Speck

[medtran49]

I decided to use the hog jowl I was going to use to make guanciale to make German/Austrian type speck. I used juniper berries, caraway seeds, a few yellow mustard seeds, garlic powder, a small bay leaf, a bit of brown sugar, kosher salt, and a bit of pink salt. Whirled it all in the spice grinder to make a powder. The pieces will cure for about a week, turning every day, then will be washed, dried overnight in the fridge, then will be smoked over alder or beech. It started out weighing 3.7 pounds, but I cut off the skin/rind because it still had a bunch of hair in it and I didn't want to.mess with trying to get that out. Once I wash it, I'll cut off a small piece and cook.it to test for salt. If it's too salty, it will spend some time in plain water to draw out some of the salt.

 

[ChowderMan]

this is going be interesting to follow. speck is one of those things that is not very available in USA - and the "oh its just like" subs are not really just like....


have you done Schwarzwalder? it's another cure one just does not find outside southern Germany.....

 

[medtran49]

We've made regular bacon, bresaola, a foie gras torchon, and a bunch of different sausages. Now that we have a source for decent pig and beef products we'll more than likely start delving into cured/dried/smoked charcuterie again.

 

[medtran49]

Due to Hurricanus Irma interruptus, I ended up washing as much of the cure off as I could and refreezing these a week ago Friday. We defrosted and cooked some small pieces yesterday. They were pretty salty so spent last night in a water bath. Dogboa just cut off another slice, cooked it up, and much better. They'll be getting smoked over alder later on, along with some shrimp and corn for dinner tonight. Pics to follow.

 

[medtran49]

Smoked, portioned for freezer. We'll be having kaesespatzele next week.

 

[QSis]

Very interesting, med! How will it be used? Sliced and fried up like bacon?

Lee

 

[medtran49]

Kaesespatzele will be small cubes. It can be used as lardons, cubes, or slices depending on dish

 

[medtran49]

Made the kaesespatzle last night, first pic is cubes of rendered speck on top of the spatzle waiting on the cheese sauce and caramelized oinions. Used the rendered fat to caramelize the onions, as part of the roux with butter for the cheese sauce with emmenthaler, and as the fat in the dough/batter for the spatzle.

 

[QSis]

WOW!

Not your father's mac and cheese!

How perfectly beautiful!

Lee

 

[Adillo303]

Does that ever look good.

 

[medtran49]

It was even better leftover for breakfast!

 

[Johnny West]

We used to buy speck in German. The IGA in Whistler had it but never bought any. I did have the gammon bacon at Duhub Linn Gate Pub and it was similar and good. It's something I'd like to make. I'm going to commissary today and will see what the meat department has for pork.

 

[Dogboa]

WOW!

Not your father's mac and cheese!

How perfectly beautiful!

Lee

Groan, my fathers mac & cheese was this horrible concoction with thin spaghetti, Velvetta (this will never enter my grocery cart) and some type of canned tomatoes that was baked in the oven. Thanks for the misery err memories!