PIALLIGO ESTATE SMOKEHOUSE

Time-Honoured Traditional Curing

Our foundations of quality come from respecting the time-honoured traditions of ancient artisanal meat and fish curing that have been refined and perfected throughout Europe over hundreds of years.

Our process incorporates only the best Australian export approved suppliers, very simple ingredients, and a slow, cold-smoking process. Being true to the craft, knowing the trade and consistently repeating the method is the secret to the authentic, award-winning quality products for which we have become renown.

It is the initial introduction of salt to the meat which commences the preservation process by lowering the water content (effectively dehydrating the meat) via osmosis. This technique was established in antiquity to preserve food for consumption during the colder months, reducing the moisture content essentially eliminates the potential for food spoilage. This new dynamic the alters the composition of the meat, enhancing and dispersing the flavour throughout.

The Process

At Pialligo Estate we work only with farmers who uphold sustainable horticulture practices and deliver the freshest meat. And we only place our orders to meet demand of the ensuing fortnight.

Produce is passionately cared for from the moment it arrives on site…Upon arrival to the smokehouse, the pork for our bacon is unpacked and rubbed with our own dry rub, a combination of salt, sugar, and fresh herbs and spices from Pialligo Estate farm.

It is then rested at approximately 5 degrees, absorbing the salt and complex flavours of the dry rub, effectively dehydrating the meat. Once the meat is the right colour, it is carefully transferred and hung in the smoker chamber. The cold-smoking process sees the meat smoked at a temperature of between 20-26 degrees for between 6-48 hours.

This time-honoured practice dates back to the era of our forefathers, when the preparation and preservation of meat was a way of life and sustenance. Although the hands of time and technology have sculpted many aspects of our modern world, we have not introduced any processes or machines to reduce preservation time or artificially flavour our products. At Pialligo Estate Smokehouse we have upheld the traditional cold-smoking process and are consistently striving to produce world class products.

Pialligo Estate Academy: The Art of Curing and Smoking Produce

Learn the lost art of curing and smoking at our upcoming class on 26 September 2018. Book now.

Spend some time with our Smokehouse Manager learning curing methods and mixes for your favourite foods. The secrets to hot and cold smoking will be revealed and how these techniques change your product. You will cure a loin of ham with your choice of herbs and spices to take home to the family!

Our Facility

Our smokehouse facility comprises a custom-built cold-smoker imported from the UK. The smoke produced is the result of smouldering, slow-burning (8 hours) European beechwood woodchips. These woodchips are essential in creating a very delicate, gentle, sweet and creamy aroma, which is then slowly absorbed by the meat creating an incredible flavour and aesthetic that has seen our products become internationally recognised.

Suppliers

A total commitment to quality in everything we do is the cornerstone of our ongoing success.

Only export approved Australian pork, beef and seafood suppliers who recognise the important values of sustainable farming practices provide product to Pialligo Estate Smokehouse.

Achieving export certification in Australia in no mean feat. A rigorous application, auditing, assessment and approval process takes place. This also includes ongoing auditing and assessment of quality across the entire operations of the processing facility, company operations and personnel.

Pialligo Estate Smokehouse has been exporting our products for over 2-years, so the combination of our supplier accreditations, our own export accreditation, rigorous quality assurance measures ensure our finished product is of the highest order.

We currently supply bacon, salmon and a variety of sausage products in commercial quantities to customers in Singapore and Hong Kong.

OBE Organic 

OBE Organic produces the world’s best organic beef. We began in the 1990s as Australia’s first and only premium meat exporter 100% dedicated to the production of organic beef.

Formed by a group of far-sighted pastoral families, our company was founded on century old traditions – raising cattle exactly the way nature intended. No chemicals, no pollutants, no hormones, nothing, except a whole-hearted commitment to letting the most enriching natural forces and environment produce the very best grass fed organic beef.

Our mission is to provide safe food to families of the world.

We raise our cattle in the pure heartland of Australia, where they freely roam across natural organic plains, with hardly any fences. They live a life free from all unnecessary human interference, feeding on over 250 species of seasonal native grasses and plants.

We raise our cattle this way because we believe the quality of beef is a direct product of the environment in which it’s raised. You are what you eat, as they say.

The scale of OBE Organic’s free-range production operation is staggering: together, the families own over 7 million hectares of grazing land. That’s almost 17 million acres – about the area of Tasmania, or 1.5 times the area of Taiwan, or the combined area of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey.

Guided by heritage and driven by purity, OBE Organic delivers old-world quality with exceptional health and safety standards. Pure and simple.

Sustainability

As well as pioneering the organic beef industry in Australia, OBE Organic is also one of the first Australian beef supply chains to formally manage sustainability.

We do this because we know our stakeholders expect us to protect the environment our beef is sourced from, improve animal wellbeing, help people along our supply chain realise their full potential and deliver a safe and nutritious product to families around the world.

