Rustic Italian Food Read online

  EQUIPMENT AND DONENESS

  So where do you buy all this sausage making equipment? And the ingredients? Most of the ingredients like curing salt and sausage casings you can order from the Sausage Maker (see Sources). As for equipment, if you don’t have a KitchenAid sausage grinder and stuffer attachment, you can order those through KitchenAid. Or go to the Sausage Maker for a separate meat grinder, plus other equipment like a gram scale, thermometers, etc. You can get cool-mist humidifiers, small window air conditioners, and space heaters at most home stores. For the humidifier, Crane makes a one-gallon model that fits nicely into small spaces. Just be sure to use distilled water and be prepared to replenish it every couple of days, which isn’t a big deal because that’s how often you should check on your dry-cured salumi anyway.

  Curing salumi is like growing a garden. It requires some advance planning and careful tending, but the rewards are well worth it when you reap the harvest. It’s easy to tell when vegetables are ready to pick because they are so heavy they weigh down the entire plant. With salumi, it’s the opposite. They should actually lose weight. A good rule of thumb is that dry-cured salami like soppressata and chorizo should lose 25 to 30 percent of their initial weight. Whole-muscle salumi like coppa and speck should lose 20 to 25 percent of their weight. To keep track, weigh each string of salami before dry-curing. Jot down the name of the salami, the weight, the starting hang date, and the expected doneness date in a notebook or on masking tape taped to the hanging string of the salami. When you think the salami are done, weigh them. They should weigh 20 to 30 percent less than what you initially jotted down, depending on the type of salami. For instance, 5 pounds of coppa should weigh about 4 pounds when cured. Five pounds of soppressata should weigh about 3½ pounds when cured.

  The size of the casing determines the aging time. I usually make soppressata, chorizo, and other salamis in beef middles and age them for 6 to 8 weeks. But if you use smaller hog casings, figure on 4 to 6 weeks. At that point, the salami should be firm yet pliable, not quite as dry as the pepperoni you’re probably familiar with. I like my sausage young.

  The other thing to keep track of is the look and feel of the salami. When you touch the casing after a week or so, it should start to feel a little tacky, almost sticky, just like your own skin would feel if you were in 75 percent humidity for a week. When the casing feels a little tacky, the moisture is right on. If the casing feels smooth and tight, as if it’s wrapped in plastic wrap, the humidity is too low and the salami is drying too fast. If it goes the other way and the casing feels really sticky, the humidity is too high. Don’t worry about a little white mold on the surface. That is normal. But a thick covering of mold or off-colored mold usually means the humidity is too high. If you find a salami that looks bad and isn’t getting any better, remove it so it doesn’t contaminate the whole batch.

  Touch and feel the salami with gloves every couple of days. When fully cured, the salami should feel firm but slightly pliable when you try to bend one. As for looks, the meat should get a deeper and deeper red as it ages. So deep that you just want to cut it open right there and bite into it. After you do bite into it, or slice it, or devour it in a single sitting, store any leftover salami in the refrigerator. It should keep for a month or more and continue to slowly age and dry.

  Both whole-muscle salumi and ground-meat sausage can be dry-cured as described here. Whole-muscle salumi is a great way to learn the process. There is minimal chance to mess things up, so I highly recommend it. Instead of dealing with grinding and stuffing, you simply soak the meat in a tub of dry cure in the refrigerator for a week or two, turn it over every day or so, then hang the meat at 50°F to 55°F and 75 percent humidity for several weeks or a few months. This is how Pancetta, Coppa, and Beef Speck are made. Starting with this whole-muscle salumi will give you confidence and time to get your curing environment dialed. Then when you move on to ground-meat sausages like Soppressata Calabrese, Fennel Salami, and Chorizo, you’ll be ready to fully enjoy the craft of making artisanal salumi in your own home with little more than meat, fat, salt, and your own two hands.

