A huge selection of recipes for all forms of charcuterie, ranging from salami to fresh sausages, hams, bacon and other smoked meats and fish, to terrines, pates and even things like scrapple.
Some of my most popular recipes are for Basic Salami, Mexican Chorizo, a wintertime Wild Game Terrine, and Sheboygan Bratwurst for summer grilling.
I do a lot of meat curing, and make all kinds of fresh sausages, so I thought I’d compile all my sausage and charcuterie recipes here to make it easy for someone to browse through all of them.
Charcuterie, the French word for the art of curing meat and fish, is a vital part of any hunter’s skill set, as you never know when your power will go out; the loss of an entire year’s worth of game when a box freezer heats up can bring tears to anyone’s eyes.
But curing meat is more than an insurance policy: It transforms often sketchy cuts of meat into magical tastes and textures. It’s alchemy: salt, temperature, humidity and time.
If you are a newbie, I recommend you start with things like fresh sausages and pates or rillettes, which are basically a rougher pate. Only when you know how to do these fresh projects should you begin curing over the long term.
A good place to begin your curing career is by making duck or goose breast prosciutto. This project is so easy you can do it in your fridge.
You will need a curing chamber to make any sort of cured meat charcuterie. I have links below to what you will need.
Once you have a set of cured items, as well as some cool pickles (lots of pickle recipes here), you can make your own charcuterie board. A typical charcuterie board will have some sliced salami, some slices of some sort of ham, pickles, maybe some cheese, and some sort of pate, rillette or terrine.
Salmon and Trout
Salmon candy is a special kind of smoked salmon that’s been cut into strips, dry cured with sugar and salt, painted with birch or maple syrup, then heavily smoked almost to the point of jerky. It’s one of the more addictive trail foods ever made by humankind.
Venison
If you hunt deer, you need to know this recipe. It’s a staple here at the house, making a fantastic, lean version of corned beef that’s great for sandwiches, with cabbage or in hash. You will find yourself making it all the time…
Wild Game
This is the “little black dress” of salami. It’s meat, fat, salt, black pepper and garlic. Nothing else. A basic salami is a measure of its maker. Master this and then add all the fancy spices. Or not. After all, the spare, simple black cocktail dress is a classic for a reason.
Charcuterie
Pork is the lone meat I still buy, in no small part because I have access to heritage pork raised…
Scandinavian
Tjalknol is a way of cooking meat, usually venison, from frozen. It’s known as ‘frost bump’ and involves slow cooking then brining. You eat the meat cold.
Fish
A classic recipe for whitefisah salad with sour cream, capers, celery and sweet onions. Smoked whitefish is traditional, but most fish works.
Charcuterie
Cumberland sausage is a classic English fresh sausage flavored simply with mace, sage and pepper. Normally pork, you can use other meats, too.
Charcuterie
A fish sausage recipe that isn’t fishy and tastes great grilled or seared. Homemade fish sausage isn’t hard to make and will work with most fish.
Charcuterie
How to make Spanish fuet sausage at home. Fuet is a long, thin salami-style sausage lightly seasoned with garlic, white pepper and wine.
Scandinavian
Tjalknol is a way of cooking meat, usually venison, from frozen. It's known as 'frost bump' and involves slow cooking then brining. You eat the meat cold.
Fish
A classic recipe for whitefisah salad with sour cream, capers, celery and sweet onions. Smoked whitefish is traditional, but most fish works.
Charcuterie
Cumberland sausage is a classic English fresh sausage flavored simply with mace, sage and pepper. Normally pork, you can use other meats, too.
Charcuterie
A fish sausage recipe that isn't fishy and tastes great grilled or seared. Homemade fish sausage isn't hard to make and will work with most fish.
Charcuterie
How to make Spanish fuet sausage at home. Fuet is a long, thin salami-style sausage lightly seasoned with garlic, white pepper and wine.
British
How to make hand-raised pies with game. This one is a huntsman's pie, an English classic hand pie made with a hot water crust.
Charcuterie
How to make venison salami at home. This is a basic salami recipe, but dry curing sausage requires some skill before you try it. I'll show you how.
Scandinavian
How to make stångkorv, a Swedish sausage that has barley in it. This sausage is fermented, so it gets tangy. and is great for breakfast.
Charcuterie
How to make German braunschweiger sausage at home. Braunschweiger is a liver sausage that is then smoked. Pork plus bird livers are a great option.
How-To (DIY stuff)
How to make Texas-style hot links sausage at home. Hot links are spicy and smoked, and can be pork, beef or both. I'm using pork and venison here.
How-To (DIY stuff)
How to make homemade sausage. Basic instructions on making sausage, smoked or fresh, from the grind to the finish, including storage.
How-To (DIY stuff)
How to smoke swordfish, marlin paddlefish or any other thick, meaty fish. It's great as-is, or in tacos or sandwiches.
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