Back to local cuisine

The 40-year-old chef said in an interview, “I wanted to show that it can be done on a small scale at home. That’s how I started. So when I wanted to write the book, the idea was always that you should use the ingredients you have at home. We really popularized the content; I did that. Initially, I wrote in classic cooking terms, but we revised it and people with little experience were able to cook. »

Reading the title of the book sets the tone. Baloney, the popular term used in Quebec to refer to bologna sausage, actually has its own place in Quebec culinary psychology.

“When I started my career as a butcher, people would come in for their baloney steak. We laughed a lot. I looked for baloney-related clichés and even made baloney sushi inspired by Hawaiian musubi. Baloney is a name that calls out to the world,” notes Jean-Simon Petit with a smile in his voice.

A taste of self-sufficiency

So among the 70 recipes in the book is a recipe for homemade baloney, but first you should read the introduction, because here you will find the essential basics of charcuterie. Spices, salt, sugar, casings, lactic acid, yeasts, nitrates, Jean-Simon Petit explains in detail the role of each of the important elements in making good artisan charcuterie.

He also talks about kitchen equipment, maintenance and safety when handling grinders and meat grinders. “We’re playing with bacteria and hot temperatures, and food safety is key,” warns the chef.

While the book boasts fresh sausages, terrines, and other dry cold meats, there are also recipes for fermented foods, cured foods, and bread, all part of a movement back to cuisine here. Supply and cooking regulations.

“Often, when you like to cook, for example when you are interested in making bread, you want to do something else yourself,” says Jean-Simon Petit. So I wanted to provide foundations in all styles of transformation, moving towards something that revolves around self-sufficiency. Personally, I distill my wine and try to do it myself since I live in the area and don’t have a good bakery nearby. »

Jean-Simon lives in Hemingford, 5 km from Petit Ferme des Quatre-Tempes, where he works as a chef. It was the owner of the farm, Jean-Martin Fortier, who suggested he write the book, for which he wrote the foreword. “A lot of people have asked me how to make charcuterie, but I’ve never thought of writing a book,” admits the former chef, who previously worked in the kitchens of Toqué!, Taverne Square Dominion and L’Utopie in Quebec. “Later, I realized it wasn’t in Quebec, and when I pointed out that I wanted to write the book, people told me it was sick! »

Five Star Collaborators

By inviting many chefs to collaborate on the book, Jean-Simon Petit took advantage of his many contacts in the field; Among them, Patrice Demers, Stéphane Modet and Stefano Faida. He also puts his vast experience at the service of the readers. “I have been making charcuterie for fifteen years. I studied butchery. It wasn’t really cold at the time, but I thought it was warm. I had bought some American books and old French books to try myself. Through my work, I have created charcuterie with as few additions as possible. I did a lot of experimenting to make the most natural charcuterie possible and back to traditional cooking methods. »

Do you want to make homemade, natural hot dog sausages? It’s in the book. “That’s one of my things, I’m a real hot dog fan; In order to understand what makes a good hot dog, I have purchased every type of commercial sausage in the US and Canada. It looks cheap, but it starts with an emulsified sausage, like in Eastern Europe. I recreated the sausage made back in the day and made sure it tasted like a hot dog. I don’t want my kids to eat crap! », says the father of two children, including a 2-month-old baby.

All this by adding a little baseball mustard to the bread… because yes, there is that too Baloney !

Baloney – charcuterie, preserves and company

Jean-Simon Petit

Cardinal editions

210 pages