  Potted Trout TERRINE

  Fish may not be the first thing that comes to mind for a terrine, but it’s delicious. I like to use trout because it has a lot of natural gelatin that enriches the terrine. I usually grill the fillets for a little smoke flavor, but if you like it more plain Jane, just sear the fillets in a pan. This terrine is so easy because there is no exact cooking process, no precise poaching temperature, and no terrine mold! I spoon the mixture into tiny glass mason jars, which makes an awesome presentation at the table. With a few crackers on the side, some sliced Pickled Eggs and a dollop of Horseradish Crème Fraîche, it makes a really impressive appetizer. Or you can just serve the trout with Rustic Loaf. Or tie a ribbon around the jars and give them away as gifts!

  MAKES ABOUT 1½ PINTS TOTAL, OR 6 HALF-PINT JARS FILLED HALFWAY

  1¾ pounds boneless trout fillets (9 or 10 fillets)

  2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter

  3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

  ¼ cup minced shallot

  2 to 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  Light a grill for medium-high heat. Scrape the grill clean and oil it with a wad of paper towels dipped in oil. Place the trout on a foil-lined baking sheet, skin side up. Oil the skin with grapeseed oil, then flip and oil the flesh. Season the flesh with salt and pepper.

  Grill the trout directly on the grill grate, flesh side down, for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook just until the trout is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the grilled trout to a baking sheet to cool.

  Meanwhile, melt the butter with the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft and barely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

  Working over a large bowl, use your hands to peel off and discard the trout skin, dropping the flesh into the bowl. Mix in the lemon juice, shallot mixture, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands, breaking up the flesh, but not too much. Taste and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper as needed.

  Spoon the terrine into half-pint mason jars until half full, then seal and refrigerate.

  PREP AHEAD

  Make the terrine up to 5 days ahead and keep it sealed in the refrigerator.

  BEVERAGE—Cantina Ferentana, Pecorino 2009 (Abruzzo): Recently rediscovered, the Pecorino grape is being brought back into production, and its round, balanced flavors of stone fruit, honey, and citrus are propelling it into the mainstream.

  Duck TERRINE

  Here’s a terrine with a little flair. When you slice it, you see three layers: ground meat on top and bottom with a strip of whole duck breast pieces in the center. I make this with whole ducks and remove all the fat, skin, and bones. It’s always better (and less expensive!) to start with the whole food and break it down yourself. But you could also start with 4 pounds of skinless, boneless duck meat instead. You’ll need about 1¼ pounds breasts and 2¾ pounds thigh and leg meat. Sprinkle the finished sliced terrine with some Maldon sea salt and serve with bread and savory preserves like Artichoke Mostarda or Pickled Mustard Seeds.

  MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

  2 whole ducks (about 3¾ pounds each), fat, skin, and bones removed (about 4 pounds meat)

  ½ cup sugar

  ½ cup plus 2½ teaspoons kosher salt

  2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

  1½ tablespoons tipo 00 or all-purpose flour

  ½ teaspoon curing salt No. 1 (pink salt)

  ½ teaspoon ground pepper

  ⅓ cup heavy cream

  1 egg

  1 egg yolk

  ½ teaspoon Madeira wine

  Maldon sea salt, for garnish

  Separate the breasts from the rest of the duck meat and cut the breas
ts into cubes. Combine the sugar, the ½ cup salt, and the thyme in a medium bowl. Add the cubed breasts, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

  Cut the remaining meat into cubes and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet that will fit in your freezer until firm but not solid, about 1 hour. At the same time, freeze all the parts to a meat grinder.

  Fit the meat grinder with the small die, then put on plastic gloves and stick your hands in a bowl of ice until very cold, almost painful. Set the grinder to high speed and grind the partially frozen meat through the small die into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour, the remaining 2½ teaspoons salt, the curing salt, black pepper, cream, egg, egg yolk, and Madeira. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

  Rinse the salt mixture off the duck breasts and preheat the oven to 300°F.

