Basement Charcuterie

If you home cure meat, this might be a familiar site:

Five pounds of saucisson sec and a fifteen pound serrano-style salted air-dryed ham hanging in our basement.   Both are made from the meat of Red, the hog we slaughtered in April.  The saucisson sec will hang for three to four weeks and be taken on our long back country canoe trip in July.  The ham will dry until the fall at the earliest.

Curing meat hanging from drop ceiling stringers is just one of the pitfalls of home charcuterie.

If you take up charcuterie like Alex has, you might also find yourself with hundreds of feet of dried hog intestine, i.e. casing, in the fridge, pictured above.  You'll probably have a stash of pink salt, that nitrite containing bacon flavoring good stuff.  Michael Ruhlman's Charcuterie book will be nearby for recipes and advice on all types of curing.  You will have a meat grinder and possibly several other sharp and dangerous tools.

Of course you will also have the rewards:  spicy delicious chorizo, home cured guanciale (jowl bacon pictured above), salt cod, fresh breakfast sausage and the experience to preserve whatever comes your way.

Canning Season 2010 Begins!

On Friday I made rhubarb jam. The day before, reporter John Ross raised an eyebrow when I told him I love canning. He's writing an Alive & Unedited piece about me that will be in the June 3 issue of Columbus Alive! It's true. It pleases my soul to take an in-season about-to-spoil fruit and transform it into something that will last years. I like the rhythm of my work when I am chopping, stirring, sterilizing, filling, and boiling. I love the 'pop' sound that tells me a jar is sealed.

And the rows of colorful preserves in clear glass jars as they cool overnight on the counter? Pure satisfaction, in my world.

If the thought of canning fills you with fear instead of affection, look forward to simple tips and recipes over the summer. You can also come to my Jam Party at Wild Goose Too Many Cooks on Sunday August 1. It's $10 for a hands on workshop from 7 - 9 pm and everyone will go home with a jar of jam!

Mother's Day Rhubarb Crisp

I went to the community market recently for local asparagus.  They had none, but the local rhubarb looked fantastic.  Such is the way of a locavore - go to the market searching for a vegetable side dish, come home with ingredients for dessert.

Some might say that rhubarb is a vegetable only a mother can love.  It requires care to grow and lots of sugar to balance the sour.  My own mother is well known for her fantastic strawberry rhubarb pie.

Having no strawberries, I remembered that my father's mother, Grandma Joyce, makes a rhubarb crisp.  I called her and she rattled off the recipe from memory:

Chop stalks of rhubarb into bite sized pieces.  Lil helped me with this.  We layered them in a quiche dish I inherited from Grandma's mother, Great Grandma Leona.

Top rhubarb with sugar.  Add as much as you think will balance the sour and then some.  I stirred in a tiny bit of vanilla too.

Cut 6 tablespoons butter into 1 cup flower and 1 cup sugar.  Grandma Joyce uses margarine but I only had butter on hand.

Stir one egg into the mix until it pulls together.  Drop the topping over the rhubarb.  Grandma says to dot the top with butter but I skipped this step.  Why, to keep it healthy??

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until the rhubarb is bubbling through the center and the topping is browned.  Grandma says the crisp also bakes well at higher or lower temps if you have something in the oven; simply adjust the time down or up respectively.

I served this crisp on plates from my step Great Grandmother Guth.  Her first name was Rebekka and somehow she ended up with these dessert plates with the letter R on them.  I'm the only one with a 'R' name in the family so I inherited them.

I am lucky to know and have known so many food loving mothers.  Happy Mother's Day!

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Rhubarb Crisp Makes: 8 servings Time: 25 minutes preparation, 50 minutes baking

4 - 8  cups fresh rhubarb, chopped (quantity depends on your desired topping to fruit ratio)

1 cup sugar (adjust according to your taste)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1 large egg

1. Mix chopped rhubarb, 1 cup sugar and vanilla in a pie plate, 8x8 pan, or quiche pan.

2. Cut butter into 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar.

3. Stir in egg until well mixed.

4. Drop topping onto sugared rhubarb.

5. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

[/print_this] Wow!  Two recipes in a week?  What is this, a food blog?!

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Reflections on the Pig Slaughter

Last week I shared our method for slaughtering a pig by hand.  Previously we shared why we wanted to slaughter. Today's final post is reflective of the whole experience.

