Charcuterie at home with Frank

Coming soon! 2022!

2021-09-05T20:29:00.004-04:00

Making: Soppressata making this Thursday 3/14/2024!!!

Sopressata and more

2019-03-03T07:52:00.001-05:00

Sopressata, Cacciatore & Capicola day!

2019-03-03T07:46:00.000-05:00

Made a bunch of sopressata and cacciatore also 4 capicolas! Pictures below....

Fermenting overnight

Ready to hang

Where it all happens

Nice white mold

Beautiful white mold already!

Capicola's! 😃

I squeeze the capicola's into beef bungs.

Capicola

Netted capicola

Capicola hanging

So in about 6-8 weeks this will be done!

Lonza time!

2016-10-09T15:52:00.002-04:00

14 LB. PORK LOIN

Two days of briining

Wrap in cheese cloth

I use the salt box method. Just rub it all over and what sticks is the final salting

That time of the year. Let's kick it off with some Lonza!

Now the long wait for 30% weight loss.

PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR MY RECIPE

Netting. I pass it through a PVC pipe much easier.

Sopressata Recipe

2015-10-20T08:43:00.001-04:00

1 pound pork fat, diced

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, diced (Berkshire Pork is the best)

1.5 ounces kosher salt (about 3 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon Curing Salt #2

1/4 to 1/2 package live starter culture Bactoferm

1/4 cup distilled water

3 tablespoon dextrose (or sugar)

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 teaspoon fennel powder

1/3 cup red pepper flakes

1/4 cup Grappa

hog casing, beef bungs, or beef middles for stuffing

mold culture if using (linked above)

Be sure the meat is very, very cold. The fat can even be partially frozen. Grind it through a large die 1/4" into the bowl of an electric mixer set in ice.

Dissolve the Bactoferm in the water and add it, and the remaining ingredients, to the meat. Using the paddle attachment, mix on the lowest speed until seasonings
are thoroughly distributed, being careful to avoid warming the fat, one to two minutes. Take a little and pan fry to taste for seasonings adjustment if needed.

Stuff tightly into casings. Prick the casings with a sterile pin. Weigh your sausage and record this weight. Spray down sausages with Mold 600 for white mold. Hang at room temperature for 12 hours to “incubate” the bacteria; the beneficial bacteria
will grow and produce more lactic acid in warmer temperatures.I sometimes smoke for a day also.

Move to whatever drying environment you're using. If using a mold culture (Mold 600) follow the instructions introducing it to your soppressata now. Ideally, this sauasage should hang at 55 degrees F with 60%-70% humidity.

The sausage is "done" when it's lost 30 percent of its weight, which usually takes between 3 and 4 weeks depending on the size.

Mangia!

Almost all Sopressata is done!

2015-02-23T21:38:00.002-05:00

Good white mold. I added vegetable oil to two of the vacuum sealed Sopressata's

Lonza #1 is done!

2015-02-19T16:00:00.002-05:00

Very tasty if I must say so myself! Creamy, not too salty, and nice pork flavor!

Lost 33% weight, lets cut her open!

Nice pink color, tender and creamy...delicious!

Capicola day!

2015-02-15T16:27:00.002-05:00

Soaked in brine for 2 days with pink salt #2 and spices

Rinse with water then give it a red wine bath and pat dry

Casings soaking with oranges in water and bactoferm

Seasoned with paprika, cayenne, fennel pollen, black pepper, and ground juniper berries.

Easy way to put on netting, otherwise impossible

Remember to tie and weave cord at the end prior to stuffing.

Tie and ...cut the cord.

in the pig locker

Finished!

Hanging and waiting for the magical 33% weight loss!

Lonza

2015-02-02T15:10:00.004-05:00

Trying a new recipe for Lonza. I let the loins marinate for only 1 day, then in 30-40 degree for one day wrapped in cheesecloth and salt.
Rubbed off salt and added spices, place in beef bung and dipped in mold. Now in the pig locker. Should be a fast cure.

Here are the 2 loins

The two lighter ones are the Lonza.

In to the pig locker for 3-4 months!

2015-01-19T15:15:00.001-05:00

This is the tough part, the loooong wait for the sopressata to cure!

Sopressata curing

2015-01-18T09:21:00.000-05:00

The sopressata is hanging waiting to go into the curing chamber.

I will weigh them before hanging to cure and wait for 30% loss in weight.

New batch of Sopressata this Saturday 1/17/2015

2015-01-13T17:20:00.001-05:00

Starting the Sopressata ....All Berkshire pork!

