For more pics, visit the gallery!
Finalmente! The Prosciutto is Ready!
About twelve months ago, Lou Palma, Montclair's favorite gastro-mechanic, and I began the Prosciutto di Palma Project. The process was well documented; from obtaining the Berkshire pig legs from Nicolosi Foods, then to curing it, pressing it, hanging it, and larding it.
Yesterday, the big day arrived and Baby Prosciutto di Palma came home! Finally, it was time to taste months of patient waiting. Lou cut into the large fat cap and revealed intensely marbleized, pink meat.
The flavor was beyond any other cured meat I've ever enjoyed - truly a one-of-kind! The Berkshire prosciutto has a unique flavor all it's own, savory with a very mellow sweetness - you could almost taste the diet of the pig.
One of the most noticeable characteristics of our little Baby Prosciutto di Palma is the texture. Due to the marbleizing, a rich creamy coating is left on your lips and fingers, that makes the finish last forever!
I happened to have some store bought prosciutto on hand, so we decided to do a side by side comparison. The store bought prosciutto not only paled in color comparison, but also in flavor and texture.
To keep the prosciutto safe and secure, and to make for easier carving, I purchased an Arcos ham holder from Amazon.
The prosciutto will be the perfect addition to our Thanksgiving table! I would like to send a very special thank you to Lou Palma for sharing and teaching this unique, and valuable technique. Thank you, Lou!
Visit the Meat Curing page for more of Lou's pork curing mastery.
Putting Up Tomatoes
It's that time of year again when foodies rejoice at the annual process of "putting up" tomatoes.
Yesterday I visited Montclair's most loved and respected foodie, Lou Palma, to observe the process. In true gastro-mechanic fashion, Lou converted his garage from a center for pork curing, into a tomato sauce production factory.
Want to watch the master at work? Click play!
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Garden-to-Table a la Lou Palma
Photo courtesy of Lou PlamaThe mulit-talented Lou Palma, Montclair's favorite gastro-mechanic, is never one to disappoint.
This time, Lou combined his well-documented pasta making skills with the stellar produce from his garden. And the result? Delish!
Take a look at Lou's ravioli stuffed with organic beets and fresh ricotta, with a butter and poppy seed sauce, on a bed of beet tops.
Grilling: Wet & Dry
There are certain smells that are synonymous with summer. For me, tanning lotion, chlorine, hot ashphault, and cut grass conjure memories of 90+ degree days. But the ultimate olfactory summer scent that sends my receptors swooning is barbeque.
There are few activities I enjoy more than sipping a warm weather libation, or a good, big Zin, and grilling some hunky summer cuts of meat, some fresh fish from the Farmers’ Market, or a few vegetables.
I reached out to my favorite epicurean consigliere, Lou Palma, for a great barbeque sauce. Lou, an asian food enthusiast, shared his recipe for a versatile Korean barbeque sauce. Give it a try:
Hot From The Kettle™: The Capicola Method
Lou Palma's 2010 CapicolaOld homes are examples of inimitable craftsmanship and charm. Similarly, old world foods – specifically cured pork- are characterized by flavors of authenticity, uncommon tenderness, and a rich palate. More than this, old world food exhibits love.
But the artisanal approach to curing meat is not all Romance. There is an essential method. An unerring, mechanical, calculated, recipe to creating a masterpiece of cured pork.
I was lucky enough to learn how to create superb capicola from the gastro-mechanic himself, Lou Palma. If you’re the type of foodie to swoon at the sight of aged, cured pork hanging from your rafters, read on and follow these steps precisely, and watch the master at work in video that follows.