Charcuterie

Ventreche, French Bacon

I first learned about ventreche, a French bacon, from my friend Kate Hill. It is a very simple thing: just pork belly, salt, pepper and smoke. But that is the source of its beauty.

Recipe

Andouille Sausage Links, Cajun Style

Andouille sausage is one of may favorites. The heavily spiced, smoked links go well with anything from a po'boy sandwich to gumbo - and you can make them with any meat.

Ducks and Geese

Wild Duck Jerky or Goose Jerky

Who doesn't love jerky? Good jerky - dry but not brittle, spicy but not overpowering - is God's gift to road food. Once made, this wild duck jerky will keep for months.

Pheasant, Grouse, Quail

Greek Preserved Quail

The Greek way to preserve quail is a cousin to confit, and results in a tender, silky bird that is spectacular served with pickles, bread and ouzo.

Charcuterie

Duck Hot Dogs

I didn't set out to make a wild duck hot dog. All I wanted to do was make an all-duck sausage, and that means you need to emulsify it, like a hot dog. Who knew my spice mix was the secret of hot dogs?

Charcuterie

How to Make Guanciale

Guanciale is like bacon or pancetta, only better: It's made from the jowl of a hog, not its belly. And, like most charcuterie, what kind of hog you get your jowls from makes all the difference.

Charcuterie

Portuguese Linguica Sausages

I live in California's Central Valley, home to one of the nation's largest Portuguese-American communities. Linguica is their national sausage, and I thought it high time I made some.

Charcuterie

Chinese Bacon

And you thought bacon was a Western thing, didn't you? Not so. In fact, this Chinese bacon might be my favorite style yet...

Ducks and Geese

Cooking Goose Meat

Canada geese get a bad rap. Sky carp. Stinky, arrogant hissing birds. Yeah, Canadas can be nasty. But cooking a real, wild, Canada goose offers pleasures other waterfowl simply lack.

Charcuterie

Venison Charcuterie

For me, charcuterie is the endgame of every successful hunt, but each animal needs a different treatmeant: sausages, cured whole cuts, salami, etc. This is what I did with my deer from Catalina.

Wild Game

Making Hmong Sausages

The first time I ever saw a Hmong person was at the farmers market around the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin,…

Charcuterie

How to Make Venison Ham

I present to you: mocetta. It was my first-ever dry-cured ham, and it does not come from a pig. This…