Salumi

Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn inspired a revival of artisanal sausage making and bacon curing with their surprise hit, Charcuterie. Now they delve deep into the Italian side of the craft with Salumi, a book that explores and simplifies the recipes and techniques of dry curing meats. As the sources and methods of making our food have become a national discussion, an increasing number of cooks and professional chefs long to learn fundamental methods of preparing meats in the traditional way. Ruhlman and Polcyn give recipes for the eight basic products in Italy’s pork salumi repertoire: guanciale, coppa, spalla, lardo, lonza, pancetta, prosciutto, and salami, and they even show us how to butcher a hog in the Italian and American ways. This book provides a thorough understanding of salumi, with 100 recipes and illustrations of the art of ancient methods made modern and new.

Author Biography

Michael Ruhlman is one of the most highly regarded food writers today, having written and coauthored many bestsellers, including The Soul of a Chef, The French Laundry Cookbook, Ratio, The Book of Cocktail Ratios, and a series of cookbooks on the art of charcuterie, including Charcuterie; Salumi; and Pâté, Confit, Rillette. He lives in New York City and Providence, Rhode Island, with his wife, Ann Hood. Brian Polcyn has owned and operated many of Detroit’s finest restaurants, namely Forest Grill and Five Lakes Grill. From 1997 to 2024, he served on the full-time faculty of the Culinary Arts program at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan, where he taught butchery and charcuterie. He is the co-author of a series of cookbooks on the art of charcuterie, including Charcuterie; Salumi; and Pâté, Confit, Rillette.