Overview
Celebrate time as an ingredient with techniques that intensify flavour and defy expiration dates. Your expert guide, Steven Lamb, will take you through the ancient knowledge our ancestors used to utilise fire and preserve food, and the art of dry curing, brining (wet curing), hot and cold smoking, and fermentation.
As time is an essential part of the curing and smoking process, pre-made samples will show you how products evolve – and taste - during the process.
So, whether you’re fine-tuning existing skills or hoping to nail your next charcuterie board, this workshop is the perfect playground for refining your talents and kickstarting a foodie future.
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Steven Lamb
Culinary Guru
Steven Lamb is an award-winning author, culinary consultant, teacher and presenter. After a background in media, Steven’s food career began nearly 20 years ago, and in that time, he’s built up an extensive knowledge of food and a winning reputation on the culinary scene. With a natural talent for live hosting and interviewing, you’ll often find him at the best food shows and festivals - leading cookery demonstrations or hosting celebrity chefs.
Typical products made
These can include bacon/pancetta, salami, cooking chorizo, hot smoked fish and pork tenderloin and cold smoked trout, cheese or butter.
Course run-down
9.30 – 10.00: Welcome! Enjoy a tea or coffee and a homemade bacon taster
Morning session: We’ll begin by fast tracking your curing and smoking knowledge before moving on to basic butchery and recognising the best cuts for this traditional craft. We’ll then make bacon from pork belly before breaking for lunch.
1.30 – 2.15: Lunch
Afternoon session: After lunch, we’ll be mincing pork shoulder to make cooking chorizo or salami. After this, we’ll cover brining with an opportunity to use game, such as pheasant or pigeon breast, and discover the benefit of using a wet cure. We'll then round the day off with hot and cold smoking, making a hot smoked pork tenderloin or mackerel pate and a tasty, cold smoked fish.
4.30: Head home armed with methods and digital recipes to show off your new talent!
Skills covered
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Basic butchery
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Dry curing
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Wet curing
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Hot smoking
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Cold smoking
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Fermentation
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Maturation
What you need to know
Getting here
Our state-of-the-art training facilities are situated behind the Wyatt Stand at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham. The venue is all on one level and easily accessible from every area of the stadium.
Address:
Xcelerate Regional Skills & Community Training Hub,
Edgbaston Stadium,
Edgbaston Rd,
Birmingham,
B5 7QU