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Recent studies recommend consuming commercial cold cuts (charcuterie) in moderation. And that's a real pain: what's more practical for lunches and buffets than a good old sausage? No problem: for our lunches, we just have to replace them with our own meat dishes to be enjoyed cold. And then we quickly realize that it's much better with the high quality products that we offer you l’épicier !
Replace industrial cured meats
The habit of plastic-wrapped ham is easy to change. When planning meals for the week, we plan a recipe to serve cold. From sandwiches in our son's lunchbox to unexpected visitors, to our little family's busy evenings, these delicious, versatile dishes save us from the endless "reheated leftovers."
Plus, because they're made with our own ingredients, without preservatives or nitrates, homemade cold cuts are a healthy choice.
A little tip to keep in mind: the cold "dulls" the seasonings. So, without exaggerating, we go a little stronger on the spices, the peppers...
This isn't an exhaustive list of cold meat dishes to enjoy (nothing's stopping you from making yourself a cold Bolognese sauce sandwich!!!), but rather to suggest a few recipes to expand your repertoire. After all, in Quebec, it's normal to explore the cold!
The fish
First, a classic: poached salmon in court-bouillon served with homemade or store-bought mayonnaise, personalized with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and chopped cilantro. A little tip: as always, avoid overcooking the fish and let it cool in the court-bouillon before draining.
This isn't a tradition in Quebec, which is a shame, because fish cooked "à l'escabeche" easily steals the show from canned tuna and salmon. Escabeche is a simple technique that involves frying fish and placing it in a tangy marinade.
Another classic: " potted shrimp ." These are shrimp preserved in clarified butter and served on toast. Okay, they might not be a diet-friendly choice, but they're delicious!
Poultry
Beyond cold roast chicken, there are countless homemade terrine recipes on the internet.
The undisputed star of chicken charcuterie is homemade chicken liver mousse. Don't like liver? You'll still love this recipe! It's so simple and economical! Just sauté cleaned chicken livers in a little oil and butter, deglaze with the liquid of your choice (cognac is a classic, but a little stock works perfectly well), purée the grilled livers and sauce in a food processor. Season, add a little very cold butter while the processor is running… And there you have it! To impress your guests: serve with caramelized onions on a slice of toasted store-bought gingerbread. Delicious.
Did you know that you can prepare chicken escabeche using the same technique as fish? Try it!
Pork
Beyond beer-battered ham and cold roast pork, pork can be cooked in terrines and homemade pâtés. It's even easy to prepare your own sausage meat mix, without the hassle of casing them. They can then be served cooked, in sandwiches or as "appetizer-dipping" balls—they're delicious!
Nothing beats homemade cretons! The preparation is a little long, but easy. Your homemade cretons will earn you a solid reputation as a top-notch cook! And what about homemade rillettes and all their possible variations by changing the meats!
Beef
The tradition of " corned beef " has been somewhat lost; it needs to be revived! Beef prepared using this technique is nothing like its canned version.
This is a piece of beef brisket that's been brined for several days, then seasoned and slowly boiled. This recipe takes a little effort and patience, but if you put in the effort, you'll make friends. Who can resist a homemade pastrami sandwich or a lovingly cooked Reuben?
More simply, a piece of beef boiled in vegetable or beef broth and cooled in its own juices is delicious, sliced thinly into sandwiches. A good, well-seasoned meatloaf is also served cold; the same goes for roast or braised beef.
The veal
Like beef, veal is an excellent “morning-after meat.”
Do you know the recipe for Vittelo al tonno? A classic of Italian cuisine, this dish is always served cold. It consists of a piece of veal cooked and then pressed with a weight while it cools to make the meat compact. This dish is served with tuna and caper mayonnaise. Surprising, isn't it? Yes, but delicious!
Italian cuisine offers another gem of cold dishes: rolls. These dishes generally feature a large, flattened slice of meat (veal, but also turkey) wrapped in a thin omelet with herbs and sometimes prosciutto. The roll is then roasted in the oven, deglazed with white wine, and can be served hot or cold. A true feast for the eyes and the palate!
Finally, don't forget the side dishes! Small, delicate pickles, horseradish sauce, mustards, seasoned mayonnaise, or onion confit are often enough to enhance a simple cold meat dish.
Bon appétit!
sources:
https://naitreetgrandir.com/fr/chroniques/les-charcuteries-les-reponses-a-vos-questions/