  Line an 8-cup terrine mold with heavy-duty heatproof plastic wrap, leaving enough extra plastic hanging over the sides to cover the mold when it is filled. To get 3-inch rectangular slices, use a 15½ by 3¼ by 3-inch terrine or pullman loaf pan (pain de mie; 8-cup capacity). Or use 4 mini-loaf pans (each 5½ by 3 by 2 inches) for a similar shape. Gently pack half of the meat mixture into an even layer in the plastic-lined mold. Lay the duck breasts over the meat. Gently pack the remaining meat mixture around and over the breasts to create three layers. Securely pack in the meat to eliminate all air pockets. It’s important to press out all the air to help keep the terrine from spoiling. Smooth the top and fold the plastic over the meat, covering it completely and gently pressing it onto the meat.

  Set the mold in a larger, deep roasting pan and put on the center oven rack. Pour enough hot water into the larger pan to come at least ½ inch up the sides of the mold. Bake in the water bath to an internal temperature of 145°F, 1 to 1½ hours for a single large mold or 45 to 55 minutes for several small molds.

  Remove the terrine from the oven and compact it: cut a piece of cardboard to fit inside the terrine mold; put a heavy weight over the cardboard, and let cool to room temperature. When cool, remove the weight, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold.

  Unmold the terrine and slice about ½ inch to 1 inch thick. Sprinkle each slice with Maldon sea salt. Refrigerate any remaining terrine for up to 1 week.

  PREP AHEAD

  You can bone the ducks, removing all fat and skin, up to a day ahead of time and refrigerate the meat in an airtight container.

  BEVERAGE—Scarbolo, Merlot 2006 “Campo del Viotto” (Friuli): Made in the Amarone style, this Merlot exhibits rich, dried fruit flavors and spice but also feels fresh. It displays much of that weighty mouthfeel that Amarone has while retaining a velvety texture that complements the smoothness of the terrine.

  Pork Liver TERRINE

  This is by far my favorite terrine. Brad Spence, my chef at Amis, came up with it, and I love its sage and coriander flavors. It’s also firm enough to slice yet soft enough to spread on bread. I like to serve it with toasted Brioche and Shallot Marmalade. If you can’t find pork liver, you can use the same amount of chicken liver instead. But the pork liver is much, much better.

  MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

  1¼ pounds pork liver, cut into 1-inch cubes

  1¼ pounds boneless pork butt (shoulder), cut into 1-inch cubes

  1½ teaspoons grapeseed oil or olive oil

  1 cup finely chopped onion

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

  5½ teaspoons kosher salt

  1 teaspoon sugar

  1 teaspoon ground pepper

  1 teaspoon ground coriander

  ½ teaspoon curing salt No. 1 (pink salt)

  6½ tablespoons heavy cream

  1 egg

  Maldon sea salt, for garnish

  Freeze the pork liver and pork butt in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm but not solid, about 1 hour. At the same time, freeze all the parts to a meat grinder.

  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sage and cook until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

  Fit the meat grinder with the small die, then put on plastic gloves and stick your hands in a bowl of ice until cold, almost painful. Set the grinder to high speed and grind the cold liver, shoulder, and onion mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt, sugar, pepper, coriander, curing salt, cream, and egg. Mix on low speed with the flat beater until sticky like wet bread dough, about 1½ minutes.

  Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a 6-cup terrine mold with heavy-duty heatproof plastic wrap, leaving enough extra plastic hanging over the sides to cover the mold when it is filled. To get 2½-inch rectangular slices, use an 8-cup terrine or pullman loaf pan (pain de mie). Or use 3 mini-loaf pans (each 5½ by 3 by 2 inches) for a similar shape. Gently pack the meat mixture into the mold, pressing to eliminate all air pockets. Smooth the top and fold the plastic over the meat, covering it completely and gently pressing it onto the meat.

  Set the mold in a larger, deep roasting pan or baking sheet and place on the center oven rack. Pour enough hot water into the large pan to come at least ½ inch up the sides of the mold. Bake in the water bath to an internal temperature of 145°F, 40 to 50 minutes for a single large mold or 30 to 40 minutes for small molds.

