Croissant Toast Points

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

How does the egg yolk curing process work, and can I shorten it?

The cure is a two-stage process: first, burial in a salt and Meat Church Blanco mixture draws moisture out of the yolk over two days, firming it from liquid to a semi-solid gel. The vinegar rinse and subsequent three-day air-dry in the refrigerator removes the surface salt and continues drying the yolk until it's firm enough to grate cleanly on a Microplane. You need the full five days for a yolk that grates like hard cheese rather than smearing. Shortcutting to three days produces a softer yolk that's harder to handle and won't shave as finely.

Why use both Jacobsen Kosher Sea Salt and Meat Church Blanco in the cure mixture?

The Jacobsen salt provides the bulk osmotic draw — coarse, pure salt that pulls moisture evenly out of the yolk without introducing competing flavors. The Meat Church Blanco adds a subtle seasoning layer: its white pepper, garlic, and fine salt components migrate into the yolk's outer layer during curing, giving the finished product a faint savory complexity beyond plain salt. The result is a cured yolk that tastes seasoned, not just salty. Using plain salt alone produces a more neutral result.

Why crisp the prosciutto rather than serving it flat?

Flat prosciutto on top of cream cheese folds, slides, and adds a chewy, fatty texture that competes with rather than contrasts the cream cheese underneath. Crisped prosciutto shatters slightly on the first bite and delivers a clean, salty snap — texturally it reads closer to a thin chip than cured meat, which is exactly the contrast you want against the soft cream cheese and buttery croissant. It also stands upright on the toast rather than slumping, which improves both presentation and the way it eats.

Can I make the cured egg yolks without Meat Church Blanco?

Yes — a straight kosher salt cure works and is the traditional method. The yolk will be more neutrally flavored and will function primarily as an umami delivery vehicle rather than as a seasoned garnish. If you want to approximate the Blanco contribution, add a small amount of white pepper and garlic powder to the cure mixture. The texture and grating behavior will be identical; only the flavor complexity changes slightly.

Can I cook this Indoors?

We rate this a 5 out of 5 for cooking indoors. Perfect for indoor or outdoor cooking. The egg yolks cure in the refrigerator, the prosciutto crisps in a skillet, and the croissant toasts in a buttered pan — none of this requires outdoor equipment. The entire recipe is designed for a kitchen environment, with the pellet grill griddle used here simply for convenience and capacity.

Recipe Highlights & Insights

• Cured egg yolk is one of the most effective umami garnishes in modern cooking, and this recipe is one of the best introductions to the technique in the ATBBQ catalog. The five-day process is mostly passive — two days in the salt cure, five minutes to rinse, three days to dry — and the finished yolk keeps for a week refrigerated. One batch of two yolks produces enough garnish for multiple rounds of toast points, making it worth doing ahead for any gathering.

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• The salt-to-Meat Church Blanco ratio in the cure (3:1 by volume) is calibrated to season the outer layer of the yolk without over-salting. The Blanco's fine-ground seasoning particles penetrate the yolk surface more readily than coarse salt crystals, which is why it's used at a lower proportion — too much and the yolk becomes aggressively seasoned rather than subtly complex. Taste the finished yolk before grating and adjust your application volume accordingly.

   

• Texas Olive Ranch Balsamic Vinegar as the finishing drizzle is doing three things simultaneously: adding acidity that cuts the cream cheese richness, providing a sweet-tart contrast to the salty prosciutto and cured yolk, and contributing a glossy visual finish that makes each toast point look polished. Apply it last and sparingly — this balsamic is concentrated enough that a light drizzle covers more flavor ground than a heavy pour. Two or three drops per toast point is the right amount.

   

• This recipe originated in the ATBBQ in-person cooking classes at the Wichita HQ and was featured on November 14, 2025. As a class-born recipe it reflects Chef Tom's teaching philosophy: a technique-forward build where each component teaches a specific skill (curing, crisping, toasting, garnishing) that transfers to other recipes. The cured egg yolk technique alone is applicable to pasta, salads, and any dish where a savory umami finish would improve the plate.

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