Information about ingredients used on this site.
Baking or greaseproof paper – US parchment paper
Baking Soda – the term used in the US for Bicarbonate of soda, often called ‘bicarb’ in the UK.
Cartouche – a ‘cheffy’ French name for a circle of baking or greaseproof paper that you place on (usually) vegetables in a lidded pan to create a steamy environment that cooks them without sticking or burning.
Citric acid – used to make garlic safe to use in sausage. In the UK, it’s stocked in some chemists and home-brew shops. It’s also available online. Be sure to buy food-grade.
Cornmeal/corn flour – US names for ground corn that differ only in the fineness of grind. In the UK, coarse and fine polenta are readily available substitutes.
Cornflour – the UK term for US cornstarch, fine ground corn starch used to thicken.
Cure #1, also known as Prague Powder – This cure contains Sodium Nitrite mixed with salt. Unlike Saltpetre which takes time to start working, Cure #1 acts very quickly to protect the meat. Sodium nitrite is often coloured pink so that it is not mistaken for anything else. This cure contains 6.25% nitrite. The British and EU rules on curing levels restrict the amounts of nitrites to 150 parts per million in most products. The USA rules include details of how the levels of nitrites can be calculated. UK – Weschenfelder. US – Sausagemaker.com or Butcher & Packer.
Cure #2, also known as Prague Powder II – This is a cure containing both Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate. It is used in long-term curing of air-dried products. UK – Weschenfelder. US – Sausagemaker.com or Butcher & Packer.
Dextrose – another name for glucose. Sold as a powder and a liquid; it’s the powdered form that’s used in salami. UK – available from many chemists (sold as glucose) and online. US – available from Sausagemaker.com and homebrew suppliers
Kosher salt – a US salt that’s additive-free and of good quality. I would recommend using a good sea salt or rock salt in the UK, but anything that’s additive-free is fine. I use Maldon or Trapani sea salt.
Masa harina – corn that has been soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, then ground into flour. This process, called nixtamalization, allows the flour to form a smooth dough with a distinctive flavour.
Flour
Plain flour / All-Purpose Flour (AP) – the names for white flour without raising agents in the UK and US.
Strong Flour / Bread Flour – name for high protein white flour
Plate sizes – equivalent mincer/grinder plates
| Imperial | Metric # |
|---|---|
| 1/8″ | 3 mm |
| 5/32″ | 4 mm |
| 3/16″ | 4.5 mm |
| 1/4″ | 6 mm |
| 5/16″ | 8 mm |
| 3/8″ | 10 mm |
| 1/2″ | 12 mm |
| 5/8″ | 16 mm |
| 3/4″ | 20 mm |
Red pepper flakes – the US name for UK crushed chilli or chilli flakes.
Sodium ascorbate – a form of vitamin C that is a cure accelerator and antioxidant. It’s used in very small quantities and is available online. Sodium erythorbate is an alternative.
Visible lean – abbreviated as VL is literally what it says: the amount of visible lean in the meat. e.g. 80/20 VL is 80% meat and 20% fat.