January's Duck Proscuitto on a Pizza

Here is Jason, making a pizza with the finished duck proscuitto.

Fresh Mozzerella, Caramelized Shallots, and our Duck Proscuitto!

Time to Roll

 Today we rinsed and rolled the pancetta.  I honestly have never smelled a better smell in my whole life.

Its home for three weeks in my wine fridge.

Bresaola - February Project #2

 Chef Donovan approves.

Italian air dried beef - This one will take a month! Eye of round, ready to be cured.

Extra Pork Belly - a Gift from the Snow Day Fairy - For Pancetta!

Things were a bit chaotic as we arrived back at school today after two snow days - figuring out what to do with two days of food for classses that may go to waste can be tricky. Lucky for us there was an extra pork belly up for grabs. Can you say "Pancetta?" We put it down for a seven day cure nap today.

February's Challenge - The Salt Cure

Carcutepalooza continues with February's Challenge - the Salt Cure.  A couple of new twists have been added to the challenge - Each month there is an "Apprentice" Challenge and a "Charcuterie" Challenge.  We will be making guanciale - cured pig's jowel, which is on the Charcuterie Challenge list.
(Wish us luck finding pigs' cheek! Maybe Henry can help us.) Another twist is The Grand Prize!  One lucky blogger will win trip to Gascony, France for a five day Charcuterie Class / Culinary Tour of Gascony.

Coming soon - Duck proscuitto pizza /  Putting our pig jowel down for its long two month winter's nap.

Chef Office Humor

Chef Nikki Bennett's Stapler in Aspic - Compliments of Chef Drew Curlett.

Yikes!

Duck Proscuitto Ready for Action

Henry, My yellow lab, has spent a good part of the last week hanging out in front of the wine fridge, sniffing the air coming out of the fan. It's been 10 days since the duck began its hang in there, and when I checked it on days 8 and 9,  the centers just seemed too squishy, and my taste test told me to wait for them to dry a little longer. Today, snow day # 3 this year, they seem to be ready. Time to make their long journey back to school.

Duck Proscuitto - January - Started on a Snow Day in Columbus, OH

Welcome to our year of Charcuterie!


January's Challenge - Duck Proscuitto

We are a group of Chef Instructors in the Midwest who haven't lost our desire to play with food!  We have joined a growing list of bloggers in a year long challenge known as "Charcutepalooza" . Participants prepare one recipe from Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn's Book Charcuterie - The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing per month for a year. We've been meaning to start a blog to showcase some of our crazy school antics, as well as our occasional creations, and Charcutapalooza gave us an excuse to get off our duffs and take some photos. 


I'll be taking home the breasts to hang in my wine fridge - that'll give them a steady 55 degree home for a week or so. See you when the cure is complete!

Above:  Chef Daineal Donovan, wrapping the salt cured duck breasts   
                                                                      
Below: Chef Marsha Ginsberg tying the cheesecloth