Marinating over night...

The Berkshire pork

The spices and grappa, wine and other secret stuff!

Cubed pork

Ground meat and fat

The grinder

This will sit over night to marry the spices

Big batch!

The shield

Rest until the morning

Sopressata week 3 Looking good

2014-11-16T15:02:00.002-05:00

Nice white mold! RH = 70% 52 degrees

Sopressata time!!!

2014-10-27T17:36:00.001-04:00

Started out with 8 Lbs (2 packages total) Berkshire pork from Green Valley Farm in Ashford CT

I used 8 Lb's pork shoulder and 2 lbs pork fat. Had to trim the skin from the fat which is saved for Chicharrónes!

Heres the mix after the grind on 1/4". I use a little fennel from Italy, crushed red pepper (imported from Italy), pink salt, sea salt, some Grappa, red vino, whole pepper corns, and dextrose...besides the usual starter culture (yogurt, dextrose, and starter mix).

You want to mix gently so the fat stays intact.

Here is the finished sausages, instead of beef bung I used pork casings to make smaller sausages and a quicker cure.

Now it's time for them to rest in 80 degrees with RH about 70%. I do this for about 20 hrs.

Sprayed down with Bactoferm Mold 600. Will do this 2 additional times.

Now the wait....should lose 30% of weight...i'm hoping 6-8 weeks with this thinner type sausage!

Sausage Season coming!

2013-09-11T18:22:00.000-04:00

Putting my order together for the pork! Stay Tuned!

Frank

Lonzino & Pancetta May 8th

2013-05-16T21:16:00.002-04:00

Made a batch of Lonzino & Pancetta and have a new humidifier controller for the pig locker (aka curing chamber). Once they both lose about 33% of the original weight it will be time to mangia!

Pictures above left and below is from the made on date

May 16th...above left and below. Both cuts feeling firmer. Should be in about 3-5 weeks!

Pancetta is finished!

2012-11-18T10:06:00.007-05:00

In the pig locker for 17 days to cure and here it is! taste silky and not too salty! Love how it came out! I used some for a chicken dish which added a nice taste. I sliced and froze the rest!

Pancetta time!

2012-11-01T08:31:00.000-04:00

Picked up some pork belly a few weeks ago and made some Pancetta! It was hung up in the pig locker on 10/30/12 and will be ready in 2 weeks, I had it cure for 8 days. One with red wine and one without. All kinds of spices!

Fresh cracked black pepper

Pork belly curing for 8 days

Rinsing off the spices

I roll both sides in the black pepper

Tied up belly!

Tie as tight as possible! No air pockets!

I tied it so tightly, my fingers have cuts! I did use gloves easier grip and sanitary!

Here they are!

Ready to hang in the pig locker!

Hanging out for 2 weeks

Will be done in 2 weeks. I will freeze most of it!

2012-06-17T20:55:00.001-04:00

Nduja!

Made it on 6/16/12 and smoked it for 24 hrs. Spices from Scott at the Sausage Debauchery. All Berkshire pork! Beef middles for stuffing.

This is the paste I made with 2 organic red bell peppers, ground up 1/2 cup red pepper and added about a cup of red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup hot pepper powder.

Bungs soaking in water and slices of orange.

The pork! Shoulder, belly, and back fat

A little hot pepper

Nice pasty mix...

Taste test!

My red neck smoker! ha!

12 hours of smoke

24 hours of smoke and going to the curing chamber

Hanging in the pig locker! I'll let you know how it tastes in a few months!

And the first one is ready! Delicious if I must say so myself. I will add more fat next one, but still tasty!

2012-06-07T22:31:00.001-04:00

NDUJA coming in under 2 weeks!

2012-06-07T21:03:00.001-04:00

New batch of sopressata to make on 6/16!!!

...countdown!

Quick peek at the pig locker!

2012-01-28T09:24:00.000-05:00

Nice white mold!

Ahhhhhhhh delicious!

Cracking open the finocchiona from October 2011

2012-01-28T09:22:00.001-05:00

Here it is...BOOM! I made this with a little less fat to make it a bit healthier. Still tasty! Subtle hints of fennel pollen, black pepper....delicious!

Sopressata made with Berkshire!

2011-12-10T01:00:00.002-05:00

Berkshire shoulder

Made on 12-3-2011 Here it is! Click on the picture to enlarge...

Mold started growing in 2 days

1 week in the chamber

70% RH

Everything is getting the nice white mold!

Lonzino opening!

2011-10-22T21:03:00.000-04:00