Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman, Brian Polcyn Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing
Book Review: traditionalists be warned
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this book as I have embarked on a slow food adventure of my own - it is a book filled with great recipes for sausage, terrine, salami and all sorts of great sounding and mouthwatering meaty tidbits - however, and this is a big however, it suffers from stagefright. Why because it only delivers one verdict in the area of food safety - that nitrites and nitrates rule - it fails to give the educated consumer a choice in approach. I fail to see how, when amongst many others the acknowledged King of hams in Parma or its moot equal Iberico can deliver such gems without the use of nitrates,the art of charchuterie can be considered complete for dismissing their non use so quickly. Many will deservedly love this book but for the adventurous among us it falls short. Book Review: excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book for my father as a Christmas gift, and he has done nothing but putting meat in casings since then. Very detailed and informative. It's by far the best curing book I've seen from what's out there. Many of the recipes we've found online do not go into detail about how much and which type of salt is required for the right cure, but this one makes sure the proportions are right so you don't get sick off of your own food. The history of (the) Charcuterie also adds to the pride that comes with learning this all but lost art. I'd recommend this book to the beginner interested in getting started or to the advanced who is looking to hone their skills.Book Review: Awesome
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are interested in charcuterie this is a must have. Easy to read format is not like a textbook. The food comes alive in the pages and you want to make everything. All of the recipies that I have tried have worked marvelously, bacon, saurkraut, pate de campagna, pate en croute, chutneys, etc. I love it.Book Review: "Gods Work"
Summary: 4 Stars
This is truely a must have for everyone! It opens doors on the art that charcuterie is. Michael Ruhlman is truely on of the great food writers of our generation and with the help of Brian Polcyn he brings us this great book. If you have any interst in things like meat emulsions, bacon, or confit this is the book for you. I give it only four stars because there are very few pictures and I would love for this book to be more visual. Overall a truely awsome book a must have! Book Review: Not another cook book this...
Summary: 5 Stars
I think this book is about having fun with your food. You can experiment and come up with your own recipes as long as you follow a few simple guidlines.
My first smoked salmon was a bit too salty. I was anxious and did not read the part about the firmness change when the fish was cured. I ended up crumbling a bit on my egg and toast in the morning and talk about wonderfull. Yes, I hot smoked the salmon.
The authors make a readable and enjoyable path through a subject that is not mainstream. The tricks you can learn in this book can carry over into all your cooking, at least it has mine. This is not just another cook book, it goes into why you do what you do. This is a lesson in cooking.
For example I was looking at some recipes on the internet the other night, and one person did not know why her rub did not flavor the chicken she was doing. She got a recipe from a chef down in Africa and it tasted nothing like her meal there. She was only using 1/2 tp of salt on the entire chicken. According to 'Charcuterie' salt is the vehicle of transportation for your spices.
Wealth of information here folks. 5 stars from this amateur.
Thanks authors, I was getting a little bored with cooking. You jump started me again. I could go on, but you get the idea. I have had this book since last Christmas (gift from wife) and just recently discovered what it really was. To bad I'm on a restricted diet, but as you say moderation is key, and we have friends who like this kind of thing.
Tip: If you go to the Bradley smoker web site, and get on the forums there, go into the cold smoke forum and you will find a simple and inexpensive way to cold smoke using an old bullet smoker, a hot plate, some aluminum dryer hosing, and a box of your own design. I will say I'm interested in getting the Bradley smoker.