Explore Posterous

Rabbits

For Thanksgiving this year I decided to forego the turkey, primarily because I thought I would have a whole lamb-- and lamb for thanksgiving sounded great! Alas, the lamb delivery date was moved back and I was stuck. When David said he had rabbits, I jumped! I could do something rabbit-y. As it turns out we're having 25 people so the rabbits alone would not do it--I also bought a half dozen guinea hens--but I could use them for some awesome apps and a first course. 

         

Click here to download:

Rabbits.zip (9252 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (8) »

The Big Reveal!

Cut into my blister-less Tuscan and am very happy with the results! 

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (3) »

Ominous Blisters

Upon today's inspection, one of my sausages has a handful of watery (sometimes clear, and in one case cloudy) blisters. Another sausage has a couple of clear small, watery spots; and the third sausage has no blisters that I can detect. I'm definitely not eating the first one. I've included a few more pictures, again it's hard to see very clearly but note the raised area to the right of my finger in the first picture.

     

Click here to download:

Ominous_Blisters.zip (4944 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (0) »

Sloan Salami: Little to report

My Tuscans have firmed up considerably over the course of the last week. I have been misting now only once a day and my temp and humidity have remained constant, in the same range I reported last week (63-67F/60-65RH). I have no mold. 

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (3) »

Local Goats

Just a follow-up on yesterday's post. Tim turned me onto Rossotti Ranch in Point Reyes. 

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (9) »

Goat? Anyone? Anyone?

Does anyone know where to get goat? 

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (5) »

Cotechino

Has anyone ever made cotechino?

Would anyone like to get together and make some?

Cotechino is a fresh, spiced sausage (although some do cure it for several days) that is served boiled and sliced alongside lentils and polenta or mashed potatoes. It is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day.

Wavery Root, in The Food of Italy, describes another preparation which sounds something like the Italian version of Tur-duck-en, but still tempting:

Cotechino in Galera (in prison)

“For this, a cotechino weighing about a pound is boiled until it is half cooked, wrapped in a slice of raw ham which is itself then wrapped in a very thin slice of beef, the two being held in place by thread wound around the whole. A small onion, finely chopped, is now cooked in an earthenware dish in plenty of oil. The wrapped cotechino goes into this and is covered with consommé and dry Lambrusco wine in equal quantities. The cooking is finished in the earthenware dish, with the addition of more consommé if necessary. The cotechino is served sliced in the cooking dish, bathing in the dense gravy which results.”

The name cotechino is derived from the Italian cortica, or pig’s skin, which is an ingredient in the stuffing. (Another use for skin! Hooray!)

Zampone, or stuffed trotters, is the mother of cotechino. The difference being cotechino is simply stuffed in casing. (I think I had a rather nice Zampone three(?) years back at the Whole Hog Dinner at Oliveto’s.)

I found a few sources for recipes if anyone is interested:

http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/2008/12/cotechino-that-which-started-my.html

The River Cottage Meat Book

Bruce Aidell’s Complete Sausage Book

Home Sausage Making

I have a copy of Cooking by Hand on order, I’m not sure if a recipe also appears there?

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (4) »

Sloan Salumi Update 10/31

The Sloan Salumi are curing nicely in the closet under the stairs. 

   

Click here to download:

Sloan_Salumi_Update_1031.zip (3543 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet

Comment (1) »