 Charcuterie (pronounced "shar-cute-e-ree") is a French term for the art of preparing meats (especially pork) and includes: sausage, bacon, rillettes, brawn, hams, pates, terrines, meat pies, black pudding, galantines, salamis and the like. Charcuterie (and particularly sausage) is a traditional method of preserving meat throughout Western & Eastern Europe and often involves, salting, confit, curing, fermentation, spicing, smoking and/or drying. Traditionally charcuterie was the responsibility of the Garde Manger Chef or butcher and a French specialist sausage maker was known as a 'Charcutier'. Today the tradition of making charcuterie is associated with the annual tradition of butchering a pig and many people continue the tradition at home often starting with making fresh sausages. |
