite a bit of detail about how cured meat is made, the different ways also the types of cured meats get produced. I’ve produced every type and style of cured meats possible using salt, smoke, and acidity either in combination or individually. You’ll likely be surprised …
Why are Sausages so Good?
Many people find sausages very delicious and great to eat, for many years I’ve made, bought, and studied sausages through my passion for meat creations. I wanted to give some insight maybe into why this occurs, for someone who doesn’t know how all the variations are made. Of course, I eat sausages, including the wide variations that can be obtained …
Equipment I Use for Making Sausages at Home
The various equipment you can use to make sausages can be incredibly simple or mechanized so that you can easily process many pounds or kilograms of meat depending on what you are trying to achieve. I’ll try and guide you through the many different setups I’ve used over the years. I’ve been making sausages for a few decades at home …
Are Sausages Made of Pork? What Variations Are Available
Sausages can be made of many different meats including pork and are available all over the world, I have made various types myself and I’ve eaten them, too. These varieties of sausages across the world – made of other meat and spices – have changed the image and many aspects of the humble sausage. One may think sausages are always …
Excellent Worthy Thin Cut Fine Meats for a Charcuterie Board
Choosing the finest dry-cured charcuterie meat – in the Western world there are many options available. I have a deep appreciation for the traditionally made long-term production of these dry-cured meats since I also make them myself. Of course, there is a huge variation in what is available. I want to be as useful as possible and help you select …
What Charcuterie Meats are Pork? (If You’re Not into Pork)
Charcuterie meat comes in many different varieties, it’s a broad category and has various interpretations. Generally speaking charcuterie meats are the dry cured type of meats like prosciutto, however there are other types and pork is one of the meats that is used. For most of the Italian and French styles of charcuterie, pork is a very important meat in …
The Joys of Meat Curing & Crafting Charcuterie at Home
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 …
What Alcohol Goes with Charcuterie Meat? (Beer, Wine, Spirits)
Many different combinations of alcohol can work with charcuterie and dry-cured meats. I’ve tried alot of combinations and wanted to share some insights I’ve had to match the dry-cured or charcuterie meat. Since charcuterie, salumi, antipasti, or dry cured meats has thousands of variations and types, I’ve grouped the charcuterie together to be a little more helpful. You’ll find a …
What to do with Charcuterie Meat Leftovers
Below is a list of ideas for what you can potentially do with charcuterie leftover meat. After that, I will highlight some of the most common leftover charcuterie meats and what recipes and ideas you can do with them. Since I’ve been making charcuterie and whole-muscle meats for decades, I’ve definitely used the ideas to enhance the flavor of many …
Different Cuts and Meat to Use for Making Bacon
Pork is the main type of meat you can use for bacon, however, there are many different meats and styles with various cuts, let’s go into some detail and explore the options. I have been making bacon from farmed and wild meat for over 20 years. I have used many different methods and styles, basically every style there is I …
How & What to Do with Different Cuts of Deer Venison Meat
Since I was hunting and harvesting meat in my teens, I was trying to come up with ideas on how to honor and add extra value to the meat I worked for in the wild. Now 20 or so years later, I still use a lot of wild venison meat cuts for many projects, and often for meat curing and …
Thoughts and Insight into Whole Pig Butchery – Smoking & Curing
Curing and smoking whole pig butchery is all about the fat and how you utilize it – to use it for adding value to all the muscle cuts that are on offer gives you many more options. There are a few ways to do it. What I will talk about is not easily done, it will take time and a …
Difference Between Sausages and Salami (Not That Simple)
The difference between sausages and salami comes down to how extended the process is, in essence, all salami were sausages at some point during the process. To really explain this properly, I am going to define what sausages are, as well as salami. To give some insight into the subtle and not-so-subtle variations. I have been making, crafting, and eating …
ph Meter for Making Salami and Cured Meats at Home
For many years I’ve been making salami without testing the ph or acidity during the initial fermentation stage. ph Meter and acidity are very important aspects of dry cured salami. Eventually, over the last few years, I’ve decided to be more consistent and thorough in this regard. Though, I’ve used starter cultures, either fast or slow action – I’ve been …
4 Ways to Smoke Bacon (Even Without a Smoker)
I thought it would be helpful to write about the main different ways and methods you can use to get smoked bacon, as I’ve started structuring my masterclass in bacon making. You can choose a variety of ways and equipment, depending on what set-up you currently have. To be hopefully helpful, I will include a method to create smoked bacon, …
Why Don’t More People Make Homemade Salami Is it Hard to Make?
Making salami at home can be challenging and hard due to the complexity of the product and project. I have learned a lot of lessons over the last 10 years of making many different varieties of salami at home. Certain types of salami are a lot easier to make than others as well. Any type of cooked or hot smoked …
Designs for a Meat Curing Chamber (and Important Factors)
I’ve seen many different designs for meat curing chambers, from Prosciutto Parma Ham factories in Italy through to many home curing chamber DIY conversions, 5 so far. The design factors that are used are all very similar and you can replicate these things at your home or buy an ‘out of the box‘ solution as well. Since charcuterie and meat …
Making Bacon Without a Smoker (But Has Smoke Flavor!)
You can make bacon without a smoker, and I have a technique and process below for those that do not have a smoker! I’ve been curing and smoking bacon and other cured meats for decades. Since this site eat cured meat is my passion project. I know not everyone has a backyard or a smoker, so this method will get …