Help-- Pig

[Sueven]

So, someone I know killed a pig recently. A mutual acquaintance of ours delivered me two packages. One is a thin slab of meat wrapped in white paper labeled 'ham slice,' and the other is an extremely large sausage.

I have no idea what to do with these. Recipes? Suggestions? I need to cook them, like, soon.

[Pherr the Dorf]

Did he say what kind of sausage?

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

Make a good cassoulet of the sausage if it's a nice one.

2 lbs of white beans, soaked overnight
2 lbs of sausage (garlic sausage, chorizo etc)
2lbs of duck/goose confit or duck/pork rillette (basically any fatty meat)

1lbs smoked pork (bacon or pancetta)
4 tins of tomato (or you can scald them and pull off the skins yourself)
4 carrots
4 sticks of celery
1 head of fennel
1 bottle of good white wine
1 qt chicken stock
6-8 cloves garlic
6 challots
fresh thyme
whole pepper corns
breadcrumbs
shredded gruyere

Brown the sausage, set aside. Sauter the veggies and boil them in half of the stock and wine with the soaked beans, tomatoes and herbs. Boil until a bit of moisture remains, but not too much. Take a large ovenproof dish and grease it (preferably with duck/goose fat!), cover the bottom with beans and herbs. Build up with the slices of smoked pork, sausage, carrots, goose/duck or whatever other meat you have. Cover with the rest of the beans and add wine and stock. Cover with a lid or greased paper and toss it in the oven for 2 1/2 hours at 320ish F. Take the lid off, toss in some nobs of butter, cover with breadcrumbs and gruyere. Another 30-45 mintues until the surface is golden and crisp.

Best peasant food there is! (and i hate beans...but love this)

[Sueven]

Pherr, I have no idea what kind of sausage. It looks like a pretty straightforward pork sausage. It's bulk, no skin.

Drolgin, that looks absolutely delicious. It also looks... fatty. I'm having a dilemma about it. I will have to decide tomorrow whether I want to take on a delicious blow to my arteries or not.

I baked the ham slice with some OJ, brown sugar, ginger and dried cherries. Came out well. I should probably cook the sausage tomorrow.

[Zamtuk]

Sautee the sausage up with some fresh apples. Mix with Zatarains Jamalaya Rice and enjoy. The rice is 0g fat so it will be as healthy as you can get.

[Pherr the Dorf]

Sausage... fatty... yah... mmm.

Also a nice vodka (tomato cream) sauce over pasta with sausage and spinach is yum, ot a lentil and sausage soup... there is no such thing as too much sausage!

As far as the ham slice goes I do hope you fried that for breakfast with some over medium eggs

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

Drolgin, that looks absolutely delicious. It also looks... fatty. I'm having a dilemma about it. I will have to decide tomorrow whether I want to take on a delicious blow to my arteries or not.

It *is* fatty but not really as bad as it looks. The smoked pork shouldn't be *too* fatty, a lean-ish bacon is good. Also note that that recipe is for 6-8 people.

Oh, and the measurements for beans are in dry state, so it's what, double that when soaked?

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

Btw Pherr, do you have any interesting confit tricks or cassoulet recipes?

[Sueven]

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to pass on the cassoulet for tonight. I managed to reconcile myself to the fat, but there's no way I can get all those ingredients in time to cook the stuff, so I'm just going to do a cheesy pasta casserole sort of thing.

However, that recipe looks awesome, and I have saved it, and I will cook it sometime. And in the meantime, if anyone has further tips, share 'em!

[Canelek]

I had Zatarains Jamalaya Rice & Adele's Andoulie last night. I didn't really feel like cooking(much) so this was perfect! A bit high on sodium but it looks like Zatarains has a lower sodium option for their products now.

[Zamtuk]

I enjoy a chicken apple sausage or even some lobster with it!

[Canelek]

Man, I have not had lobster in ages. I bet it rocks with the dirty rice dishes. There was also some chicken/turkey/habanero sausage by Aidels that looked pretty good. I am in a red beans and rice mood now...will have to dig up Arb's awesome recipe.

[Lalanae]

I second the cassoulet. I make it once a year when it starts to get cold. Awesome comfort food!

[Pherr the Dorf]

Confit Rub

1 c kosher salt
1/2 c dried thyme
1/3 c ground corriander
1/4 c ground cumin
1/4 c ground allspice
25 ground bay leaves
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp clove
2 T Ground Nutmeg

Teh Bomb