Charcuterie For Dummies by Mark LaFay

The world of charcuterie is at your fingertips Even if you’ve never cooked a slab of bacon in your life, you can prepare sausage and cured meats at home! In Charcuterie for Dummies, you’ll learn everything you could possibly need to get started, from choosing the right gear and finding quality raw ingredients, all the way through taking your parties to the next level with epic charcuterie boards. Salami, bacon, prosciutto, and good-old-fashioned sausage are all on the menu with Charcuterie for Dummies. Author and meat master Mark LaFay will help you keep things safe and sanitary, equip you with some seriously awesome recipes, and teach you a thing or two about which beers and wines to serve up with your meat. Choose a chapter and get started! Get started curing meats at home with the highest quality raw ingredients, equipment, and recipes Make everything from sausage and bacon to prosciutto, salami, and more Learn how to pair your homemade meats with jams, nuts, cheeses, and pickles for epic charcuterie boards Take your new hobby to the next level with more advanced recipes and beverage pairings Whether you’re a total beginner or coming in with some previous knowledge, Charcuterie for Dummies will unleash your culinary creativity! Read more

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From the Publisher Six Questions with Mark LaFay What does “charcuterie” mean? Charcuterie is a French word that means prepared meats. This includes dry-cured and cooked meats. Recently the term has become more widely used to describe platters of meats, cheeses, pickles, nuts, dried and fresh fruit, mustards, jams, and toast. As for the pronunciation, French words can be hard to say. An easy way to remember how to pronounce charcuterie is shar-coo-ter-ee. (Sorry, you’re on your own for remembering how to spell it.) How much cheese and charcuterie should you allot per person? When entertaining, if you have a hungry crowd, budget 2oz of cheese and 2oz of meat per person. You can then fill in with all sorts of accoutrements like toast, various pickles, jams, nuts, and fruit. If it turns out you have leftovers, you have a snack for the next day! How much variety should be on a board? The variety on a board is up to you. I liken this question to asking a painter how many colors to use in a painting. If you know your audience, you may want to play to their preferences. Here’s the mix I like to use: · At least three cheeses (one hard, one soft, one dealer’s choice) · Four different meats · Two whole muscle meats (prosciutto, coppa, bresaola, spec, and so on) · Two salami How do you determine what kind of wine or beer to pair with your charcuterie board? When I’m pairing wine with charcuterie, I try to find a wine that has higher acidity and/or tannin. Acidity cuts fat and pairs nicely with high-acid foods. Wines that are higher in tight gripping tannins also go nicely with fatty meats and cheese. The same can apply when picking a beer. Higher-acid beers like sours are great. Mild beers will be more universally appealing (American lagers, not too hoppy). Charcuterie For Dummies offers more details on smart pairings. What alternatives can you include for vegetarians? If you are hosting guests who follow a vegetarian diet, go heavy with cheeses, nuts, fresh and dried fruits, and more. What’s the top hint you’d give people when they assemble a charcuterie board? Take your time, have fun. Don’t overthink it. If there are flavor combinations you want your guests to try, group them together on the board. Don’t forget serving utensils. About the author Mark LaFay Mark LaFay, author of Charcuterie For Dummies, has entrepreneurialism running through his veins. From grade school to now, LaFay has created and run small businesses that have taken him and his products around the world. LaFay built businesses in the music industry, producing hundreds of events in Central Indiana and developing numerous musical acts into internationally touring and recognized groups. LaFay was co-founder of Lectio , a software startup and mobile application built to encourage independent reading for students with language-related learning disabilities; and he was a co-founder of Roust, a social network for people interested in discussing politics, policy, religion, and social issues. LaFay is the founder and owner of Old Major Market, an Indianapolis-based virtual butcher shop specializing in sausage, bacon, cured meats, and artisanal provisions. LaFay is also a Certified Sommelier in the Court of Master Sommeliers.