(photo by wm. christman)
A few days after joining the Boccalone Salumi Society, the first "Sacchetto" of tasty salted pork parts was ready for pick up.
"The Piglet" is the membership level that my chef friend anne and I chose (we chose to split figuring that we'd get a taste of Chris Cosentino's work but not have to worry about consuming two pounds every two weeks...), and judging from the contents of this package and comparing it to the larger one, The Piglet is the way to go if you only want a little fleeting taste to savor.
This week's package contained a piece of Pancetta, a slice of Paté di Campagna, a package of Easton’s Breakfast Sausage, and a small Soppressata di Calabria.
Pancetta:
This pork belly had quite the layer of fat on it (in fact, it's nearly all fat). It has a nice, subtle taste - think sweet-ish, slightly peppery - and the best use of it is searing the fat to release its richness.
Paté di Campagna:
Pork, pork liver, pork kidney, pork blood. Very earthy with a semi-smooth grind. Given all of the blood-based pork offal in this, one would expect some pretty strong iron tastes. Although it's there, it's not overwhelming and it has an interesting creaminess because of it.
Easton’s Breakfast Sausage:
Nice, mild and a hint of orange (juice, zest) but nothing earth-shattering.
Soppressata di Calabria:
A stubby irregular length of nicely chunky soppressata. The spice (heat) on this one is not too heavy and the cross-sectioned-when-sliced fat chunks contrasting with the meat is a sight of beauty. It's also decently dry which concentrates the flavors.
The next Piglet is due to be picked up in two weeks.
