While the concept of preserving meat might seem relatively straightforward, the history of this process is anything but. As you will learn in this article, it spans thousands of years, many different cultures, and several meat preservation methods. I’ve been blown away by the depth of cured meats, as much as this site is all about sharing my passion and …
Difference Between Cured Meat vs. Smoked Meat
Cured meat and smoked meats cross over in some ways but are also different, let’s look at both in detail. While both methods offer their own unique advantages (and flavors) to meat, curing vs.smoking meat has unique properties that make them quite distinct from one another. I’ve been keen on all types for year like dry cured meats made in …
Ideas for a Charcuterie Board Without Meat
Creating a charcuterie board without meat will require creative ideas, so it isn’t all about meat. I wanted to share some of my non-meat unique ideas with you. Thinking of differing ideas can take a bit of creativity, so we have come to help. Whether you are looking for supplements for the Charcuterie meat items that you plan to include, …
How Much Charcuterie (Cured Meat) Per Person?
Charcuterie (cured meat) is all the rave, but how much do you need per person? This is especially true for charcuterie boards and antipasti platters. Delightfully delicate, savory, and rich, charcuterie and all that this cured meat platter offers will wow your guests. If you are the host, using charcuterie is a fantastic way to provide food for everyone’s varying …
Is Cured Meat Always Cooked or Not (Examples and Explanations)
Cured meat is neither cooked nor raw Dry. Cured meat is often preserved by using salt, drying it, reducing cold smoke, and reducing acidity. The flavor is often enhanced with dry-cured meats due to this drying process, less water, more intensive flavor Cured meat can be dry-cured salami, cooked salami, salt pork, dry-cured salumi, and many other variations. Cured meats …
Can Salt Pork Be Eaten Raw?
Salt pork makes for an incredible addition to many dishes; it does come in different forms whether it’s bought or made at home as well. I’ve both used many brands and made salt pork at home; through this helpful site on cured meat, salt pork does get questioned and queried a lot. In its purest form, it’s salt and pork …
Cured Meats That Are Not Pork (Some Ideas and Inspiration)
When many people hear “cured meats”, they first associate this with pork – but there are many cured meats that are not pork. Likely, if you are looking at preparing a charcuterie board, you will be well versed in your search for cured meats. But, with many of them being pork-based, you might want to change things up. This might …
Is Salt Pork Belly Easy to Cook? (& What to Do With It)
Salt pork belly adds incomparable flavor, but is it easy to cook, and what do you do with it? Here are some useful ideas with recipes and a helpful rundown on what salt pork is, since I make it – I know a little more than your average food blogger. I’ve made all types of cured meats, and salt pork …
Is Salami Charcuterie? (Salami vs. Charcuterie vs Salumi)
Of the many things to put on a charcuterie board, salami is one, but does it fall in the category of charcuterie? Charcuterie boards have been steadily rising in popularity, from dining around a friend’s kitchen island with a glass of wine in hand to residing on global restaurant menus. Its popularity increases the curiosity about which meats are considered …
Salt Pork Spoiling and Going Bad (Also Ways to Store it)
People get a little confused about salt pork, it’s preserved but does it go bad? It’s a salt-cured piece of meat, but there are variations, of course, in how it’s made. Certain commercial types aren’t made to last (more on this below). Salt pork has a lengthy off-the-shelf life due to its curation process. Homemade salt pork- that is soaked …
Using Himalayan Pink Salt for Meat Curing Meat
I have used Himalayan pink salt for meat curing, but there’s a bit of confusion about whether it’s a good thing or actually what it is. This isn’t very scientific (but it will have links), but I have done some research before. I have used it for curing various types of meat. I have used Himalayan Pink Salt for curing …
What is Salami Wrapped In? (What is the White Stuff)
Many different casings can be used for wrapping salami. Since I make salami, study it, and teach it – I’ve discovered all the different types available. Different types of salami wrappings or casings as they are known – are used for other purposes, especially in commercial salami production. There are thousands of variations of salami across the world. In some …
Guide to Using Pink Curing Salt at Home
Pink curing salt or Prague powder can be used in many different ways (and there are many other names for it). I want to explain how I use pink-curing salt and other important details about this ingredient. Summary Points: Pink curing salt is found in many popular foods produced at home or commercially, such as pastrami, bacon, corned beef, pancetta, …
Salami’s Sour and Tangy Taste Explained
The sour flavor that is quite common in salami most people are pretty familiar with, I will share what I know about where it comes from. I make salami at home, and it is a process sometimes where there is a fermentation stage and a drying stage. Having met a bunch of small and large salami producers, I’ve gained some …
What is Salami Made of? (Commercial & Artisan)
Salami can be made of quality ingredients or additives to drive its profitability of it and make it a high-volume product. Making salami at home as well as buying it commercially, I want to contrast the ingredients and flavors. Readings textbooks about salami making and meat science have opened my eyes to some of the processes that are used in …
Salami Carbs and Sugar Content Explained
Whether salami has carbohydrates isn’t a straightforward yes or no answer. This comes from someone who makes salami at home and has studied salami for decades and visited many commercial salami producers. In short, variations exist based on country and brand; please see the ranges below. Then, I will get into more detail. Since, salami can be defined in many …
Charcuterie & Cured Meat – Is it Gluten-Free?
When it comes to charcuterie in all its forms and cured meats most of it I’ve come across is generally gluten-free, however that’s with writing bit more detail about this. Quality charcuterie such as dry-cured meats & salami, rillettes, and confit are unlikely to contain gluten. Budget cost-effective supermarket deli meats such as bier sticks and emulsified processed spam/bologna meat …
Methods for Preserving Meat at Home – Salt, Acidity Smoke, Fat
This entire website is about meat curing, smoking, and preserving meat, mainly with salt and smoke. This write-up will focus on an overview of all the ways I’ve used and encountered over the years. Methods at home are often quite different from commercial store-bought ways. The magic of salt is the cornerstone of most of the methods you’ll find below, …
Is Ham a Cured Meat? (How is it Made)
This question completely depends on what country is answering this question. The mysteries of ham and whether it is cured meat will be covered in this post. Quick answer and a breakdown since ham varies a lot from place to place. Most people always say ham is smoked, and it is sometimes. But I’ll tell you what, in the big …
Preparing a Charcuterie Board Ahead of Time
Sometimes I want to prepare a charcuterie board beforehand so that it takes the stress out of it, rather than a last-minute rush of activity. I thought I’d share a few tips about how I prepare and some tips and tricks in the presentation that I have picked up along the way. Key Points: Of course, this resource site Eat …