Work to Be Done

Rachel: Once Red was dead, we all worked quickly to process her body.  There was no spoken communication, but there was a shared feeling that part of honoring her life was to finish the work.  There was a sense that to raise and kill an animal, we ought to use every part.  I feel the same way about seeds I plant at home; we try to use every fruit and edible part of our garden plants to justify our use of water, land, and sunlight in their growing.

Ease

Alex: It was a whole lot easier than I had imagined. There was almost no struggling by the animal and I think it was as pleasant an ending as could be hoped for. I found the pig anatomy fascinating. I've never been in an anatomy lab, but I understand pigs are very similar to humans in that department. The organ layout was very interesting, and I was not grossed out at all by what I was seeing.

Graphic Pictures

Rachel: During the kill and slaughter I was not emotional.  I downloaded the pictures that same day and did not come back to insert pictures into the post until Saturday night.  Looking through the images, my heart wrenched and my stomach turned several times.  The images, out of the context of physically doing the hard honest work, were more emotional.  I guess that's why we say "a picture's worth a thousand words."

Responsibility

Alex: I like taking responsibility in my life and doing things myself. For this reason, I am happy I slaughtered a large animal and got to experience the processing of it from start to finish. I feel more connected to my food after this experience and have a greater appreciation for what incredibly hard work meat-packing must be. After watching Food, Inc., I am even happier to be attempting to wean myself away from factory meat production.

Vegetarian Pig Killer

Rachel: "Aren't you a vegetarian?"  I get asked this a lot, especially considering that my most popular posts have to do with meat.  I am a vegetarian.  I don't order meat entrees at restaurants and I don't cook meat for myself.  After more than ten years, I simply do not enjoy the texture of meat.  However, I have no beef with people who want to eat meat.

I actually do enjoy the taste of some meats (hello, bacon!).  When Alex makes a meat dish he's particularly proud of, I taste it.  In the interest of not being a bother, I eat soups and sauces that may contain meat stock in restaurants.  I suppose some would revoke my vegetarian card for eating this way, but I try to not concern myself with what other people think.

In the early days of my vegetarianism, I did not want to handle meat and some parts grossed me out.  Over the years of living with Alex the meat lover and raising a omnivorous child, my view has changed.  I now have no problem scaling fish, cooking chicken breasts, or skinning a just-dead pig, so long as they were raised and killed ethically.

Lessons Learned

Alex: 1. I would definitely bring more knives or a proper sharpening stone. Butcher knives or a skinning knife with an up-swept blade would be a plus as the one I had seemed to work incredibly well for most pig-chopping jobs. I had no idea that chopping through the skin and skinning the pig would dull the knives as quickly as it did. In addition, I would purchase a proper butcher's hacksaw for going through bone. The hardware store model worked fine, but the painted blade left a yellow color to some of the bone.

2. For killing the pig, I would use a pistol next time. The rifle worked fine in the end, but it was unwieldy and tricky to manage while trying to wrangle the pig. I would also take a slightly larger caliber as I was nervous the 22 might not do the job properly. Even though it worked, it is not a very potent caliber, and I would be nervous about getting a deflection off of a thick part of the skull. I think something along the lines of 22 Hornet or 5.7x28 would work exceedingly well.

3. The hoist. Thankfully Denise had a block and tackle. However, I think it was sized for the lambs she more often slaughters. As such it was somewhat strained under the weight of Red. For slaughtering an even larger animal (cow, bison, etc...), I think it would be hard to do it without a motorized winch.

4. The hide. Next time I would like to save skin for either cooking or leather purposes. This means reading up on tanning or finding an appropriate hair-removal method for the carcass.

Next Time

Rachel: Will we slaughter an animal again? Probably. Not only did slaughtering save us money over sending the animal to a processor, it was not difficult. Knowing how to gut and process an animal is a life skill I'm glad we now have. Alex plans on hunting deer this fall, we may eventually slaughter one of our backyard chickens, and Denise knows we will happily help her dispatch 2Silos animals.

Where Can You Get Real Food?

Wow! How do I follow up my most viewed, most commented, most retweeted post?! I am so appreciative of the interest in real food*. I am glad to be in community with people who support and practice choosing sustainable foodstuffs.

Slaughtering your own animals is not practical for most people, not even us, on a regular basis. So where are the best places to purchase real food?

