Charcuterie Changed My Life

About 4 weeks ago I would have never thought for a second about curing, smoking or salting my own meat.  I would’ve passed it off as something that only a “pro” could handle.  Not little ole me.  I would have no idea where to begin, yadda yadda yadda.  Well, I have been proven wrong in a big way.  

After joining in on Charcutepalooza and purchasing Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing, reading through the list of what I needed to get started, I set out to purchase a Pork Loin.  I roasted half of it for a Sunday Family Dinner and the other half (after cleaning of all fat) went straight in a pot with salt, fresh thyme, fresh sage and crushed garlic and brined in the fridge for 2 days.  I convinced the Hubs to buy me a beginner smoker from the home improvement store and I was ready to smoke my very first Canadian Bacon.  It was all a little nerve-wracking since I’d never done it before and how would I know when it’s done or how many briquettes or what if I add too much of the wood chips.  You know, those questions of doubt that fill our heads when we try something new for the first time.  Anyway, I just dove in and did what I thought was right and the end result was Meat Magic.  Smoky, a little salty and a whole lot of good!  If you’ve ever wanted to give it a shot, now’s the time.  Buy the book and start tomorrow.  You won’t be disappointed and it may very well change your life as well.