I thought I would start including some of my favorite places to buy my ingredients for all this curing and also mention some of my compatriots engaged in the noble art of curing. First up is Thrushwood Farms, located in Galesburg, Illinois. My love of curing is directly a result of this fine establishment. My famliy farm is located just outside of Galesburg and for as long as I can remember their products have graced our dining room table. In fact, I can say, in some confidence, that the first bite of bacon I ever had was probably Thrushwood Farms' bacon.
Thrushwood raises their own hogs on an 800-sow, farrow-to-finish operation near Fairbury, IL. This freshness is immediately apparent when you try any of their pork products; always sweet and supple with good rich fat. The reason why I began curing is because no other commercial bacon I purchased could come close to matching the quality of Thrushwood's, so I figured I might as well give it a try. And while I would never presume to be to their level, it gives me something to strive for. In addition to their bacon, they also have sublime smoked pork chops which are so thick that you would swear you were eating a bacon steak. That's right folks, an entire steak of bacon...
In any case, I could go on and on about this store and how the staff is always friendly and knowledgeable and how they even recently gave me pricing on purchasing whole hogs from their farm, but you all should pay them a visit. So make your way out to Galesburg, Illinois and enjoy a bit of America's Hogland. If you can't make the trip, check out their website http://www.thrushwoodfarms.com/
Recent Comments