Who We Are:
We are just people who love food, love experimenting with recipes and sharing our creations with friends and family. Piggy Pete’s Deli is a journey for us which is both exciting and scary. Every opportunity we have to learn, we embrace it!
What We Do:
We produce multiple products from jerky to cured/smoked salmon, from smoked nuts to smoked cheese (just to name a few!). The ingredients we use are sourced from local producers and/or local suppliers, allowing us to create the best quality products we can.
How We Do It:
Our end products will have gone through at least 1 (sometimes 3 or 4!) special processes before being ready to be sold to our customers. The main methods are outlined below:
Dry Curing:
Primarily using salt to cover the surface of the meat/fish, It draws out moisture and inhibits the meat/fish causing it to slow down the water activity inside. Using a combination of flavours at the same time infuses those flavours whilst it is curing.
Equilibrium Curing (Eq):
This method of curing uses a dry cure which is calculated using precise weights of both the meat/fish and the selected cure ingredients, it allows the product to cure perfectly without the worry of over salting it.
Cold Smoking:
Cold smoking is a process that smokes products without exposing it to heat, usually at temperatures below 66°F (18°C). The food take on a smoked flavour, but remain relatively moist. the products are given a specific taste and aroma depending on the wood type you decide to use (oak, apple, maple etc)
Hot Smoking:
Hot smoking involves cooking a product on a low temperature over a long time whilst introducing a smoky flavour. The slower the cooking, the better the results.
Fermentation:
The product is placed into a chamber that we can control the temperature and humidity at a higher level than a curing chamber. Successful fermentation of meat can only be accomplished under specific environmental conditions in order for the end product to be completely safe to eat. Fermenting meat can both increase the flavour intensity and also prevent the end product from spoiling for long periods of time.
Curing Chamber:
The purpose of a curing chamber is to create an environment with controllable temperature and humidity that allows for the dry curing of meats. Like our fermentation chamber we control the temperature and the humidity of the curing chamber.
- Temperature The temperature range is high enough for the meat to cure properly and dry, but low enough so bad bacteria and bad mold doesn’t grow. We inoculate the products with bactoferm 600 to encourage Penicillium nalgiovense (the good white mold!)
- Humidity The humidity is high enough to stop the outside of the product drying too quickly on the outside, forming a barrier and causing the inside to spoil (case hardening), but not too high as to encourage excessive mold growth.
Dehydrating:
A process that reduces moisture in food, enhances flavours and preserves food for longer by using low heat and airflow over time. It inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeast and mold. Meat, fish and fruits all can be dehydrated and stored for months.
Sous Vide:
Sous vide (pronounced sue-veed), which means “under vacuum” in French, refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. This technique produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method.