  Remove the terrine from the oven and compact it by cutting a piece of cardboard to fit inside the terrine mold; put a heavy weight on top of the cardboard and let cool to room temperature. Remove the weight, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold.

  Unmold the terrine and slice ½ inch to 1 inch thick. Sprinkle each slice with Maldon sea salt. Refrigerate any terrine for up to 1 week.

  BEVERAGE—Birrificio Italiano, Scires NV (Lombardia): This beautiful sour ale brewed with cherries has a sweet/tart flavor that exemplifies Italy’s thriving craft beer culture: exciting, original, often with a nod to Belgium, and sometimes incorporating herbs, fruit, nuts, spices, and tea.

  Lamb MORTADELLA

  Whenever I can, I go to Vinitaly, the wine show held every year in Verona. It is the largest wine show in the world, taking up ten airplane hangars. If you go, you’ll find little mortadella panini everywhere at the show. Mortadella is the classic Italian pork salami made with cubes of pork fat. At Vinitaly, you can’t miss the mortadella. It’s usually sitting on a table, and it’s almost as big as one of the mini cars you’ll see on the city streets. You’ll find a big knife like a machete on the table. Just slice off hunks of the mortadella, put them on one of the small rolls on the table, and slather on some mayonnaise. I once spent a whole day at the wine show eating those little sandwiches. But when it came time to make it myself, I thought, “You always see pork mortadella. Let’s try something different!” In the summer of 2010, my chef Brad Spence tried it with lamb and it was fantastic. The key here, as with all mortadella, is the grinding. I like to grind it five times, but if you do more, it won’t hurt. The more you grind the meat, the creamier the mortadella will become. Once it’s cured, try it in sandwiches, in Mortadella Tortelli with Pistachio Pesto, or on Mortadella Pizza.

  MAKES ONE 5-POUND SAUSAGE

  4 pounds (1.8 kg) lean lamb leg meat, cubed

  1 pound (450 g) pork fatback, cubed, plus 8 ounces fatback (225 g), cut into ½-inch dice

  1 clove garlic (4 g), smashed

  1 tablespoon (15 g) dry white wine

  1 cup (224 g) crushed ice with water

  ⅔ cup (89 g) dry milk

  ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (44 g) kosher salt

  3 tablespoons (22 g) dextrose powder, or 2 tablespoons (16 g) superfine sugar

  1¾ teaspoons (8 g) unflavored powdered gelatin

  1 teaspoon (6 g) curing salt No. 1 (pink salt)

  1 teaspoon (3.5 g) whole black peppercorns, ground

  1 teaspoon (3 g) whole coriander seeds, ground

  ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg

  ⅔ cup pistachios (70 g)

  1 beef bung, soaked in cold water for 1 hour, then rinsed inside and out

  Freeze the lam
b and 1 pound cubed fatback in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm but not solid, about 1 hour. At the same time, freeze all the parts to a meat grinder.

  Meanwhile, blanch the 8 ounces ½-inch-diced fatback by immersing it in boiling water for 30 seconds, then immersing it in ice water until cold. Refrigerate until needed. Soak the garlic in the wine for 30 minutes, then discard the garlic and keep the wine.

  Fit the meat grinder with the large die. Put on plastic gloves and stick your hands in a large bowl of ice until very cold, almost painful. Place the bowl of a stand mixer in the large bowl of ice, then set the grinder to high speed. Grind the cold lamb and fat into the mixer bowl. Cover the bowl and freeze for 10 minutes. Switch to the small die in the grinder, then uncover the meat and grind with the small die 4 more times, covering and freezing the bowl for 10 minutes between each grinding. You can also work in batches, dividing the ground mixture between two small baking sheets and keeping one batch in the freezer while grinding the other batch. Just be sure to grind at least 5 times so the mixture is very smooth.