SLOW COUNTRY CUISINE | Jeremiah Bacon

by Wendy Swat Snyder

Chef Jeremiah Bacon’s love of local fare began as a boy growing up on John’s Island, where family meals consisted of fresh shrimp and blue crab hauled into his john boat from surrounding salt marsh creeks.

The Charleston native elevated his love of seafood in New York City, where he honed his cooking skills at the award-winning River Café, and went on to work at some of the city’s finest restaurants, including Michelin three-star recipient, Per Sé.

Bacon now focuses on building relationships with local farmers and fishermen to create a seasonally driven menu that’s brought national attention to Carolina’s and maintained platinum award status from the Sustainable Seafood Initiative.

Bacon’s latest endeavor utilizes locally raised pastured pork. “I love pork and I love to eat charcuterie,” says Bacon. An ardent fan of craft beers, he presents the sausages paired with a German larger or Belgian ale, noting that the light, crisp flavor goes well with the charcuterie.

Sources for free range pork are Keegan-Filion Farms, www.keegan-filionfarms.com and Caw Caw Creek Farm, www.cawcawcreek.com

Jeremiah Bacon's Charcuterie

Peperone

5 lb. top round

40 g. Kosher salt

6 g. Insta Cure #2

1/4 to 1/2 pkg. live starter culture Bactoferm

1/4 c. distilled water

9 g. cayenne pepper

1 g. allspice

2 g. fennel

40 g . dextrose

95 g. dry non-fat milk powder

16 g. paprika

2 T. red wine

10 ft. hog casings or 20 ft. sheep casings

Soak casings in tepid water for 30 minutes. Combine meat with salt and Insta Cure #2 or DQ Curing Salt #2 and grind through the small die into the bowl of standing mixer set in ice.

Dissolve Bactoferm in distilled water and add it, along with the rest of the ingredients, to meat. Using paddle attachment, mix on lowest speed to incorporate all ingredients, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stuff sausage into casings and twist into 10-inch links. Using a sterile pin or needle, poke holes all over casings to remove air pockets and facilitate drying.

Hang sausage at room temperature, ideally 85 degrees, for 12 hours to “incubate” the bacteria; beneficial bacteria will grow and produce more lactic acid in warmer temperatures.Hang sausage to dry, ideally at 60 degrees with 60 to 70 percent humidity, until completely firm and/or it has lost 30 percent of its weight, 6 to 8 days if using sheep casing, 12 to 18 days if using hog casing.