I have been busy at Weekend Food Projects working on new things to share with you all. I would put this in a notebook, but I really think that people would be interested in the thought process behind the food. I will not post recipes, but simply share what I have learned.

Bacon: Using a dry cured pork belly and adding a coriander/black pepper crust before smoking makes a wonderful fatty meat that is great in sandwiches or by itself. What I am still testing is whether steaming or slow roasting before serving is the best way to present the meat. (See above)

Pizza: I have learned that a 72 hour dough produces the best texture, flavor, and is easier to handle. 8oz of dough to 3oz of shredded cheese also seems to be a good dough/cheese ratio.

Burgers and Sausage: You have to apply Rule #2 from Zombieland to your meat, the double tap. Simply grinding the meat once through the coarse plate does not provide a good texture or distribute the fat well enough. Double grind your meat, coarse plate.

Pastrami: Beef navel is the best cut of beef for traditional pastrami. This is the cut that Katz’s deli in NYC uses. It is not something that you can walk into your local grocery store and purchase. However, I was able to source a four pound piece from Painted Hills Farm in Oregon through a Seattle based store. I will share results this weekend.

Salumi: For the last week I have been putting together a fermentation/curing chamber for dried sausages and salumi. I have a Spanish Chorizo drying right now and in about 2.5 weeks, it should be ready. So much chemistry and microbiology, but so cool.