Making charcuterie is one of the most exciting and terrifying culinary feats I’ve attempted. The slightest measuring mishap could result in spoiled meat. Before purchasing the pig
I had to cover a few bases: preparing a refrigerated space to store the meat immediately after butchery, sanitizing an area for the butchering and creating a plan for the meat.
I’m sure that everyone doesn’t want to attempt the butchering of a whole hog; therefor this is not an instructional article on butchery. I broke the pig down into four charcuterie dishes: dry cured chorizo, prosciutto, fresh bacon, and head cheese. This article will feature my prosciutto and chorizo recipe. The posts in the following weeks will include more charcuterie (head cheese and bacon) and items that were not used for charcuterie (ribs and shoulder). If you are interested in attempting any of the recipes the cuts needed can be found at most butcher shops (though you may have to special order a head).
Working with one cut of meat is a lot easier than attempting to utilize an entire pig. However storage, a clean working environment and having a plan are just as important. Finding a place to store the meat may be the trickiest part if you are attempting the dry cured items. You would need to find a place that is 60 degrees Fahrenheit with 60 to 70 percent humidity. For us it was the basement, a humidity gauge can be purchased easily online. Curing isn’t as scary as it seems; it just requires precise measuring and patience. Be prepared to wait weeks for your chorizo and months for your prosciutto. The satisfaction of making your own charcuterie makes the wait well worth it.
If you are attempting the chorizo you will need a sausage stuffer/meat grinder. The easiest device to use is a kitchen aid with a sausage stuffer and meat grinder attachment. Its easy to use, easy to clean and the kitchen aid can be used for so much more (bread, pasta, cookies etc). Working quickly is very important when preparing any sausage. If you work too slowly the fat will begin to melt and the result will be dry, grainy link. Before starting the chorizo freeze your equipment before hand and have your mise en place ready to go.
Chorizo:
5 pound pork butt
2 pound pork belly
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons dry red wine
1 tbsp garlic confit (insert link)
1 tablespoon ancho chili
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
Hog casings
Cut belly and butt into 1 inch cubes. Mix pork and belly together. Place kitchen aid meat grinder and stuffer materials, the meat and red wine in the freezer. Blend oregano and garlic confit in a food processor. Add ancho chili, cayenne, and paprika and pulse until all ingredients are completely blended.Assemble meat grinder with the largest blade setting. Leave the stuffing materials in the freezer. Grind all of the meat quickly with gloved hands. Using the paddle attachment blend meat with the spice mixture and red wine. Assemble the stuffer, lubricate the nozzle with oil; turn on the kitchen aid and begin to process the meat. Once meat comes out of the nozzle stop the kitchen aid. Remove hanging meat from the tip of the nozzle, place the hog casing on the nozzle.Stuff the casing to make 1/2 inch width sausage; changing the casing as needed, you should yield 3 large links. Wrap the sausage in cheese cloth, tie the ends of the cheesecloth with butchers twine; leave 5 inches of twine at end of each link. Hang the sausage (using the twine) in a 60 degree environment with 60 to 70 percent humidity for 3 weeks.
Prosciutto:
10 pound ham
5 pounds kosher salt
3/4 cup garlic confit, mashed
Cracked black pepper
Cheese cloth
Put half of the salt into a pan large enough to hold the ham, place ham on top of salt. Pour the rest of the salt on top of the ham, completely submerging the ham in salt. Cover ham with plastic wrap and put a seven pound wait on it. Refrigerate for ten days. Check ham daily, pour off excess water that is excreted and cover and cover any exposed flesh with salt.After ten days remove from cure, rinse ham under cool water and pat dry. Cover the ham with garlic confit, then coat the ham with cracked pepperWrap the ham in cheese cloth, tie the end of the cheese cloth with butchers twine (leaving 5 inches of twine on the end). Using the twin hand the ham in a 60 degree environment with 60 to 70 percent humidity.
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