Charcuterie

[Elbone]

Anybody else got moldy pig parts hangin' up in their basement? Post pics- I'd love to see them!

If you think you might like sausage making and charcuterie, get Michael Ruhlman's book Charcuterie and make some corned beef or Pastrami immediately. Sausage making is incredibly easy and the results are amazing. I do brats for Oktoberfest every year and smoked kielbasa for Christmas.

Out of the Ruhlman book so far I've done:
Bacon
Canandian Bacon
Pancetta (in Carbonara, OMG!)
home-rendered lard (incredible biscuits)
Duck confit (served this for SWAMBO's b'day)

Tasso Ham (for Red Beans and Rice)
Corned beef
Pastrami
Head Cheese

[bpfishback]

Cool, I've done the bacon from that book a bunch of times, a few of the pates, and the duck prosciutto. Haven't done much sausage yet, I have a nice grinder but no sausage stuffer.

[edisonst]

A good link for sausage and cured meat....http://lpoli.50webs.com/Sausage%20recipes.htmno pun intended

[spiderwrangler]

Natural casing for sausages can be a bit hard to source. I get mine (dried and salted) from Tractor Supply Company, in their section where they have stuff for injecting marinades and making jerky. It's likely available on line too, I had trouble sourcing it from the butcher (eventually talked them into it, but they charged me the equivalent of > $20/lb on the stuff. If you don't have a stuffer, go ahead and make bulk sausage, great for doing breakfast style sausage (salt, pepper and sage) for patties or for making hot sausage for adding to sauce to go on pasta.

[edisonst]

Try http://www.butcher-packer.com/ for sausage supplies. You have to buy 25 dollars worth of casings but they will last forever in the fridge packed in salt. I use a kitchen aid attachment at home and it works alot like the hobart one I use at work. Once you get a handle on cooked and fresh sausage you will never be happy with the stuff you buy at the grocer or whole foods.

[spiderwrangler]

My sausage is better than anything you will ever pay money for.