A personal journal on meat craft, charcuterie & home smoking
This is a slow-moving notebook where I write about what I cook, smoke, cure and age. No ads, no sponsored posts, no rush — just observations from a small home kitchen and whatever the local butcher had on the counter that week.
Expect long-winded notes on brining ratios, stubborn dry-aging experiments, and the endless argument over whether paprika belongs in a proper kielbasa.
"Good charcuterie is mostly patience and salt. Everything else is flourish."
An update on the batch I started in February. Humidity was the main villain this time. Notes on the smoker setup, the salt cure percentages, and what I'd do differently.
A deep dive into two sausages that look similar and taste nothing alike. Recipe comparison, history, and why garlic does most of the heavy lifting.
Results from a small mini-fridge setup. Weight loss, crust thickness, and a brutally honest assessment of whether it was worth the freezer space.
Forgotten, then vilified, now quietly rehabilitated. How rendered lard compares to other fats, and a simple method for rendering it clean at home.