[Sca-cooks] Bacon

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

On Jun 9, 2009, at 10:30 AM, Michael Gunter wrote:

>
>> The translation does not specifically call for pork
>> fat, but salt pork would probably fit the recipe.
>>
>> Bear
>
>
> After much experimentation with making Zervelat
>
> last year with sometimes very unfortunate results,
>
> I have found that pork belly is definately the way
>
> to go. I have also added regular thick cut smoked
>
> bacon to the recipe with wonderful results. But
>
> you definately need the pork belly to give the correct
>
> fat "mouth-feel" that we are used to with good
>
> sausages.

I would add to that (from my own sometimes less-than-stellar  
experience) that no matter how new, sharp, clean and cold your grinder  
is, and how cold your fat pork is, it is better to chop it with a  
knife if possible, rather than grinding it. The lean meat is less of a  
problem in that regard, but since the fat is basically oil (albeit a  
saturated fat that is more or less solid at room temperature) stored  
in tiny little bags, for a moist sausage you want to disturb these as  
little as possible, and burst as few of the little membrane-pockets of  
fat as possible in the chopping process.

Adamantius






"Most men worry about their own bellies, and other people's souls,  
when we all ought to worry about our own souls, and other people's  
bellies."
			-- Rabbi Israel Salanter