If we manage these things well, we should make our value chain stronger by reducing risk, increasing productivity and growing our business. At the same time, we aim to make positive impacts that contribute to the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework and the UN Sustainable Development goals.

Inspired by the wildflowers of our outback heartland that flourish when conditions are right, we call our sustainability program FLOURISH.

Want to know more? You can read our summary Sustainability Reports for 2017 and 2016. Or use the Sustainability tab in the header for a snapshot of how we manage sustainability and our work across environment, animals, people and product.

Company website

Flinders Island Meat

Communicating the story, provenance, and meaning behind the produce that we supply is our driving motivation…Upholding values of honesty, transparency, and reliability are how we achieve it.

We distribute our produce, and a wide portfolio of other incredible meat from likeminded producers directly to chefs and retailers across Victoria, NSW and the ACT.

Company website

HUON Tasmanian Salmon

Based at the southern tip of Tasmania, where the mighty Huon River meets the Great Southern Ocean, HUON Premium Tasmanian salmon are reared and nurtured by some of the finest, and most innovative practitioners globally. Unique climatic conditions so prevalent in this wilderness, provide for a near perfect life. The water is clean, pristine and unspoilt. It is quite literally a paradise.

Whilst the conditions are heaven sent, the staff at HUON are also blessed; with passion, knowledge, flair, and a dedication to each other rarely seen. This style is practiced from the top down of the vertically integrated company. The result is salmon with rewarding texture, luscious colour, and succulent flavour.

Sustainability Accreditation

Huon are proud salmon farmers and since the establishment of Huon Aquaculture in 1986, the business has grown to become Australia’s signature producer of salmon, recognised around the world for the quality of their salmon and the ingenuity of our operations.

An ethical business, respected Tasmanian brand, part of a sustainable industry and a company that is focused on the safety of their employees, the welfare of fish and the wildlife around them. Being responsible and caring members of our community is important because they are part of that community as well.

Global Salmon Initiative – Freshwater use

The six principles that have guided our planning are:

1. 1. Increasing production responsibly and safely
   2. Improving the health and welfare of our fish
   3. Improving safety for our workers
   4. Reducing our environmental footprint
   5. Continuing to positively participate in the community
   6. Producing world-class salmon products in Tasmania

Company website

The Huon Method

For Huon, ethical farming involves:

• • Ensuring the health and welfare of our fish
  • Respect for the environment in which we operate and its natural inhabitants
  • Providing safe and respectful work places for our staff
  • Building and maintaining social acceptance in the communities in which we operate.
  • The Huon Method is our innovative farming philosophy:

Ethics Driven

We feed our salmon the highest quality feed available and have developed innovative feeding techniques that are now used all round the world. Just as importantly, when our salmon are processed for sale, we do it in a humane way, utilising equipment that has been awarded by the RSPCA UK.

However, it doesn’t stop there, each year we reinvest much of our returns back into the business through research and development because you see, in the words of our founders, Peter and Frances Bender, at Huon Aquaculture “we don’t want to be the biggest, we simply want to be the best.”

That is the ‘Huon Method’ and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Olsson’s Sea Salt

With over 50 different types of sea slat grades and products, Olsson’s salt is essential in all our curing processes.

The ancient tradition of making sea salt into flakes is a closely guarded secret and has taken over a decade for Olsson Pacific to perfect. Olsson’s Sea Salt Flakes are made in the Spencer Gulf in South Australia.

Olsson’s Sea Salt Fleur de Sel Flakes are:

• • Soft, sweet and delicate
  • Made from the pristine sea waters of the Great Australian Bight
  • Completely natural, chemical and preservative free
  • Exceptional sea salt taste

Company website

Our Products

Smoked Bacon – Full rasher and short-cut

The pride of the stable, it is our most internationally recognised product. Pialligo Smokehouse bacon is amongst the most awarded bacons in the world. Cured and cold-smoked with care and respect to time-honoured northern European traditions. With a perfect lean to fat ratio, our bacon has minimal shrinkage and does not lose moisture – it has become a household staple, with consumers also seeking it out on the menu at their local restaurants and cafes alike.

Perfect for the traditional bacon and eggs but also a delicious delight to any meal, lightly cooked or also enjoyed crispy.

      

Cooking with our bacon

Pialligo smoked bacon is very versatile and a great inclusion in a range of fried, baked or cold dishes. Lightly caramelised or crispy, it is also a great alternative ingredient to prosciutto. Shop now…

Pialligo bacon with eggs

When cooking traditional bacon and eggs, no oil is required. Warm your pan to medium heat and drop the bacon straight in. The natural fats and flavours are all you need to enjoy Pialligo bacon. Cook until lightly caramelised or enjoy crispy.

