Dry-Curing Pork: Make Your Own Salami, Pancetta, Coppa, Prosciutto, and More (Countryman Know How)

I love this book. Kent has struck a great balance of thorough education and quick reference. The general concept layout is clever and designed to facilitate learning. The commentary on methods is honest and real. When there isn't a real explanation for doing something, Kent says so. When there is, he explains why. This book greatly advanced my knowledge of meat curing and I'd recommend it for anyone looking to get into the hobby. Experienced charcuterians would likely also enjoy this book for some of its explanations that I've seen only skimmed in other texts. The recipes are also conveniently described in percentages. It doesn't matter how much meat you start with, the recipe is easily adaptable. When using recipes that call for volumes or weight of ingredients, I must convert to fractional percentages... this great book already does this for you! Very helpful!

While I have dabbled in salume making since 2007 I only started in earnest in 2018. This great book gave me what I needed to take the leap. Now I regularly make salami, Spanish chorizo, lomo, coppa and of course coppiette (AFAIK this book is the only one that mentions this amazing Italian jerky). It’s an easy read, filled with engaging pictures and explanation of more than one way to achieve great results. If you are starting out then this is a great choice

I give this book 4 stars only because I have not tried the recipes yet, but compared to some other " bibles " on this subject that I own this is a very down to earth, user friendly book. Well written and inviting, I look forward to using this book. I wish I could give it 5 stars , but until I see the results I can't. However, I can make an educated guess by the content that this is a quality book and a welcome one if you are overwhelmed by some other books out there.

As a newbie in the art of Charcuterie, I found that some of the "go to" books a little overwhelming. It may be that I jumped in too deep but they all stressed the importance of understanding curing. Stressing the amount of cure to the weight of the meat, this book also presents this information in a more direct method in relationship to each cut of the pig. Each chapter is presented in a no-nonsense, straight-forward manner giving a chapter summation that highlights each section. It presents the cure method over and over again but I think this is important in that repetition is great for learning. Make no mistake, this book, albeit shorter than some of the 'bibles' available on the subject, it is a great reference tool for what you can produce with each section of meat along with some tasty recipes on each section. I am a great fan of Italian cured meats and I looked forward to producing my own. With a greater knowledge of sectioned pork, and an instilled cure to weight ratio, I feel very confident I will not be serving rotten meat to my family.

This book is so much more than a 'how to' guide for curing pork. Not only is it perfect for someone looking to learn (and understand) the process of dry curing, but it would also prove extremely beneficial for anyone who is already familiar but interested in tweaking and perfecting their own process. The Internet is loaded with hundreds of recipes calling for approximate meat weights yet specific measurements of curing salts and spices. This guide places a high level of emphasis on the importance of accurate math and the recipes are calculated using percent-weight and grams, as opposed to tablespoons. This is really the only way to avoid frustration and disappointment after six months of anticipation. The author uses real-life experiences (including unfortunate mishaps) to help the reader avoid the inevitable scramble when something unexpected happens. Instructions are clear and concise with plenty of room for the reader to use his or her own skills and ingenuity. Perfect for the self-taught do-it-yourselfer. If you don't already have one, add a digital scale to your cart while you're buying this book.

You know how you order a charcuterie plate in your favorite restaurant, or buy meat from a really good butcher, and you enjoy the taste but aren't (exactly) clear how each cut or style differs from the others -- well this book explains in very clear, interesting writing what it actually is, how to make it yourself, and how the chemistry really works. I may try to make some of these meats -- probably not, although the directions are clear enough - but I found it interesting just on its own to understand something so familiar but also so unknown. Great, interesting read.

A good informative book but it’s one out of a thousand ways of curing meats yet stresses this is the only way. A book to flip through at your leisure

I love this book, and it now takes its place on my "favorite cookbooks" bookshelf. Great, simple recipes, and the author's passion for the ancient craft and art of charcuterie shines through and this makes the book an engaging story as much as a practical manual. I rear and hunt my own meat and vegetables, and I am fortunate enough to have training as a chef and so I already know many of these recipes, but whether you're just starting out curing your own meat or are more experienced chef or food lover, this lovely book is well worth adding to your collection. Great work - I am looking forward to putting my new heritage breed piglets to good use in about 8 months.

Maravilhoso! Muito bem escrito e com bastante detalhe. Foi muito útil na minha imersão ao mundo da charcutaria! Recomendo a todos que queiram se ingressar nesta arte.

Cant wait to try some myself

This is clearly written by someone who is both very knowledgeable about as well as in love with the subject. When it first arrived I was feeling a bit underwhelmed with the size of the book, I was somehow expecting a bigger book. Having read it I'm now more than happy with it. It gives you a good grounding in the art of dry-curing pork and will give you enough knowledge to continue with your own experiments once you've ready to move on. It is written in a very nice tone with a familiar touch to it. You are given a good background to how it all works and the recipes are well explained how to do it as well as why you do it. Besides the pure curing recipes you are also given some examples on how you can use the cured goods, beyond the classic (and lovely) sliced meats platter. I highly recommend this book and think it suits beginners as well as intermediate curers. I'll keep an eye out in the hope that the author publishes a more advanced book as well.

Lots of useful info

I am thoroughly enjoying this book. It’s an absolute must for beginners. The author is a teacher to begin with and then a biology background to follow. He teaches the science behind all his processes and gives a number of suggestions for each recipe / cure. This is probably my 10th book on charcuterie and is already becoming my favourite. Great job Hector.