Pig to Pork Transition

We have been on an exponential charcuterial learning curve since the pigs returned from the butchers, less their personalities! We were determined to use everything possible ... they say with a pig you can 'use everything but the oink', which is very true. The first job was to make liver pate, as fresh liver doesn't keep well and using it within hours is best. It doesn't freeze well either, uncooked. I decided on two recipes ... a sage and brandy pate compliments of the infamous River Cottage Cookbook, and one we invented ourselves ... parsley and Irish whiskey pate.

Firstly, let me say, that a pigs liver is rather a large organ, much bigger than I'd envisaged! I cut it up into chunks and then set about whizzing it to a rough paste with my hand whizzer which hasn't seen the light of day since making home made baby food a few years ago! Its really a job for a food processor, and I was lucky the motor on my whizzer didn't burn out. Using an enclosed food processor would also spare you the job of cleaning up a large amount of splattered liquidized liver from both yourself, and your kitchen surfaces (live n learn eh!).

Both pates cooked in the oven, in a tray which sits in a larger tray of water, a 'Bain Marie' is the culinary term for this method (we had to ring my Mother in Law to ask!). The smell was tantalising, and it was late at night when we tucked in and sampled our first home made pates .... delicious. I'd say we have a very generous years supply, sliced into portions, and frozen for use.

The following days were to be a grueling schedule of rubbing various salt and herb dry cure mixtures into slabs of pork,  selecting a ham to air cure, making batches of sausages, bagging and marking everything. Full credit to Dan for selecting and making the cures and sausage mixes. We were up till 1am the first night, and although I bailed at 1am the next night too, Dan stuck it out with his sausage making machine till 3am! We were both on the verge of that 'never again' feeling, but that was promptly banished with the bite of the first sausage and the mouth watering flavour of juniper berry home cured bacon rashers, and we have yet to cook and glaze our dry cured hams. I will write in more detail in the coming days about the rest of our charcuterial adventures!

Comments

[Wild Rose]

It all sounds so delicious...dry cured ham, homemade sausage...yummy! Not so sure about being splattered in liquidised liver though! Enjoy!

Marie x

[Artmomma]

Sounds delicious! Do you use an electric or hand-cranked grinder for your sausages? My boy and I are planning to try making sausages ourselves, and have heard fairly good arguments for both.

[Sandie]

Oh! my mouth is watering, especially as I only have Supermarket yoghurt for lunch. I know its hard work but you are so lucky being able to live your dream.

[colour it green]

great! I made the liver pate from River Cottage only a couple of days ago too (I bought the meat though)

tell me though - don't the liver and the rest of the meat usually arrive at different times? I thought you had to hang around at the abatoir if you wanted the liver.. and the rest of the meat arrived once butchered?