TheRovingButcher

Making the Most of Goat & Mutton Presented by Jake Levin, The Roving Butcher

Intros

• WhoamI• Whoareyou?Quickshowofhands:

Basics• Definitions• Whygoat&mutton?

TheMeatofIt• BasicAnatomy• QualityConsiderations

HowtoSell/Eatit• Makingfamiliarandeasyto-work-withcuts• Value-addedproducts• Recipeideas?(pullingfromotherfoodcultures)

Goat/Mutton Cut Chart

A. NeckB. ShoulderC. RibsD. LoinE. SirloinF. ShankG. BreastH. Leg

B.

A.

C.

G.

H.

D.

F.

E.

A.

B.

D.

C.Goat/Mutton Charcuterie Chart

A. Fresh Sausage, Salami, or CoppaB. Lomo, BresaolaC. Violino di Capra, Sham, CulatelloD. Shacon or Goatcetta

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MeatCookery101Belowaresomebasicrulestoemploywheneveryoufindyourselfwithahunkofbeautiful,pasture-raisedmeatthatneedstendingto.Thesegeneralrulesofthumbwillhelpyouconfidentlytakeonanythingthatcomesyourway.FormoredetailedinstructionsonvariouscookingtechniqueswehighlyrecommendTheRiverCottageMeatBookbyHughFearnley-WhittingstallandIntheCharcuteriebyTaylorBoetticherandToponiaMiller.1. Selectingtheappropriatecookingmethod.Perhapsthemostimportantthingtoknowishowtobestcookagivencut.Thevariouscookingtechniquesformeatcanbelumpedintotwobasiccategories:fast-cookingandslow-cookingmethods.Whichyouusewilldependuponwhereontheanimalyourcutcamefromandhowactivethatmusclewasduringtheanimal’slife.Themoreworkamuscledoesonananimal,themoreflavoritwillhavebutthetougheritwillbeandthemoreconnectivetissueitislikelytohave,meaningit’sbestcookedwithalong,slow,gentletechniqueatrelativelylowheat.Thislong,slowapproachgivestimefortheproteinsandconnectivetissuetobreakdown.You’llendupwithtendermeatandlotsofbodyandasilkyunctuousqualitytoyourcookingliquidordrippings.Viceversa,thelessworkamuscledoes,themoretenderitwillbebutthelessflavorfulitwillbe.Thesemoretendermuscleswillhavefarlessconnectivetissueandarebestsuitedtoquick-cookmethods.Thereislotsofnuancewithineachanimal,butasageneralrulethatcanbeappliedacrossallfour-leggedanimals,cutsfromtheshoulderandbellyregionsarebestwithaslow-cookmethod,cutsfromtheloindowellwithafast-cookapproach,andcutsfromthebacklegcangoeitherwaythoughwetendtopreferquicker-cookmethodshere.Fast-CookMethods,featuringahightemperatureandarelativelyshortduration:Roasting,Sautéing,Grilling,Frying,Pan-cooking,BroilingSlow-CookMethods,featuringalowtemperatureandalongduration:Braising,Poaching.Stewing,Slow-Roast,BarbecuingorSlowSmoking

2. Temperyourmeat.Coldmeatwon’tcookevenly,sopullyourmeatoutofthefridgeearlyandgiveitsometimetocomeuptoroomtemperature.Thisisespeciallyimportantwithlargercuts,whichwillneedseveralhoursatroomtemperaturetotemper.

3. Saltyourmeat.Saltenhancestheflavorofanythingyouseasonwithitandmeatcantakeanampleamountofsalt.It’sakeycomponentinbringingoutthefullflavorofyourbeautifulpasturedmeat.

4. Tieroastsandotherirregularly-shapedcuts.Tyingyourroastmakesforauniformshapeandthicknessthroughout,whichwillallowthemeattocookmoreevenly.Italsomakesforeasierhandlingofsomecuts.Ifyou’repurchasingfromabutchertheyshouldbeabletodothisforyou;youcanalsopickupsomekitchentwineandlearnthissimpleskillforyourself!