1) Your Backyard - growing your own fruits and vegetables is easily the most local, delicious, and cheapest way to pack your meals with fresh ingredients. My Grow Your Garden series gives tips about how to start or expand backyard gardens. If you don't have space for a backyard garden, search for a community garden plot.

2) Direct from the Farmer - Local farmers are the best source of what you might not be able to grow yourself. Sustainable farmers are excited to share their raw milk, small batch cheeses, free ranged meat, vegetable CSA shares, and more. Find them at a farmer's market (see below) or Local Harvest. Ask around at work and in the neighborhood, as many people know a small farmer or know someone who does.

3) Farmer's Market - Our favorite markets are full of stands directly representing individual farms. Some offer CSA pickups. Producers are eager to answer your questions about the variety, farming practices, and cooking use of their produce. Many will take time to chat with you at length, forming friendships and partnerships in the food revolution.

4) Local Grocery - An independent grocer, like our local favorites Weiland's and The Hills, is more adaptable to consumer desires than a chain. If your grocery doesn't carry products you want, request that they stock seasonal produce from local farms. Ask more than once and be prepared to help source the ingredients you desire.

5) Chain Grocery - Even in a chain, you can find real food if you search it out. Read labels and choose seasonal items from as close to your location as possible. Select whole ingredients to make foods from scratch. When buying processed food, read carefully and question contents whose names you can't pronounce or understand as foodstuffs. Local managers at your grocery are sometimes willing and able to take special requests. It never hurts to ask for seasonal and local food.

Where do you shop for food?

*Real food is just another buzz word among 'organic', 'local', 'seasonal', 'sustainable', etc. What I mean in this article is food you can source to a specific producer; whole ingredients that are free from unnecessary additives and processing.

Great in Every Season Frittata

One of our favorite meals year round is frittata.  It makes perfect use of whatever vegetables are in season, is easily made with local ingredients, and can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Essentially a crustless quiche, frittata is a classical dish that is dead simple to prepare.

Here's a skeleton recipe that can be adapted for whatever ingredients you have on hand.  The technique is always the same.

First, chop and sweat one half of a large onion in a drizzle of olive oil in a cast iron skillet.  Add two cloves of garlic (or more to your liking), and four cups of chopped vegetables.  In winter, try mushrooms and kale, spinach and peas are nice in the spring, tomato and beans are tasty in summer, and the fall bears chard and peppers.  Cook vegetables until slightly caramelized. 

Meanwhile, make the egg mixture.  Whisk six eggs, local preferred, with one half cup milk, one teaspoon salt, and several twists of black pepper until foamy. Add one tablespoon fresh herbs or one teaspoon dried to the egg mixture.

Assemble the frittata by pouring the egg mixture over the vegetables.  Top with one half to one cup of cheese (shredded cheddar or swiss, feta, goat cheese, or your favorite).

Place the frittata in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until top is browned.  Serve warm or cold with a simple salad and/or bread for a light meal. [print_this]

Every Season Frittata Makes: 4 entrée servings, 6 side dish servings Time: 20 minutes preparation + 20 minutes baking

two tablespoons olive oil

one half onion, chopped

two cloves garlic, minced

two cups vegetables, diced

two tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (one teaspoon dried)

six eggs (substitute three whole eggs and four egg whites to reduce fat and cholesterol)

one half cup milk

one teaspoon salt

black pepper (and cayenne if you like things spicy)

one half to one cup cheese

Cook vegetables over medium heat until wilted in a cast iron skillet.  Add herbs.  In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.  Pour over vegetables and top with cheese.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until cooked through and browned on top.

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We're Slaughtering a Pig. Why?

A few months ago, Denise Beno from 2Slios farm tweeted that she had an unclaimed Duroc/York pig this season.  She asked if anyone might want to buy a whole or half.  Alex and I and decided that purchasing a side of pig would be a good way to fill our freezer with well raised meat and give him more experience with home charcuterie. In making arrangements with Denise, Alex learned that traditional processors often discard cuts of meat he would prefer to have, including the jowel and offal.  Denise offered that Alex and the other buyer could slaughter the pig with her and process it however they wished.

We jumped at the chance.  Here's why we will wake early, drive to Mt. Vernon and slaughter a pig on Saturday.

Alex: I appreciate sustainably and humanely raised meat.  I have had great experiences with Denise and the meat she raises.  Her meat animals are of the highest quality, and I know her animal husbandry ethics are in line with my expectations.

