When companies with substantial marketing budgets want people to try their product range they often cook up silly concepts. A charcuterie pairing with some brandies in the Alchemy of Gold range seemed far-fetched, but I’m glad I didn’t miss this.
Steve Jeffrey used to have a farm in Hopefield, but these days a fleischmeister in Cape Town makes artisanal charcuterie to his recipes. If you haven’t tried Steve’s cured meats and sausages yet, get down to the Neighbourgoods Market http://www.neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za/ near Woodstock on a Saturday and find his Charcuterie stall. The quality and flavours are outstanding. But be warned, he routinely sells out.
“It’s simple to make a cheap product, but very difficult to make a quality product. All my cured meats take time. We start with cured meats and add aromas and alcohols,” Steve explained, introducing assembled tasters to various combinations. Pork is most commonly used to make pancetta, sauccison and chorizo. But Steve is experimenting with a combination of springbok, apricots and pinenuts. He also makes a beef sausage with pomegranate and red wine (find this at & Union bar Tel 021 422 2770). Spicy Merguez, metwurst and air-dried bresaola are other possibilities you might find.
With Nederburg Solera, Van Ryn’s 12-year-old and the like, we sampled delicious cured meats and they weren’t bad at all as brandy-friendly partnerships. The link? Both brandy and Steve’s charcuterie are natural products free of preservatives.
Pancetta of cured pork loin was a favourite, air-dried for four months, sliced thin with a smoky rind. “Pancetta is a cousin to a Parma. I wouldn’t do justice to a Parma. Our pigs aren’t good enough,” says Steve.
Sauccison Sec of salt, pepper and garlic (Steve also makes sauccison Champagne and du Cap) triggered a discussion about the best age for sauccison to be eaten. Steve reckons both wetter or mature, dryer flavours work. It’s a matter of personal preference because sauccison keeps well.
In warmed sausages, chorizo was a treat, a harissa blend of sweeter spices and birds’ eye chilli combined with pork loin.
Warm Luganica was truly delicious and unusual. I believe it’s modelled on an Italian sausage, Steve’s version made of Karoo dorper lamb, coriander seed (adding lovely pungency) and orange zest and not quite as fatty as the chorizo.
