French Garlic and Saucisson Sec
We start, of course, with one of my favorite books. I fell in love with the jacket photo, one Thanksgiving actually reproducing it in my sausage. I'm giving serious thought to buying another copy so I stop messing up the autographed one. The knife I've had since 74, I wish it were bigger and heavier, it is not quite 8", but it is my favorite Chef's knife although my wife's 10" is now running a close 2nd. Hers is modern and shiney, that is plain carbon steel. I can get a razor edge on it with little work however, the only things sharper are the boning knife and the lox slicer.
This is a mixture of pictures from two sausages, the ones in the title.
That is much of the mise for French Garlic. Garlic, salt and fresh ground pepper.
4.5 pounds of pork, 0.5 pounds of fat back.
Salt and pepper added.
The garlic, I weigh my ingrediants by the way.
Below is my newest toy, an industrial grade meat grinder. 1000 watts under load which puts it close to my bench saw. Capacity of 180 pounds an hour. The Kitchen Aide attachment isn't even in the same ball park, 3 dies, about $150 from Northern Industrial, recomended by a chef at CIA, although he uses an attachment for a floor standing Hobart at school.
Ground pork with spices.
The grinder in pieces. Metal not plastic
Hog casing.
Hog casing on the sausage stuffer, also Northern Industrial. Kim, keep quiet.
That is the Saucisson, now ageing in the basement, along with two hams and a pancetta.
The French Garlic, which I plan on ringing in lots of variations; papricka and basil/sun-dried tomatoes for two.
A purist would be upset, but the chef here isn't. 
By the way, pictures here often are taken well before they get posted. The Saucisson Sec should be ready on Saturday.
One note of caution, check sausage daily for mold it can happen in the blink of an eye. If it does wipe it down with a brine, instructions in the book.
The next I make will be two of three fermented sausage to include peperone.
You have to love a guy who's favorite toy is an industrial grade meat grinder. You know, it's not like a corvette or a golf club or a hair piece or something normal.
And seriously, the hog casing? On the "sausage stuffer"? If that's what you perv's are calling it these days. You know, I have 10 jokes right now, ready to go...
Seriously, this looks incredible. My husband just looked over my shoulder and was like "Wow! That's amazing!" And it is and you are.
Great post!
Kim
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I've still my own hair, which is totally luck as both my brothers don't and I'm the one in the middle.
I have never even tried to play golf, no interest, although my ex caddied for Jackie Gleason at a celeb tournament in 73.
Corvettes are fun to drive, but only in places with high speed limits.
So I make do with food grinders and bench saws.
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I wish I had the patience to do that. It looks delicious.
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It really doesn't take either time or patience. I can do 20 pounds of sausage in about 3 hours, starting with whole shoulders.
I can find shoulder for about $1/lb, if not less and if you don't have a grinder most large stores sell ground pork, turkey and beef - veal and chicken can be a problem.
There are several sausages that don't require casings and you know exactly what went into all of it.
Yes, I've made several hundred dollars in equipment investments and probably have $200 in casings and curing salts/powders in the house.
On the dry cured ham, I pay $2.59/lb for the pork, 4 pounds of Kosher salt and a piece of cheese cloth, a pint of lard, pepper and some string. I will net 12 pounds at a cost of far less than $60. My wife and I don't buy prosciutto anymore. We don't buy sausage anymore. We don't buy stock, unless we need something that won't gel, anymore.
I know exactly what is in all of them, the jams are fruit, water and sugar. The pickles are vegetables, spices, salt and vinegar.
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I love these photos, and all the others on your site. Your cooking and menus just amaze me. Thanks for sharing all your projects with us. Lynn
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The photos are easy, the only real hassle is the posting. The process is time consuming.
My wife does the menus, although I do have input and take the pictures, but she does almost all of the cooking for them.
The cooking and making the basics (stocks, sausage and the like) is fun. We have to eat but we are trying to eat well for as little as possible.
We have immense freezer capacity and look for good sales. For steak, as example, I buy a couple of whole filets and big standing ribs and turn them into steaks. That does it for a year and is the luxury item. Chicken leg quarters are 59/cents a pound this week. I will make sausage and freeze the legs. Or perhaps I will buy fryers and cut them up. Every things will get used.
This year we plan on taking the garden back so expect posts on that. Mostly tomatoes and peppers. We do have an asparagus bed.
I'm planning on buying a couple of gross of pint jars. I'm looking to not buy vegetables next year - other than asparagus and when fresh is really needed, such as salad.
I won't go to the compost bins in winter, too much ice, rock and steep, but will start serious composting next week. I intend to fence more of the lot, woodchucks, and start a berry patch.
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System blew away a long reply which I don't have time to really recreate.
We also try and do this cheap. Or inexpensively as possible. I like steak and it isn't cheap, but my wife and I watch for sales, but the maximum allowed and freeze. A lot of it is a filet as loss leader, cut into individual portions. That goes a long way. A standing rib will deliver two good steaks per rib, and one is a meal for us now. My idea of a steak used to be 16-24 oz, now it is 4-6, lots healthier.
We plan on taking the garden back from the wild and expanding it - we must fence - for a berry patch. The decorative fruit trees will go for ones that actually produce and I will add imensely to my supply of jars.
I keep trying to expand my baking but I can buy better bread than I bake, mostly. Plus I lost my big stand mixer and can no longer knead by hand.
We have to eat, we must eat cheaply, we both have the normal health problems of people our age, and doing so can be fun.
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Looks great-I picked up the same meat grinder last year but haven't used it yet. I'm planning to fire it up soon.
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Hay Charcuteire!
Must say i'm honored and delighted to see that someone actually reads my rants!
And wow you have come so much further in the whole charcuterie world than me. I am completely into it though. Starting this project to creat a drycuring fridge in my appartment!
Happy charcuting!
/Offalboy
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Check back next week. I'm planing on putting up a side bar of sites that do or have something to do with charcuterie.
Food is fun.
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Ooh! Me likey that meat grinder. And only $150?! I'm on it...
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You know, Philistine that I am, the process looks a bit repulsive. But dang, the end product certainly looks irresistible!
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Another post, please darling...we're waiting...
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I'm working on it. Boning two turkeys today, essentially for the practice.
I will of course be using the parts, breasts for pastrami, thighs amd legs for sausage, roast the wings (the best part), bones for stock. But my wife wants a boned turkey for Thanksgiving and I've never boned one in this fashion before.
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Keep posting and keep providing nice and great information.
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