Carbonara (serves 4)

• 1 x tablespoon olive oil
• 2 x garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 x rashers of Pialligo bacon cut into strips
• 3 x eggs, plus 1 extra yolk
• 100ml x thickened cream
• 2/3 cup (50g) x freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
• 2 x tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Fresh spaghetti / fettucine of your choice

 

Amatriciana (serves 4)

• 4 x rashers diced Pialligo bacon (or 1 packet of Pialligo lardons)
• 1 x 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 x tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 3 x cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 x teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 6 x fresh basil leaves, torn
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Penne pasta cooked until al dente
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• Grated cheese of your choice for serving

Smoked Salmon

Delicate, delicious and softly smoked, Pialligo Estate’s Salmon is truly the king of the fish! Whole side or sliced, we use fresh HUON Tasmanian Salmon, using the very best part of the side, trimmed of fat. This fillet of salmon is cured with only a little salt to ensure the perfect salmon flavour.

Traditions are very often the glue that holds a community of people together, and it is certainly the backbone of our salmon curing methods. We have rediscovered the craft of the past, where whole fish would be stored for days in household kitchen chimneys to flavour and preserve protein, feeding families throughout winter months. In demand by some of Australia’s top chefs since receiving the first awards in 2014, it is now penetrating the Asia-Pacific market. Our smoked salmon is of the highest quality in the world. Shop now…

Salmon Gravlax

A traditional Nordic dish, meaning ‘buried salmon,’ historically common in remote areas where large quantities of fish were caught in succession, where salt was of high quality and in abundance, and there was a need to preserve the fish for the winter months. The traditional curing and burying created conditions for lacto-fermentation which flavours and preserves the fish. Our smokehouse honours this tradition producing our awarded gravlax.

Using only the best HUON Tasmanian Salmon, we cure the salmon in a marinade of dill, white peppercorns, cane sugar, and sea salt. It is ideal served with crusty bread as an appetiser when entertaining at home, or as a shared plate during main course.

The Gravlax Salmon is best served as an appetiser, thinly sliced or diced into 1cm square cubes. Traditionally served with a Mustard & Dill Sauce, but use very sparingly, if at all, as the flavour of the gravlax is so delicate that you don’t want to overpower it. Shop now…

  

Ham

Our whole muscle leg ham is handcrafted from the finest Australian Pork. Seasoned and smoked on-site with the perfect balance of brown sugar and salt. It is the ideal ham for feeding a large group during festive seasons, for special gatherings or to just share with friends…because you can.

Our hams are made on site in the traditional European way with just the right blend of herbs and spices. All of the pork we use in our ham is purchased fresh from quality regional suppliers of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

A premium quality ham made from the finest Australian pork leg. Traditionally cured and naturally wood smoked resulting in an unmistakable delicate flavour and texture. Our hams are smoked on site by ham specialists. You don’t see a dentist for poor eyesight, you don’t see a mechanic for a crashed computer, so don’t see a supermarket for ham, it’s what we do.

We only use natural wood chips, not liquid smoke, which is common in your generic supermarket hams. Although liquid smoke might taste close to the real thing, it can also contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can be carcinogenic.

A family favourite our hams are dry-cured, meaning they’re rubbed with salt and seasonings, smoked, then aged anywhere from 4 months to 3 years. Salty and chewy, the intensely flavoured meat is ideal for festivities of any kinds, with plenty of protein for the whole family.

Smoked Sausages – 100% meat

Pialligo Estate Smokehouse produces award winning artisan sausages made from 100% Australian meat, herbs and spices. They are free from gluten and other unnecessary fillers such as bread crumbs, water, sausage meal and preservatives.

We produce succulent gourmet sausages with a unique blend of herbs and a course texture in a natural casing. Celebrated by sausage enthusiasts internationally, our traditional, flavoursome and chunky snags are cold-smoked, using traditional northern-European methods and come in a variety of flavours…with more to come. Shop now…

Flavours

• Lamb, mint, rosemary & honey
• Italian
• Chorizo
• Pork, fennel & chilli
• Pork chipolata – coming soon

Cooking with our products

When you cook with Pialligo Estate Smokehouse ingredients, you not only get the finest in Australia, you will experience a food product which has been crafted with respect by passionate experts who have patiently applied ancient food preservation and smoking methods to ensure a consistent quality that is recognised internationally and across the breadth of Australia.

Multi-Award Winning

While it is rewarding to be recognised for achieving the outcomes we desire, the effort we go to, in submitting our products into the worlds most notable awards programs is because it is the best way to be systematically assessed by internationally acclaimed industry leaders and benchmarked against our peers. The results of these awards programs provides us with the impetus to continually strive for improvement and move forward into new markets.

*Pialligo Estate remains the only producer in Australia to win back-to-back gold medals for Best Smoked Bacon in Australia (2014, 2015) at the Sydney Royal Fine Foods Awards.

**In 2015 & 2016 Pialligo Estate Smokehouse bacon was one of only 7 producers in the world to receive two-stars for our full-rasher of smoked bacon (there were no 3 stars awarded) at the Great Taste Awards in London.

Stockists

We slice and package all our products onsite, and within 48 hours they are dispatched to our stockists and traders using our products. This ensures products are of the highest quality and freshest condition for consumption.

Click here for our lists of stockists and traders.