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Learn with Steve Williams

Next Level Charcuterie

Learn how to make charcuterie and cured meats, to a professional standard, with Steve Williams, owner and founder of Good Game

Course overview

In this lesson, Steve will teach you how to source the best pork – not only for quality but also which cuts you need to make professional quality charcuterie in the most sustainable and natural way. Steve discusses different breeds and slow-bred pigs. He also looks at all the different cuts and what can be produced to maximise margin on the pig and to balance carcass. He’ll also advises on working with other producers to get non-prime cuts or buying in collars or by products from bacon producers. Steve then covers butchery for charcuterie production. You’ll learn to work with a whole (split) pig and head for this course. Steve will show you how to cut the primals off the side of pork, as well as how to harvest these cuts – Coppa, Spec from shoulder, Lomo, Pancetta (rolled), tenderloin, chump, and Culatello. Steve looks at the different types of curing salt and options available. PDV Salt, Sea Salt, Continental curing salt, salami curing salt, prague powders and salt petre. He discusses pre-mixes and training staff to cure without making mistakes. To round this extensive lesson off, Steve tackles equipment, demonstrating what you need for commercial charcuterie making.

Meet Steve Williams

Steve Williams is one of the country’s most revered charcutier makers. He’s also a hunter, restaurant owner and cofounder of Good Game which he set up after meeting Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on one of the first River Cottage courses, Pig in a Day. The course inspired Steve to make charcuterie professionally but in a different way – without nitrates and using only the best local meat. Steve has reared his own pigs on occasion with the help of a farm on the Powderham Estate. He has been able to experiment with different native breeds and form opinions on his experiences. He also buy pigs from friends who have native breed pigs locally. Most of the game he uses is either shot himself or sourced by local Devon stalkers. Steve's restaurant 'The Pig and Pallet' uses his meat knowledge and smoking knowledge to produce amazing BBQ food. There is an American influence but a complete ethic in using local free range and organic meats.

Course description

River Cottage alumni and top artisan charcutier Steve Williams will take your charcuterie skills to the next level.

This is the ideal follow up to the Introductory River Cottage Charcuterie at Home course, for everyone who wants to grow their skills to produce charcuterie at an advanced level. This could include professional chefs and butchers, small holders and meat producers who are looking to craft artisan charcuterie and smoked meats for sale to the public.

Ideally you will already have some knowledge of butchery (especially pork butchery), but there will be an overview of the key cuts throughout the course.

Steve will explain all the key elements of small-scale commercial charcuterie production. On this course, you’ll learn about sourcing the right pigs and achieving carcass balance.

He’ll take you step-by-step through making a variety of cured meats such as coppa, speck, pancetta, guanciale, lomo/lonzo, dried hams or culatello to a professional standard and scale.

Steve will also guide you through the professional equipment you need to get started, including smokers and drying chambers.

He’ll give you guidance on testing your products and environment to meet the standards needed for professional charcuterie creation.

Steve will also teach you how to use hot and cold smoking techniques to create things like: bresaola, pastrami, salt beef and venison ham.

You'll learn:
  • equipment your'll need to create professional charcuterie
  • how to source sustainable meat for your cured meats
  • curing and brining
  • choosing cases for sausages
  • smoking meats and choosing hot and cold smokers and equipment
The course includes:
  • 4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Steve Williams and River Cottage
  • lifetime access to the videos, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical charcuterie assignments and recipes (with tutor feedback available)
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom - chat online to students from around the world and share your creative ideas
Independent Cookery Schools Association approved

This course has been approved by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA), recognising the highest standards of training.

Time to complete the next level charcuterie course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 15 hours to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 3 hours in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Your gut health recipe assignments: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson
You'll need:

Your lesson notes will include the full details of the ingredients you'll need, but you will be making charcuterie so you'll need standard kitchen equipment.

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Steve on your charcuterie assignments.

If you know someone who'd love this course then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.