Pancetta Rustica

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Pancetta, if you didn't know, is quite simply Italian bacon. Pork belly is cured with garlic, herbs and aromatic spices such as nutmeg, clove and cinnamon, then hung to dry. Often the belly is rolled and tied before drying for an attractive spiral effect when sliced, but not always. Most ...

The Grind

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

One of the great pleasures of having one's own meat grinder comes from the luxury of autonomy over the fat content of ground meats. It seems that most store bought ground beef comes with a fat content of no greater than 30%. But we all know that a fattier burger ...

Under the Bell

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

This is the best video I've found on cooking in the peka, an ancient indirect roasting oven handed down to the Balkan people by their Illyrian ancestors. I have some video on the subject on the editing room floor, but time has been slippery. The peka is most commonly used on ...

Roasting on an Open Fire

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

I had a half kilo of ground beef that needed dispatching, and so I hove it into my backsack before heading to Pete and Mara's function last evening. It was a warm, intimate gathering of friends and associates, and the fireplace was lit. I seasoned the beef liberally with sea ...