Rachel: I don't eat meat, expect for the occasional taste of home cured bacon.  After over ten years as a vegetarian, the texture is something I no longer enjoy and I feel I can balance my diet better without meat.  Meat, in particular among foods, is often raised with disgustingly low humane and earth conscious standards.  I am very concerned with the provenance of meat we purchase.

Alex: Per pound this will be low cost meat for the quality I will be receiving.  It's true that because of government props, sustainable meat costs more in the market today.  I don't mind doing a little bit of work to reduce some of the cost.

Rachel: I actually keep a much closer eye on our budget than Alex does.  I often arrange for us to buy ingredients in bulk to save money.  The risk, of course, in freezing meat is that a power loss can wipe out your investment.  I guess we'll just have a huge barbecue if there's a blackout this summer.

Alex: I've been a meat eater all my life, but have bought almost all of the meat I have ever eaten already cut up and packaged.  I've only ever cleaned fish or squirrels I have caught/killed myself.  I have never dressed out a large mammal.  I would like to hunt deer for food this year and feel the experience of slaughtering a pig will be good for when I need to clean a large animal on my own.

Rachel: I too have not witnessed the slaughter or processing of a large animal up close.  I am comfortable handling and cooking meat even when I don't eat it myself.  I know that killing and butchering a pig will be hard work; I plan to do with reverence for the life we are taking.

Alex: I wanted this to be a learning experience that could be shared on Rachel's blog and with our daughter Lil. Lil will not accompany us for the slaughter because we want ourselves to be fully present and distractions when dealing with a large animal, saws, and knives can be dangerous.

Too many people are completely disconnected from their food.  The hamburger they are eating did not grow on a meat tree; it came from an animal that was born, raised and ultimately killed to provide food for another species.  Some people subconsciously push this knowledge out of their head while eating meat.  I'm certainly no vegetarian, but I believe that when I eat meat, I have a fundamental responsibility to know and understand where it comes from.

Rachel: Absolutely.  I will record the slaughter with video and photos to share here.  I'll provide fair warning to those who do not wish to read anymore about it. Though it used to be commonplace to have intimate knowledge of raising and killing meat animals, many people now are far removed from farms.  It is my hope that sharing the experience of the slaughter will inspire more people to question and consider their food sourcing.

Pantry Roasted Tomato Soup

Do you ever come home to an empty fridge but still want something delicious to eat?

We recently returned from the Mid Atlantic coast. Without time for a trip to the grocery store, I wanted a simple healthy meal we could make from pantry ingredients. Knowing that we had plenty of home canned tomatoes in the larder, I invented this recipe for tomato soup and served it with toasted cheese.

This tomato soup is made from only seven ingredients which are found in a well stocked pantry. The oven roasting adds depth of flavor and caramelized goodness.

Pantry Roasted Tomato Soup

Two quarts whole or pieced tomatoes One medium onion, chopped roughly Three cloves garlic, halved (or one half teaspoon garlic powder) 1/4 cup olive oil 1 ice cube block of frozen pesto (substitute a tablespoon of dried italian herbs if no pesto is on hand) 1 Parmesan rind (we keep these in a ziploc bag in the freezer per Lisa the Waitress' brilliant suggestion) 1 tsp balsamic vinegar salt and pepper

Strain tomatoes from their juice, reserving it for later. Place tomato pieces, fresh onion and garlic in a large roasting pan with a heavy pinch of salt. Drizzle olive oil over top and place in a 350 degree oven for one to two hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring tomato juice + 1 cup water (use stock if you have it for richer flavor) to a simmer.  Add the Parmesan rind, pesto block or herbs, and several twists of freshly ground black pepper.

Remove onions, garlic, and tomatoes from the oven. Blend with an immersion or standard blender until smooth. Adjust seasonings and add the balsamic vinegar.

Add to the juice mixture and simmer for a half hour.  Serve warm.

Following this recipe exactly yields a tasty basic tomato soup. There are plenty of variations on the recipe depending on what's in your pantry. For instance:

• Omit parm rind if you don't have it (you may need to increase salt)
• Stir in some cream just before serving
• Top with sour cream, shredded cheese or plain yogurt
• Substitute chili powder, cilantro and cumin for the italian herbs
• Dice onions and garlic before roasting and skip the blender for a rustic style soup