Charcuterie Essentials

CURING SALT

Charcuterie recipes often call for a touch of pink curing salt, such as Insta Cure no. for cooked and smoked meats or Insta Cure no. 2 for dry cured meats, to kill bacteria. The salt is toxic if ingested directly. You can find curing salts at specialty stores or on Amazon.

SAUSAGE CASING

Most butcher shops will either sell or order fresh hot or lamb casings. Remember to soak the casings in water for at least 30 minutes before you stuff them

FATBACK

A layer of fat from the pigs’s back, fat back is essential in just about every sausage and wild game recipe and can be found at most any grocery store of butcher shop.

MEAT GRINDER-SAUSAGE STUFFER

Invest in a unit that’ll last you many seasons. In many cases you can also grind the meat in a food processor and stuff the casings by hand.

DIGITAL SCALE

As you explore more charcuterie recipes, you’ll find that the ingredients are often listed by weight, since that’s the most accurate form of measuring.