The passion and art behind charcuterie

An old technique, fundamental for preserving food in periods of low resources, is gaining strength in the market. Delicatessen has been driven by haute cuisine and the craftsmanship of producers and has been conquering consumers both for its healthiness compared to industrialized sausages and for its flavor and quality.

The search for artisanal products began to gain strength on different fronts, such as breweries and hamburgers. Data that helps to visualize the size of the artisanal products market comes from the Brazilian Franchising Association, which recorded, in 2017 alone, the movement of more than R$ 700 million in franchises linked to artisanal hamburgers in the country. During this period, artisanal production and the creation of products from scratch, such as breads and hamburgers, gained visibility in the market, going beyond hamburgers, reaching the sausages that, since then, have been increasingly sought after by consumers.

Although there is no consolidated data on the volume that this market moves, it is certain that artisanal charcuterie is promising in the country and has drawn the attention of the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA). The entity launched the second edition of the Prêmio Brasil Artesanal – Delicatessen in 2023. In 2020, the charcuterie from Rio Grande do Sul, Zampa Grigia, by Carlos Barbosa (RS) was the winner. The list of this year’s finalists was released in April and includes a producer from Paraná, Charcutaria Caravaggio, from Catanduvas.

Realizing this movement and believing in the orientation towards building an increasingly artisanal world, professor and enthusiast of artisanal gastronomy Rene Seifert, publicizes his bakery and charcuterie work on the Youtube channel ‘o Pão da Casa’. But he felt he needed to go further. That’s how he teamed up with charcuterie chef Giordano Tarso, at the head of the restaurant Colheita Butique Sazonal, located in Pinto Bandeira, in Rio Grande do Sul, to teach the art of conserving and transforming products.

Both met at gastronomy events and noted the affinity they have as defenders of local and artisanal ingredients and culture. Giordano Tarso focuses on gastronomy based on ancestry, with little or no technology involved. He is considered ‘the charcuterie man in Rio Grande do Sul’ and, following his grandparents’ tradition of preserving meat without the need for refrigeration, he has already taught this millenary art to dozens of people, including Rene.

After being a student of Giordano, the restless Rene took seriously the idea of ​​taking this knowledge to more places. Thus, the two organized the first charcuterie course on the O Pão da Casa platform in 2022. “We launched the first online course together and it had a really cool result! In 2023 we are launching the second one. In the first, we focused on smoked meats, bacon, fresh and cured sausages. Now, in module two, we brought pepperoni, raw ham, in addition to cooked ones”, explains Rene.

From generation to generation: learn more about the art of charcuterie

The contents presented by Giordano Tarso and Rene Seifert include, in addition to detailed step-by-step recipes, a personalized follow-up by chef Giordano to answer questions. “We set up the courses on the basis of ‘use what you have’. For example, we teach how to make smoked bacon in a pan. So anyone can do it at home with simple things, without having a lot of specific equipment. After all, this movement to rescue artisanal charcuterie is for us to rediscover the potential we have to make a product of excellence and quality with our hands, at home and with the accessories we have available”, reinforces Rene.

From French, the term “charcuterie” unites the words meat (chair) and cooked (cuit) and defines the art of preparing meat, usually pork, using different techniques to preserve, conserve and improve the flavor and texture of the cuts. Made in an artisanal and traditional way, charcuterie does not use preservatives and chemical additives. Therefore, it uses other processes, such as curing, smoking and fermentation.

During curing, the moisture in the meat is reduced by salting. A percentage of the weight of the input in salt is used and, in some cases, a little honey and sugar, in addition to seasonings that vary according to the family or business recipe. It is a common process in the making of sausages, dried meat and sausages.

One of the traditional processes in America is smoking, that is, exposing the meat to smoke, which acts as a bactericide. Smoking is one of the ways of preserving food and is widely used in the production of ham and loin cup.

Fermentation, more common in salamis, takes a period of at least 30 days. The sausage is prepared with salt, sugar and various seasonings, and is left to cure. During the curing process, bacteria and fungi act on the meat, producing lactic acid and other components that will make the pH of the product acidic. Thus, invading bacteria that could degrade the meat cannot multiply.

Before applying any of these techniques, the charcuterie needs to know what he has in hand. “One of the most important factors for charcuterie is the origin of the raw material. When I realized that my sausages weren’t working out very well due to the quality of the meat, I started raising pigs”, explains, laughing, Rene Seifert.

For the owner and production chef of Charcutaria Escorsin, Julliana Escorsin, the superior quality and flavor are noticeable in comparison to industrialized products. “For example, we use bacon, which is the best pork fat, natural seasonings and the smoking is completely handmade, made with fruit wood. All of this contributes to the result, ”she details.

The company, located in São José dos Pinhais, in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, has been on the market for two years and currently has 18 flavors of sausage based on chicken or ham, in addition to smoked products, such as bacon and pepperoni, and meat blankets. stuffed. Julliana started charcuterie as a hobby after traveling to Italy with her family. Tasting the local sausages, she was impressed with the quality and taste. The practice soon became a business when Julliana saw that her friends and family liked what she prepared. “Seeing people savoring it is what marks me the most. It was very evident that it was different from industrial,” she recalls.

At the table, flavor is paramount, but the consumption of sausages faces a hotly debated issue: healthiness. “There are people who think that sausage cannot be consumed, because it has a high percentage of fat and preservatives. Indeed, in the industrial sector you have this problem. But artisanal is a healthier product”, explains Julliana.

Having no chemical additives is one of the characteristics that favor handmade sausages. With a focus on production for own consumption, Rene sees the demand for the courses grow year after year, as a search for food autonomy and to learn how to produce your food from scratch.

The experience of preparing sausages is an old acquaintance of Aristides Neto, owner of Linguiçaria Vô Tide. Since he was a child, Aristides followed his butcher grandfather’s production. The grandson entered the profession in 2022, but had been preparing at home for over five years. “Today my focus is on producing sausage for the choripan I sell,” says Aristides. “When I set up my restaurant, I rescued my grandfather’s recipe. Producing your own sausage for the sandwich is a differentiator for customers,” he points out.

Despite having grown up watching his grandfather work, in 2018 Aristides began participating in charcuterie courses to learn how to make pancakes, salamis, cooked ham, raw ham, bacon, among others. “In recent years, the public has become more selective and prioritizes craftsmanship, the taste of food and homemade products”, he analyzes.

Service:

Escorsin Delicatessen

Purchases and orders only on the website: www.charcutariaescorsin.com.br
Deliveries via delivery.
Whatsapp: (41) 9 8787-6008.

Sausage Vô Tide

Av. Sete de Setembro, 4838, Loja B, Batel.
Whatsapp: (41) 9 9987-8888
Charcuterie courses with Rene Seifert and Giordano Tarso. www.opaodacasa.com.br