Cured meat always seems like it came straight from the food factory, complete with plastic packaging. Italian cold cuts, Spanish-style chorizo (as opposed to the uncured Mexican kind), and bacon (even ...

a whole lot of patience. The time between buying a cut of meat from the butcher to actually serving it at the table can be months. Or even years. That’s when the meat breaks down, unlocking flavor you ...

Salt is my frenemy. But it is also the magical crystal of culinary alchemy. Salt can harden my arteries but also transform raw fish, fowl and meats into delectable morsels through curing. Curing is ...