Catching Up

It's been quite a bit since I last blogged. Between moving, school and finding a job, I barely had any time for anything else... excuses excuses. But I 'plan' to update my blog again, the next few entries are 'catch up' entries from my internships in the Bay Area.

My Biggest Paycheck

Aqua - 2 star Micheline
This email is my biggest paycheck from my unpaid internship with Aqua.


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From: Peter Armellino
Date: Oct 3, 2006 6:30 PM
Subject: 2 stars
To: Namee

Hope you are well, we just received a 2 star review fro the Michelin guide. We were one of 4 restaurants in the bay area. only one 3 star the French laundry. We are all very proud and I thank you for all your hard work.

Peter Armellino
Chef de Cuisine
Aqua Restaurant
252 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
www.aqua-sf.com

Breakfast Sausage

BREAKFAST SAUSAGE:

Yield: approx 26 # bulk sausage forcemeat

Meats
22 # pork butt
3 # fat back, trimmed of skin
seasonings
6 oz salt
1 oz. freshly ground black pepper
1 oz. freshly ground white pepper
1 oz fresh finely chopped sage
4 T. chile flakes, ground in the spice grinder
1/4 oz. nutmeg
1/4 oz ground thyme ( fresh or dry)
1/4 oz. ginger
2 T. ground coriander
3 oz dextrose
1 pint very cold water (slurry with the spices.)
binders
1.5 cup. soy protein powder
2 pint cold water. ( mix with soy protein in robot coupe)

procedures
1-Grind all meats and fat on a 3/8 plate
Over a large SS (Stainless Steel) mixing bowl on ice

2 -add the seasoning and water only!
3 -mix vigorously by hand or Hobart mixing bowl.until protein mesh is established
It should have a sticky consistency.
4- Add soy protein/cold water slurry after the protein mesh has formed,mix until well absorbed.

5- Taste for seasoning by cooking a small amount in a sauté pan over low heat.
6-Pack into hog casings.
7- Make 6” links or ropes
8-let rest 24 hours in cooler uncovered.
(this will tighten the casing and shape the sausage further)
9-Cook over low heat until an internal temperature of 155° F.
Note : If a browned exterior is desired, brown at the end of the cooking process as opposed to the beginning of the cooking process.

Italian Sausage

ITALIAN SAUSAGE:
Everything must be chilled !

yield: 25 lbs. bulk forcemeat

ingredients

meats and fat:
16 lbs. untrimmed boneless pork butt cut into 2’ strips
4 lbs. fatback cut into 2’ strips
5 lbs. beef chuck ( lean) cut into 2’ strips

seasonings:
1 oz. powdered dextrose
1 oz. medium ground black pepper
7 oz. salt
1 oz. cracked fennel seed and lightly toasted
4 T. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs of freshly ground black pepper
5 1/2 oz. Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan finely grated
12 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. parsley, chopped
1 c. chilled water (Mixed with the spices)

binders:
1.5 c. soy protein concentrate* or milk powder (optional)
4 c. chilled red wine (Mixed with the soy protein concentrate in the robot-coupe)
* The soy protein concentrate improves the juiciness of the finished product.

Procedures

1-Grind all meats and fat on a ¼” plate
Over a large SS mixing bowl on ice

2 -add the seasoning and water only!
3 -mix vigorously by hand or Hobart mixing bowl.until protein mesh is established
It should have a sticky consistency.
4- Add soy protein/red wine slurry after the protein mesh has formed,mix until well absorbed.

5- Taste for seasoning by cooking a small amount in a sauté pan over low heat.
6-Pack into hog casings.
7- Make 6” links or ropes
8-let rest 24 hours in cooler uncovered. ( this will tighten the casing and shape the sausage further)
9-Cook over low heat until an internal temperature of 155° F.

Note : If a browned exterior is desired, brown at the end of the cooking process as opposed to the beginning of the cooking process.

Summer Sausage

Smoked Mettwurst
German summer sausage


Yield 10 # bulk forcemeat

Ingredients:
Meats and fat
5 # boneless fatty pork butts
3 # beef chuck
2 # veal meat

Seasoning:
2 tsp Prague #1
5 TBS salt
2 TBS ground nutmeg
1 TBS grd White pepper
1/2 TBS grd allspice
4 TBS powdered dextrose
1 tsp grd celery seeds
1 tsp grd marjoram
½ tsp grd caraway seeds
1 tsp grd coriander
2 tsp whole mustard seeds
1 pint ice cube


Method:

1-grind all meats thru ½ ‘ grinder plate with the ice cubes
over an iced SS bowl
2-add all seasoning and mix thouroughly until elastic
3-regrind again thru a 3/16 plate
4-stuff into beef middles casings in about 18” long sticks
Prick casings
5_tie ends and hang carefully on smoke sticks
6-let air dry for 24 h in the sausage room
7 smoke for about 6 hours at 120 degrees
8- remove from smoke house and dip in hot water to plump the casing
9 _ cool at room temp for a few hours
Then chill overnight.


Note : this is considered a “summer sausage” of the uncooked variety so we are using only frozen pork to manufacture this product and avoid contamination with trichinae