For some people creating something brings a great sense of peace and fulfillment. Slowly expanding the farm over time is that way for us, especially when B can create something in its entirety that we have grown or raised on our own.
Last year was our
first foray into charcuterie. Charcuterie, originally a form of meat preservation
prior to refrigeration, is the process of preserving meats (primarily pork) to develop rich flavors. We got ourselves a pork belly and made our first pancetta. We loved it and B has spent endless hours researching and learning how to expand this into more and more.
Doing things the natural way, letting the curing and fermenting processes evolve as they were meant to has become a focus for us. Last week, using a slightly different recipe, we began another pancetta using a Berkshire Pork belly (This pork is the bomb, and the breed that we are looking to raise).
As each year we expand, this year we are also curing three duck breast pancettas, homestead raised. The meat was absolutely beautiful after its initial sodium curing and after seasoning and rolling in cheese cloth it is now hanging in a temperature controlled area, soon to be incorporated into our holiday meals and beyond.
I would not be surprised if our natural food preservation techniques become an important expansion of our little smallholding as time goes on.
