A career for meat lovers
Gerhard Feiner, Fleischmeister for Dons smallgoods.
Whether it's winemakers, cheesemakers, brewers or chocolatiers, the people behind the products we consume are increasingly gaining attention. Unlike the art of the winemaker or cheesemaker, however, the art of the Fleischmeister has been somewhat of a mystery in Australia.
Fleischmeister, (pronounced fly-sh-my-ster), is a German word for ‘meat master’ and is a qualification that can only be attained through many years of practice and theoretical study in Europe. There are only a handful of these masters in Australia.
After employing Fleischmeisters for over 60 years, Don Smallgoods is unveiling the tradition of these master craftsmen, one of whom is Gerhard Feiner.
Gerhard began his career in Austria, where he learned about the entire craft of meat production, as well as the art of making sausages, ham, salami, pâté and more.
“When I finished school in Austria, I knew I wanted to do something practical using my hands so I decided to start a three-year butcher's apprenticeship.
“I liked it so much that I continued with my studies and did the Master Butcher degree to become a qualified Fleischmeister,” Mr Feiner said.
Fleischmeisters are the custodians of traditional recipes and use their knowledge of meats and ingredients to create flavours, which are brought out through methods such as blending, curing, smoking and maturing.
To be a Fleischmeister takes time, patience and an uncompromising approach throughout the process to maintain the standards of this craft.
“Basically a Fleischmeister looks over the entire process of making deli meats – from selecting the type of meat, spices and sugars to controlling and changing the environment in the maturing room to ensure the full development of flavours.”
“At Don we make our deli meats in small batches so we can monitor the process and ensure that the quality of our products is maintained,” Mr Feiner said.
In order to share the history and craft of the Fleischmeister, Gerhard recently hosted a series of Salami Meisterclasses exploring the history and art of salami making, which proved to be popular with those who are already developing an appreciation of the craft.
Ever wondered why salami lasts so long without being full of preservatives? Or how to make it at home? Then find out at a Meisterclass.
“There seems to be a real passion for salami making and we had an overwhelming response, from younger people who were interested in learning more about the craft to older European men who make their own salami.”
“These sessions have been really popular and we are having another Salami Meisterclass and Supper as part of the 2009 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival,” Mr Feiner said.
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