Weekend charcuterie courses let you experience the art of preservation
Hammond Charcuterie based in Berwickshire has teamed up with the respected author and pig consultant Linda McDonald-Brown in a bid to shatter the many myths that surround charcuterie by running comprehensive weekend courses just for women so they can learn all about the the art of charcuterie.
Charcuterie is the generic name that relates to the preservation of meat using only traditional methods, and in one form or another has been around for centuries. Still extremely popular in Europe, it has recently undergone somewhat of a renaissance in Britain, and has made appearances on such celebrity cookery programmes as River Cottage and Channel 4’s Jimmy and Jamie’s Friday Night Feast. This has helped it to become one of the biggest foodie trends for 2014.
Up to now producing charcuterie has been very much the domain of men, but Rachel Hammond, the UK’s only professional female charcutier and owner of Hammond Charcuterie based in Eyemouth is now proving you don’t have to be big and butch or have years of practice with knife skills to begin preserving your own cuts at home.
The course begins on the Saturday with a hands on introduction to traditional pig breeds from piglets up to 7ft long adults. Throughout the day under the guidance of Linda McDonald-Brown, author of books Choosing and Keeping Pigs, and Pigs for the Freezer, a Smallholders’ Guide, students will have the chance to handle these magnificent breeds, gain practical experience and learn exactly what is entailed in keeping a couple of pigs for charcuterie, in a fun and informal way.
Sunday’s event is spent in the kitchen discovering the best of the European charcuterie cuts and learning with a hands on approach practical techniques to break-down and cut a carcass for yourself. Salting, curing, air-drying and smoking are all covered and at the end of the day, students will go home with bacon, lonza and chorizo to dry at home. The emphasis is on safety and maximizing the products from one carcass, classes are an informal and friendly way, and flex to the needs of each student.
Whether you want to rear your own animals or are just simply curious, this course covers everything you need to know from producing the pigs to giving you the skills and confidence to have a go at curing at home.
The weekend courses begin in March. Mixed sex courses as well as charcuterie days only are also available. Lunch is provided on each day and is made up of our own charcuterie, local bread and local cheeses.
