Think On It

Artisan meat

December 24th, 2006

Last Saturday I went to collect the quarter of pork I bought from Alberta and Carlo.  Take it from me, this pork doesn’t taste like supermarket pork.  It tastes like real meat!  Here are some images from the day.

This is Carlo’s mother stirring the melting lard, or strutto.  If it is allowed to stick it can be ruined.

These are called fegatelli; chunks of liver wrapped in net fat with bay leaves.

Here is the net fat on its own.  Alberta said it is the peritoneum, but I’m not sure of that.

Here they are slowly sautéing in the pan… slowly, you hear?

Here are the fegatelli cooked.  The fat disappears.  Sam and I loved it!

Some of the many, many sausages as I was packaging them for the freezer.
The sausages are delicious.  I’ve been doing various things with them.  Here’s something to make when you are too distracted or busy to really cook.

Beans with Sausages

Three fresh sausages, opened and crumbled (if yours are fatty, drain off most of the fat after they are sautéed)
1/2 onion, chopped

about 7 ounces of canned tomatoes, or 1/2 of the usual 14 ounce tin

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

(optionally, a similar amount of bell pepper, chopped)

1 ordinary 14 ounce can of white beans or of chick peas, ceci, garbanzos, depending on where you buy them.

Heat a small frying pan and put in a small amount of olive oil, then the chopped onion and the bell pepper if you are using it.  Add the sausages crumbles.  Sauté until the sausage and onion are cooked, but don’t brown them.   Sprinkle the cumin over all, add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are hot.  Add the drained beans or chick peas and heat through.

That’s it.  Yummy and simple, plus it has 3 of your 5 vegetable servings in it, even if you don’t count the beans.

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized, Food, Italy, Preserving