• Orientation for the week’s schedule and events.
• Welcome dinner.
• Overnight at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Flavor Perception & Gustatory Analysis: Degustation and gustatory analysis are the processes by which culinarians taste and analyze each single ingredient and classifies them according to intensity and region. This enables him or her to create charcuterie authentically and, if necessary, to make suitable substitutions based on a clear guideline.
• An extended tasting of salumi from different regions of Italy.

Selecting livestock (Maiali neri di Calabria))

• Chefs know that utilizing the best raw ingredients is indispensable in order to make a great dish. During this phase, participants will create a checklist to ensure that their acquisitions are perfect for the creation of a myriad of charcuterie.
• How to further identify the quality of an animal by examination of the interior.
• As it may not always be possible to trace the feeding and breeding history of animals, we must also be capable of identifying high quality meats solely by visual and other sensory means.
• Humanly slaughtering an animal for eventual consumption
• Humanely slaughtering an animal is not only the right thing to do but also plays a significant role in meat quality.
• Lunch
• Differentiating quality: Free Range vs. Wild vs. Farm Raised
  • The ICI Masters cut through the hype and infinite hyperbole and explain the pros and cons of each.
• Preferred diets for specific curing.
• Preparation of the pig for the following day.

• Sanitizing and selecting equipment and tools.
• Dinner
• Overnight at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Charcuterie: Past and future
• A brief history of traditional Italian cured meats, fish, conserves and cheese from North to South.
• Italian regional charcuterie’s impact on Italian and world cuisine.
• Types of curing:
  • Drying
  • Brining
  • Molding
  • Fermentation
  • Smoking

Unlike many other countries, most Italian delicacies are not smoke cured. However, brief smoking is applied in the first stage of aging to apply a carbonyl group which aids in natural preservation. These fresh olive branches also add a vibrant touch of flavor.

• Quick Curing

Sous Vide: “short cures” will be accelerated even further through sous vide techniques.

• Food Safety and Hygiene

Artisan meat processing is comprised of several steps all of which include highly perishable products. Proven work habits are introduced that go far beyond standard international HAACP regulations ensuring not only a sanitary production line but a better product.

Overview of dangerous microorganisms and how to prevent development through proper handling and sanitation throughout the production process.

• 1st Butchering: participants assist the maestro in butchering and sectioning an entire pig (100kg.ca.).
• Selecting cuts and destinations.
• Temporary storage of selecting sections for second and third butchering.

• Lunch
• 2nd Butchering: participants butcher selected section of the pig according to their final destination product.
• 3rd Butchering: separation of fines cuts destined for cooked preparations.

• Salt Curing Production:
  • Pancetta Calabrese
  • Pancetta Toscana
  • Pancetta Friuliana
  • Jowl
• Cooking Production:
  • Bollito Misto with Mostarda di Cremona
  • Fegato alla Veneziana
  • Grigiata di Maiale
• Sectioning, salting, brining and storage of parts for following day’s lesson.

Brining tongues and offcuts

• Dinner
• Overnight at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Salt Curing Production
  • N’duja
  • Salsiccia
  • Ciauscolo
  • Strolghino
  • Capocollo
  • Prosciuttino
  • Figatell
  • Lucanica
  • Soppressata
  • Lardo di Colonnata

6 types of pancetta, 3 types of bacon and over 25 examples of sausage, salami and mass meats..

• Lunch
• Brine Curing Production
  • Jowl
  • Ribs
  • Fat back
  • Pork Butt
  • Tonno di Chianti (Pickled)

Sectioning prosciuttino

• International Sausage Production and Cooking
  
  • Bratwurst (Germany/Austria)
  • Kelbasa (Slovakia/Poland)
• Each participant prepares personalized fresh sausage to be baked, boiled and/or grilled)
• Dinner
• Overnight at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel

The infinite ways to flavour pancetta

• Curing Production: “Insaccati” (Salame)
  • Salame Milano
  • Salame Napoli
  • Salame Brianza
  • Salami Genovese
  • Salame di Felino
  • Salame Fabriano
  • Salame Gentile
  • Salame di Mugnano
  • Coppa di Testa (Head Cheese)

Pre-aging fermentation

• Lunch
• Curing Production: Smoking
  • Bacon (Italian)
  • Bacon (French South Provincial)
  • Bacon (American Southeast)
  • Speck
  • Ribs
  • Tenderloin
• Quick Curing
  • Sous Vide
  • Dehydration

• Cooking Production
  • Zampone
  • Cotechino
  • Gelatina
• Dinner
• Overnight at the hotel.

The hanging room..

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Visit to Mercatino
  • A typical Italian open air market offers culinarians an insight to the country’s most traditional aspects as well as an opportunity to browse foods, cheeses, wines and cured meats that are still produced by artisans. Participants compare and taste the differences between these products and those of the industrial sector.

Mercatino, the open air market visit, is a gastronomic treasure..

• Return to ICI.
• Lunch
• Curing other meats
  • Chicken Jerky
  • Smoked Rabbit
  • Duck Bacon
• Butchering Production: Lamb
  • Selecting cuts and destinations.
• Curing Production
  • Lamb Salame
  • Chicken Pastrami
  • Head cheese (Mixed scraps)
• Cooking
  • Lo Spiedo Bresciano
  • Polenta Concia
  • Spicy Eggplant Sausage
  • Lamb Tartar

Tenderloin marinated in red wine and grilled to perfection

• Dinner
• Awarding of certificates
• Overnight at the hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Transfer to the airport or train station.
• Arriverderci!!