5. Restyourmeat.Beforecuttingintoyourcookedmeat,letitrest.Thisprocessallowsthemusclefiberstorelax(theytenseupduringexposuretoheat),renderingyourmeatmoretender,and

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alsoallowsthejuicestoredistributeevenlythroughoutthemeat,yieldingajuicierendproduct.Ageneralruleofthumbistorestthemeatforhalftheamountofthecookingtime.Tentingwithfoilisnotnecessarybutifyoucan,restitinawarmspotsoitdoesn’tlosetoomuchheat.

6. Tempit.Wehighlyrecommendthatyoupurchaseameatthermometeranduseitregularly–it’sthebestwaytojudgethedonenessofyourmeat,especiallyifyouarecookinglargercuts.

7. Goagainstthegrain.Thefinalthingtokeepinmindwhencuttingandeatinganymeatisthegrainofthemuscle.Whenserving,youalwayswanttocutagainstthegrainasthishelpstobreakupthelongstrandsofproteinandmakesthemeattendererwheneating.

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SausageMakingInstructions

PreparingtheMeatandFirstGrind-Chooseyourmeatandcutit,shoulderisthemostcommonlyusedcut.-Debonethemeatandtrimtheconnectivetissue.Cubemeataccordingtogrinderfeedtubesize-Fatcontentshouldbeatleast20%,itisbestifitis30%,thenaturalamountinashoulder-Weighyourmeatandchillitinafreezer.-Runyourmeatthroughthefirstgrind.Diesizecanvarydependingonyoursetupandpreference.Isuggesteither3/8”or¼”-Returnthemeattochill–keepingthingscoldisveryimportanttoensurepropercutting,resultingingooddistinctionoffat.Italsohelpstoinhibitbacterialgrowth.SeasoningandSecondGrind-Saltandpepperproportionsforfreshsausageshouldbe1.5%salt,.6%blackpepperoftheweightofthemeat.-Withtheotheringredients,itisbesttokeepitsimple.Chooseonlyafewingredientstofeature-toomanycompetingflavorswillgetlost.Becautiouswhenaddinganysortofvinegarorpickledproduct,asthiscanbreakdownthebondbetweenthemeatandthefat.-Stirdryingredientsintochilledwaterorwinebeforeadding-youcanuseupto1cupofliquidforevery10lbsofmeat.-Workspicemixtureintomeatthoroughlywithyourhandsoranelectricmixer.-Forthesecondgrinda3/16”dieispreferable,butyoucanvarythistoexperimentwithtexture.-Cookasmallpattytotestforflavor,whilechillingyourgrind.Casing-Forfreshsausageweusenaturalhogcasingsinthe32-35mmsizerange-Casingsarepurchasedbythe‘hank’.Ahankcasingisenoughforroughly100#ofsausage.Ahankweighsabout3#,sofor10#ofsausageyoucanweighout4-5ozofcasings-Topreparethecasinguntangleandrinsethecasings.Soakintepidwaterforatleast½hourbeforeuse.-Setupthestuffer.Wetallmovingcontactsurfaces,plunger,wallsofchamber,andstuffingtube.-Loadthegrindcarefullyandpackwell,avoidingairpocketsinthestufferchamber.-Chooseastuffingtubethatistheappropriatesizeforyourcasings.-Stuffslowly,controllingdensityofsausagebyprovidingresistancetothecasingonthestuffingtube.Donotoverstuff,thecasingshouldnotbetautorelseyouwillnotbeabletolink.-Watchforairpockets,anysignificantpocketsshouldbeprickedwithapintool

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-Nowyoucanlinkthesausages.Begenerouswithyourspacingbetweenlinks,itwillbeeasiertocutlater.StorageandDrying-Sausageswillbewetwhenfinished;moistureiswherebacteriaandmoldbecomeaproblem.Allowingthesausagestodryiscrucial.-Dependingonthespaceavailabletoyou,youcanhangyoursausagesorcutthemandlaythesausagesoutonatraythatwillallowairflow.Refrigeratefor12-24hours.-Theproperformationofapellicle-theskin or coating of proteins on the surface of meat-willmakeforalongerlasting,bettercookingsausage.Itisalsocrucialforsmokingorcuring.

