Essays on cured, smoked, and fermented foods from the Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cooking, 2010.

An internationally respected editorial team and array of chapter contributors has developed the Handbook of Fermented Meat and Poultry, an updated and comprehensive hands-on reference book on the science and technology of processing fermented meat and poultry products. Beginning with the principles of processing fermented meat and ending with discussions of product quality, safety, and consumer acceptance, the book takes three approaches: background and principles; product categories; and product quality and safety. The historical background on the fermentation of meat and poultry products is followed by a series of discussions on their science and technology: curing, fermentation, drying and smoking, basic ingredients (raw product, additives, spices, and casings), and starter cultures. Coverage of product categories details the science and technology of making various fermented meat and poultry products from different parts of the world, including: semidry-fermented sausages (summer sausage), dry-fermented sausages (salami), sausages from other meats, and ripened meat products (ham). Product quality and safety is probably the most important aspect of making fermented meat and poultry because it addresses the question of consumer acceptance and public health safety. While a processor may produce a wonderful sausage, the product must ultimately satisfy the consumer in terms of color, texture, taste, flavor, packaging, and so on. In the current political and social climate, food safety has a high priority. Coverage includes issues such as spoilage microorganisms, pathogens, amines, toxins, HACCP and disease outbreaks.

In the thirteenth River Cottage Handbook, Steven Lamb shows how to cure and smoke your own meat, fish and cheese. Curing and smoking your own food is a bit of a lost art in Britain these days. While our European neighbours have continued to use these methods on their meat, fish and cheese for centuries, we seem to have lost the habit. But with the right guidance, anyone can preserve fresh produce, whether living on a country farm or in an urban flat – it doesn't have to take up a huge amount of space. The River Cottage ethos is all about knowing the whole story behind what you put on the table; and as Steven Lamb explains in this thorough, accessible guide, it's easy to take good-quality ingredients and turn them into something sensational. Curing & Smoking begins with a detailed breakdown of any kit you might need (from sharp knives to sausage stuffers, for the gadget-loving cook) and an explanation of the preservation process – this includes a section showing which products and cuts are most suitable for different methods of curing and smoking. The second part of the book is organised by preservation method, with an introduction to each one, and comprehensive guidance on how to do it. And for each method, there are, of course, many delicious recipes! These include chorizo Scotch eggs, salt beef, hot smoked mackerel, home-made gravadlax ... and your own dry-cured streaky bacon sizzling in the breakfast frying-pan. With an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and full-colour photographs as well as illustrations, this book is the go-to guide for anyone who wants to smoke, brine or air-dry their way to a happier kitchen.

Make your own dry-cured pork delicacies at home with the know-how you’ll learn from this book. Over the centuries, dry-cured pork has evolved as a food of the changing seasons. Its flavors are truly a taste of the landscape and climate, and they have served as a crucial, long-lasting food source for many cultures. Dry-cured pork is the ultimate slow food. It doesn’t need to be complicated but it’s important to have clear, step-by-step instructions. That’s where Hector Kent comes in. Kent, a science teacher by trade, has written the book he wished he’d had when he made his first prosciutto: One that brings together the critical components of curing in the simplest form possible, with photographs and illustrations to assure the reader of safe and delicious results. In addition to basic recipes, Kent offers readers interviews, advice, and recipes from several trend-setting dry-curing operations across the country.

Preservation by fermentation is one of the oldest food technologies, and yet it continues to play an important role in meat preservation in many parts of the world. These processes can be relatively simple, with minimal microbial involvement, or more complex, involving defined ingredients and starter cultures with controlled environmental conditions. Most meat fermentations rely on the use of salt as an ingredient, sometimes with the addition of nitrate, nitrite and spices. In some cases the meat may be smoked and, as with some cheese fermentations, fermented meats may be ripened by moulds and yeasts. The preservation of meats by fermentation depends on the interaction of a number of environmental and microbio logical factors including the pH, water activity, redox potential and the presence of preservatives and a competitive microftora. The subject of fermented meats is an important but relatively specialised area of microbiology and food technology. Few books have specifically addressed this subject and the topic has usually been dealt with in reviews and research papers with a significant proportion of these being published in languages other than English. As far as we are aware, this volume is the first to bring together a selection of key topics relating to the production of fermented meats and their chemical and microbiological properties. The book begins with a general chapter on the properties of meat.

In 1945 Polish meat products were standardized, using traditional time-proven recipes. This edition contains carefully compiled government recipes that were used by Polish meat plants between 1950-1990.

The craft of Italian salumi, now accessible to the American cook, from the authors of the best-selling Charcuterie. Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn inspired a revival of artisanal sausage making and bacon curing with their surprise hit, Charcuterie. Now they delve deep into the Italian side of the craft with Salumi, a book that explores and simplifies the recipes and techniques of dry curing meats. As the sources and methods of making our food have become a national discussion, an increasing number of cooks and professional chefs long to learn fundamental methods of preparing meats in the traditional way. Ruhlman and Polcyn give recipes for the eight basic products in Italy’s pork salumi repertoire: guanciale, coppa, spalla, lardo, lonza, pancetta, prosciutto, and salami, and they even show us how to butcher a hog in the Italian and American ways. This book provides a thorough understanding of salumi, with 100 recipes and illustrations of the art of ancient methods made modern and new.