From Harvest to Holiday: Summer Sausages & Cured Bacon
Comm Ed - Culinary | Available
Creating Hand-crafted Meats to Share with Family and Friends
Join Chef Jules Carney of The Leaping Pig Charcuterie for a highly-interactive, hands-on workshop celebrating one of the oldest traditions of the holiday season - creating hand-crafted meats to share with others. In this class, you'll prepare two holiday favorites: smoked summer sausage and traditional Arkansas bacon - while learning the time-honored techniques of curing, seasoning, stuffing, and smoking that have brought families and communities together for generations.
This class goes beyond recipes to focus on the craft behind exceptional charcuterie. You'll learn the techniques that give you the confidence to create hand-crafted meats at home, understand how flavor is developed, and discover how one master summer sausage formula can become countless signature sausages. Then we'll turn our attention from the smokehouse to the holiday table by exploring simple ways to package and present your creations as thoughtful gifts and welcoming offerings for family, friends, neighbors, and holiday hosts.
What You Will Master:
- The Summer Sausage Formula: Learn the foundational receipe and techniques behind exceptional smoked summer sausage. Then learn how professional sausage-makers evaluate, adjust, and make any sausage their own.
- Traditional Arkansas Bacon: Prepare and cure authentic Arkansas bacon while learning the principles of dry-curing, seasoning, and smoking that have made this regional specialty a favorite for generations.
- From Smokehouse to Hospitality: Discover simple ways to transform your hand-crafted meats into meaningful holiday gifts by pairing them with cheeses, preserves, pickles, crackers, and other seasonal accompaniments. Learn how thoughtful presentation can turn handmade foods into gifts that invite people to gather around the table.
You'll leave with the hand-crafted summer sausage and Arkansas bacon you've prepared, a holiday gift box you've assembled, detailed recipes, curing and smoking instructions, and the confidence to continue making these traditional holiday favorites for years to come.
Ages Requirement: Ages 14 & up. Kids between the ages of 10-13 may enroll with a registered adult.
Dietary requests or questions? Please email kgustafson@uaptc.edu
Interested in a similar class for your next private event? UA-PTC Community Education offers completely customizable classes and training for individuals, parties, groups, businesses, and industries of all sizes and disciplines. Please e-mail kgustafson@uaptc.edu for more information.
Community Education Class Cancellation Policy: A full refund will be issued if registration is canceled at least 7 days prior to the start of class. Cancellations made less than 7 days from the class date will not receive a refund unless the class spot can be sold. On the chance that UA-PTC must cancel a class, registrants will have the choice of receiving a full refund or transferring to another Community Education class.
Jules Carney
Jules Carney owns and operates an Arkansas-based company focused on producing locally sourced artisanal charcuterie and charcuterie-related products and services. His company, The Leaping Pig Charcuterie, prides itself on bringing only the highest quality products and services to his customers who range from farmers, culinary schools, event coordinators, food producers, food preservers and professional chefs. His motto, “Eat well! Live well!”, is at the core of how and why he shares his passion and fourteen years of experience and knowledge of the ancient art of charcuterie. Jules uses the hashtag #chARcuterie when he posts pictures or shares stories about his products online because he is proud to produce artisanal charcuterie in Arkansas, which is sourced from animals raised by farmers in Arkansas. In his opinion, Arkansas farmers raise some of the highest quality animals on some of the finest grazing lands in the country. Quality charcuterie starts with the quality of the meat. Fortunately, this high-quality, locally sourced meat allows him to proudly support local farmers and producers without reserve.