I'm making bacon. Anyone else make their own food or drink stuff?

[Machiavelli]

Pump House is proper bread! I can't stand sour dough (even after 7 years full time in SF). Routinely, I make a white bloomer, a whole meal tin and a granary cob. I can do fancy stuff for special occasions, but don't do so more than half a dozen times a year. Flour comes from either the Cotswolds or from a local miller here who is dippy as buggery. Fresh yeast from a village bakery. 50% of the advised salt content. 3 proves for the heavier mixes.

Afraid I'm a sourdough zealot (despite only visiting SF for one week), so I spent about a month creating the mother/starter, which can be used for centuries (I've only been using it for about five years). I too use nearly a half of the advised salt content (10g instead of 18g, although this is for a 1-1.5kg loaf). Given I can eat 1/6 to a 1/4 of a loaf in a day, 18g would mean 3-4.5g of salt in a day, which doesn't leave room for much else. Such recommendations also make you wonder just how much salt fancy restaurants use (and dairy).
My friend makes the chocolate for Pump House.

 

[Questions]

Not a full one, just 1.5kg of salted pig in my fridge

Seems to be taking up to much beer room in my opinion if you don't mind me saying.

 

[maltaseagull]

It's day 2 of bacon curing here at Tubthumper Towers. My venture into the world of making my own bacon. The big day is Saturday when it will be unpacked and sampled.

I know of one other bacon maker, who has been helpful with some tips, and a beer brewer. Anyone else make stuff?

I thought you were playing pass the pigs!

 

[vegster]

I bake my own bread and do some home smoking, mostly Mackerel when I can catch them, hoping to get hold of some fresh local Herring very soon and doing some kippers. Have also smoked and dried my home grown Jalapeno's to make Chipotles but this years crop was rather down so had to settle for pickling them.

 

[Mr Putdown]

Best fish is oily - salmon, trout, char, mackerel, pike.

Pike aren't an oily fish, they're classed as whitefish.

When cooking pike you need to pile on the butter else it's too dry, I'm amazed you enjoy hot smoked pike!

 

[Goldstone1976]

Pike aren't an oily fish, they're classed as whitefish.

When cooking pike you need to pile on the butter else it's too dry, I'm amazed you enjoy hot smoked pike!

Careless of me, I started a list of oily fish and then thought "oooo, I like smoked pike too", so added it. You're quite right, pike is classed as white. I do really like it smoked though - it's a taste I picked up when living in the US - flavoured with juniper generally.

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

David Cameron used to be a bacon maker in his earlier years reportedly, though he is now believed to be cured.

I bet when he watches babe he still gets a Lardon....

 

[WATFORD zero]

My friend makes the chocolate for Pump House.

* Insert punchline here *

 

[Mr Putdown]

Careless of me, I started a list of oily fish and then thought "oooo, I like smoked pike too", so added it. You're quite right, pike is classed as white. I do really like it smoked though - it's a taste I picked up when living in the US - flavoured with juniper generally.

Are you smoking it hot or cold?

I'm genuinely interested as I'm also a fan of home smoking and have never tried smoking pike due to their lack of natural oils.

At a guess I'd assume cold smoked as surely hot smoked would dry it to the consistency of ropey old cotton wool? Or do you add butter/fat before smoking it?

 

[GT49er]

Usually do some elderflower champagne. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.
Have now got some special homebrewing caps, so am experimenting with random fruit juices - add a bit of sugar, whizz it up, add brewer's years, bottle it with these special caps, leave it for a week, put it in the fridge for a couple of days to clear, then drink. Seems to work OK - looking forward to next year's elderflower now!

 

[Hampster Gull]

Feeling a bit inadequate here

 

[MattBackHome]

I'm a home brew convert. Third batch into St Peters Golden and its more than passable. That bacon looks fantastic though HT!

 

[Mr Putdown]

Tried my own venison biltong this year with mixed results tbh.

From an Ashdown Forest stag that I was asked to sort out as it was causing problems to local residents, most of the meat was fine, albeit a tad strong for some. Decided to try making biltong and the first batch was superb, strong games flavour and not too chewy. Unfortunately the next batch from the same carcasses, but hung for a week longer, went mouldy as a result of the wet weather. My final batch from the now 14 day hung carcass was so gamely I couldn't stomach it from the smell alone.

Going to try again as the first batch showed it could be done with local venison so long as everything worked out OK weather wise.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I'm a home brew convert. Third batch into St Peters Golden and its more than passable. That bacon looks fantastic though HT!

Cheers Matt. I'll provide some updates over the weekend when I actually slice it up and eat it. I'll make the bacon sandwiches if you bring the Golden ale?

 

[W.C.]

I make all sorts. Latest was Cheese, Chorizo and Leek pastys. Tend to cook from scratch anyway.

That actually sounds very nice you loon. What kind of cheese did you use?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Maybe NSC should do the catering at the amex!

Not sure about taking over from Sodexo but I think we have enough variety for a NSC artisanal food festival.

 

[looney]

That actually sounds very nice you loon. What kind of cheese did you use?

Bog standard Mature chedder from Iceland, Cathedral City I think. The Leek was left in the cudboard, if it had been a carrot in there then it would be carrot cheese and chirizo. Just a bit of black pepper and leek chopped thin and blanched, It just happened to be very luverly.

 

[looney]

Usually do some elderflower champagne. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.

Doesn't that stuff explode to often? Or so ive heard.

 

[W.C.]

Bog standard Mature chedder from Iceland, Cathedral City I think. The Leek was left in the cudboard, if it had been a carrot in there then it would be carrot cheese and chirizo. Just a bit of black pepper and leek chopped thin and blanched, It just happened to be very luverly.

Chorizo tends to have that effect on food

 

[Goldstone1976]

Are you smoking it hot or cold?

I'm genuinely interested as I'm also a fan of home smoking and have never tried smoking pike due to their lack of natural oils.

At a guess I'd assume cold smoked as surely hot smoked would dry it to the consistency of ropey old cotton wool? Or do you add butter/fat before smoking it?

Hot! I brine it for a few hours in a semi-sweet brine with herbs, star anise and juniper berries; pat the outside dry and get it into the smoker asap. It'll have a somewhat crispy outside, which I quite like, but some wouldn't, but is very delicate and tasty inside.