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CuringBasics

CuringBasics-Curingisaprocessofpreservingfoodbycreatinganenvironmentthatisinhospitabletoharmfulbacteriaandmicroorganisms.-Saltisourprimarytool.Itworksbydrawingmoistureoutofcellsbyosmoticpressureandreplacingitwithsalt,killingbacteriaandincreasingflavor.Thewaterinapieceofmeatiswhatmicrobesliveon,saltdeniesthemoftheirfoodsourceanddehydratesthemicrobesthemselvestoapointwheretheycannolongerreproduce.Additionally,saltlowersthepHofthemeat,againprotectingfromunwantedgrowthandaddingflavor.-Dryingordehydrationisthemaingoalincuring.Thisprocessissetinmotionbytheinitialsaltcure,butadditionaldryingtimeisrequired.Dependingontheproductthiscouldbeoneweek,uptoaslongas2years-inacarefullymonitoredenvironmentSalt-Irecommendusingafineseasaltorakoshersalt.Avoidsaltwithanti-cakingagentsoriodine.Thecoarserthesalt,themoreinconsistentthecurecanbe,-Weighyoursalt!Iworkentirelybyweightandpercentagesasopposedtovolume.Itisfarmoreaccurateandeasierwhenyouarenotalwaysstartingwithanexactweightofmeat.-Nitritesareusedtoprotectagainstbotulism,primarilyaconcernindry-curedsausage.Nitratesarealsousefulforprotectingfoodduringsmoking.Additionally,nitritesprovideauniqueflavorandcolortothemeat.Iliketousecuringsaltderivedfromnaturalproductslikecelery,mypreferredcuringsaltinVegStable504.TheCure-Formostcuring,2-3%saltbyweightisrecommended.Tocalculate,multiplyyourquantityofmeat(Iprefertoworkinmetric)-Theoldschoolwayofdoingthingsiscalledthesaltboxordredgemethod.Placethemeatinadeeppanortraywithaninchofsaltinit.Rollthemeatarounduntilcoatedandworkintothesurfaceuntilthemeatwillholdnomoresalt-Additionalseasoningscanbeaddedtothecure.Asageneralguideline,powdereddryseasoningshouldbeaddedaround.1%-.5%dependingonhowpronouncedyouwantthemtobe.Forfreshorbulkierseasoningtry.7%-1.5%.-Oncethecurehasbeenworkedintothemeat,putitinazip-lockedbagcarefullysealedtoremoveasmuchairaspossibleandrolledsothattheliquidreleasedstaysindirectcontactwiththemeat.-Placeinanon-reactivepanwithanotherpanontopandweighdownwith4-8pounds.Largercutsandespeciallyboneincutswillrequiremoreweighttoencouragemoisturetorelease.

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-Keepthemeatundercureforapprox1dayforevery2poundsor1kilogramofmeat,addafewdaysforlargeboneincuts.Turnyourmeatoveroften-redistributingthecure.-Whenproperlycured,meatshouldbebrightincolor,smellirresistible,andbefirmtothetouch.Cutswithasignificantamountoffatsuchasbaconorlardowillrequiremoretimeasfattakeslongertocurethanmuscle.-Whenyoutakethemeatoutofcure,rinsethecureoffwithwaterorwine.Additionalseasoningscanbeaddedsuchasblackpepperordriedherbstothesurfaceofthemeatbeforehanging-NeverreuseacureDrying-Wholemusclecutswithlittletonosurfacefatorskinwilldobetterinsomekindofcasing(bladderorbungbeingthemostcommon).Cheeseclothisagoodalternative.-Meatshouldbetiedasaroasttocreateamoreevenshapeandthusamoreevendrying.-Largebone-incutsshouldbetreatedwherethereisexposedmuscleorbone,traditionallywithamixturecalledstrutto-apasteofequalpartslardandflour-Smearthestruttoontheexposedmuscleandbone.-Weighyourmeatbeforehangingtodryandrecordtheweight.Yourproductwillbesufficientlydrywhenithaslost30%ofitsoriginalweight.-Theproperconditionsfordryingcanbeachievedinmanyways.Theoptimalconditionsareaprecisecombinationofhumidity,temperatureandairflow.-Youwantenoughhumiditysotheproductdoesn’tdrytofastonthesurfacelockingininternalmoisture,butlowerthanthemoisturecontentinthemeatsothemoisturewantstoescapeandequalize-ideallyyouarelookingfor65-75%humiditylevel.-Thetemperatureshouldbebetween50°fand60°f.Thistemperaturerangeisoptimalforthegoodbacteriaandmoldstoworkandforallowingthemoisturetoevaporateout.Toocoldandnothingwillhappen,toowarmandyourmeatwillspoil.-Airflowshouldbegentleandconstant;thisisessentialformoisturetobemovedawayfromthemeatandaroundthechamber.-Theformationofsurfacemoldiscommonandnotalwaysbad.Goodmoldstendtobewhiteorlightincolor,andfuzzyorchalkyinappearance.Theycanpreventbadmoldsbydominanceofsurfaceareaandtheyalsoprovidegreatflavor.Badmoldcanruineverything.Shouldyourproductdevelopandblackmoldormoldthatisdarkanddeepincoloryoucanrinsewithvinegarandrehang.Skin,fat,casingsorcheeseclothhelptoprotectyourproductpreventpenetrationintothemeat.

