Charcuterie_ The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Michael Ruhlman [139]
And Brian would like to thank his mentor, Milos Cihelka, for getting him started.
We extend special thanks to Dan Hugelier, an instructor at Schoolcraft, a certified master chef of uncommon erudition, talent, and wisdom, for his help with this book and so much else. Some of the recipes in this book were built from the groundwork initiated and conceived by Dan in a lab book used in the charcuterie class at Schoolcraft College. Brian refined them over the years, then broke them down further for the home cook. We cannot overemphasize our gratitude and affection for Dan and his work. “Dan has been an invaluable contributor in the defining and refining of American cooking,” Brian says. “I not only have the highest regard for him as a chef but also as a human being and friend who is always willing to give of himself for the betterment of the profession without asking for anything in return.” The sharing of knowledge is fundamental to the advancement of the craft. As Dan himself says about working with the chefs who taught him, “If you have been privileged to learn from an accomplished craftsman, commit to humility and share all you can with others.”
The published resources we relied on most, and we recommend them highly, were these:
Alan Davidson, The Oxford Companion to Food.
Jenifer Harvey Lang, ed., Larousse Gastronomique.
Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking (1984 and 2004).
The Culinary Institute of America, Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen.
Also helpful, and fascinating, were:
Filipe Fernandez-Armesto, Near a Thousand Tables.
Paul Bertolli, Cooking by Hand.
Mark Kurlansky, Salt: A World History and Cod: A Biography of a Fish That Changed the World.
SOURCES
Because it’s so basic, so elemental, charcuterie requires few special ingredients and tools, but those it does require—curing salts, for instance, or farm-raised pork for dry-cured products—can be fundamental to the success of the recipes. You can find many sources for such items, but these are the sources we use and like.
Sausage-Making Supplies
For Bactoferm F-RM-52 (live starter culture for fermented sausages); pink salt (theirs is called DQ Curing Salt); sodium nitrate (DQ Curing Salt #2); and sheep, hog, and beef casings; as well as a broad ranges of tools and supplies:
Butcher & Packer Supply Company
1468 Gratiot Avenue
Detroit, MI 48207
800-521-3188; 313-567-1250
www.butcher-packer.com
For pink salt (theirs is called Insta Cure #1), sodium nitrate (Insta Cure #2), soy protein concentrate, and Fermento, as well as a broad range of sausage-making supplies:
The Sausage Maker Inc.
1500 Clinton St., Building 123
Buffalo, NY 14206
888-490-8525; 716-824-5814
www.sausagemaker.com
Smokers
For home smoking, we used a Bradley Smoker. Generally it’s a very good smoker and there’s nothing else out there for the price that allows you to smoke at low temperatures. The smoker can be purchased through the company’s dealers in the United States and Canada. For dealers near you, see the company’s web site, or call them:
Bradley Technologies Canada Inc.
1609 Derwent Way
Delta, British Columbia V3M 6K8
800-665-4188; 604-270-3646
www.bradleysmoker.com
For chefs in restaurant kitchens, we recommend the Alto-Shaam smoker for about $5,000. For production smoking, Brian uses an Enviro-Pak smoker ($10,000).
Pork and Charcuterie Products
Niman Ranch and Heritage Foods USA can’t be beat for the quality of their pork, beef, and lamb available by mail:
Niman Ranch
1025 East Twelfth Street
Oakland, CA 94606
866-808-0340
www.nimanranch.com
Heritage Foods USA
P.O. Box 827
New York, NY 10150
212-980-6603
www.heritagefoodsusa.com
For outstanding sausages, especially dry-cured sausages and meats:
Salumeria Biellese
376-378 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10001
212-736-7376
www.salumeriabiellese.com
Salumi Artisan Cured Meats
309 Third Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104
877-223-0813; 206-621-8772
www.salumicuredmeats.com
Duck and Duck Products
For all duck and duck products, including