Schmalzfleisch is one of the staple Aufstriche (spreads) at an Austrian Heuriger. If that sentence made absolutely no sense to you, read this post before proceeding.
Schmalzfleisch literally means “fat-meat”. It is one of several dishes Austrians have developed to use up irregular scraps of cured meat, like the very end of a ham that can’t quite be passed through the meat slicer.
The process for making Schmalzfleisch is simple: pieces of cured meat are ground, then mixed with rendered lard to form a cohesive paste that can be spread on bread. Traditionally cured meat and fat are the only two ingredients. I like to add a touch of mustard for balancing acidity.
If you grew up in eastern Canada and spent any time in a church basement, you’re probably familiar with minced ham. Schmalzfleisch is similar to minced ham, only it is bound with lard instead of mayonnaise.
Schmalzfleisch
Master Ratio – 3:1 ground cured meat, lard
Ingredients
- 240 g leftover charcuterie (see Note below)
- 80 g warm lard
- 8 g mustard
Procedure
- Cube the charcuterie and grind once through a 1/4″ plate. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the warm lard and mustard to the bowl and mix briefly with the paddle attachment, until the ingredients are combined and the ground charcuterie has formed a spread.
- Transfer to serving dish, garnish with chives. Consume on light rye bread.
Note: “Ham-type” charcuterie, ie. pork that has been brine-cured and cooked, works best. A small amount of air-dried meat like salami can be used, but not more than 1/4 of the total weight. Fresh (un-cured) cooked meat like pork chops and roast beef give the mixture a mushy texture and should be used sparingly.
Yield: 320 g schmalzfleisch