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ValueAddedRecipes

SWEETITALIAN 1.5%salt .65%blackpepper 1%driedfennelseed upto2%redwine HOTITALIAN 1.5%salt .65%blackpepper 2.5%rawgarlic .35%paprika .125%cayennepepper .25%redchiliflakes upto2%redwineBREAKFAST1.5%salt.65%blackpepper.5%freshsage1-2%maplesyrupMERGUEZ7.5%roastedredpepper2.5%garlic1.5%salt.65%blackpepper.65%oregano.65%Paprika.33%sugar.2%chilipepperflakesupto2%redwineROSEMARYGARLIC1.5%salt3.75%garlic.65%blackpepper.65%freshrosemaryupto2%redwine

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CURRY2.5%freshginger2.5%garlic1.5%salt1.25%currypowder.65%blackpepper.65%cilantro.65%Paprika.2%chilipepperflakesupto2%whitewineBACONCURE3%salt1.55%brownsugar1.15%blackpepper.3%freshrosemary.2%garlicpowder.1%nutmeg.25%curingsaltPANCETTA6%salt2%brownsugar.25%curingsalt.7%juniper.1%crushedbayleaf.1%nutmeg.25%freshthyme1% Freshgarlicminced1%groundblackpepper.3%groundallspice.3%groundfennel.3%chiliflakes SHAM1gallonwater300gsalt6.25gpinksalt100gsugar5gjuniper3bayleaves

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Ressources Butchery

• TheRiverCottageMeatBookbyHughFearnley-Whittingstall• KitchenProSeries:GuidetoMeatIdentification,FabricationandUtilization

byCulinaryInstituteofAmericaandThomasSchneller• ButcheringPoultry,Rabbit,Lamb,Goat,andPork:TheComprehensive

PhotographicGuidetoHumaneSlaughteringandButcheringbyAdamDanforth

• butcherinfoblog.blogspot.com/ • www.thebutchersguild.org/ • www.farmsteadmeatsmith.com/

CharcuterieandValueAdded

• Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn

• Salumi: The Craft of Italian Dry Curing by Michael Rhulman and Brian Polcyn • CharcuterieandFrenchPorkCookerybyJane Grigson • TheArtofCharcuteriebyThe Culinary Institute of America and John Kowalski • HomeProductionofQualityMeatsandSausagesbyStanleyMarianski • andAdamMarianski• TheArtofMakingFermentedSausagesbyStanleyMarianski • andAdamMarianski • InTheCharcuterie:TheFattedCalf'sGuidetoMakingSausage,Salumi,Pates,

Roasts,Confits,andOtherMeatyGoodsbyTaylor Boetticher and Toponia Miller

• CookingbyHandbyPaulBertolli• Charcutier.Salumiere.WurstmeisterbyFrancoisPaul-ArmandVecchio• SausageMakingbyRyanFarr • The River Cottage Smoking and Curing Handbook by Steven Lamb

Processing,Butchering,andCharcuterieProductionSupplies

• http://butcherpacker.com/ • http://www.sausagemaker.com/ • https://www.butcherspantry.com