Prosciutto

chuck2u · Oct 5, 2011

Anybody here had any experience with dry curing?

Thanks!

Chuck

SmokinAl · Oct 5, 2011

Nepas is the sausage king. He can help you. Just PM him.

moikel · Oct 5, 2011

Big topic,& the source of countless arguements between Italians all over the world. I have a" how to" in a book that I use but have never tried it myself. Old timers in my neck of the woods shake their heads & mumble about Australian pigs not being the same as Italian pigs. Go figure! I think its more about the micro climate that you hang it in & getting all the moisture out around the bone.

If you have a specific question I will try & extract the answer from my Italian butcher friend but even he doesnt make much nowadays.He gets it from a specialist maker.

He does make guancalle ,pigs cheek dry cured. Might be a place to start before you risk a whole leg.

bratrules · Oct 5, 2011

Well am currently dry curing some chorizo and some carne salata. here is a pic.

moikel · Oct 5, 2011

Looks great,have you done chorizo before?

bratrules · Oct 6, 2011

yes i have. in fact i started a thread on it here is a link

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110589/dry-cured-chorizo

alelover · Oct 6, 2011

Search curing in the search box up top. Tons of threads on the subject.

michael ark · Oct 8, 2011

Maybe this will help.http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage-making/curing

chef jimmyj · Oct 8, 2011

You can also try doing a search for LONZA or COPPA...different regional names for the same thing...Salted, Dry Cured Pork Butt...Specificlly the "Money Muscle", I don't know the anatomical name, it's a group of small muscles in the butt that are well streaked with Fat and is very tender...Coppa cures much faster than Proscuitto and has a somewhat similar flavor...JJ

dave54 · Oct 8, 2011

Here's what Cycletrash and I are waiting for

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/102968/salt-curing-hams

we plan on doing a lot more this fall but this time we're going use a press to help

get the moisture out ,from what we've read and a few old Italian friends have told us

putting weight or using a press is surefire way to go

We salted ours for Five days ( Rubbing salt in as much as we could)

    stacked them on top of each other (rotated bottom one to top every other day)

    covered both ends and any area without skin with lard and peppered the whole ham

to keep flys off ,netted them and hung to cure

Mid July we checked them for bone rot with a stainless steel rod along the bone

and the all smelled great! Thanksgiving is when we plan on eating them.

cycletrash · Oct 8, 2011

Dave54 was wrong . we salted them and massaged them for 25 days.

cycletrash · Oct 8, 2011

This video will help you

moikel · Oct 8, 2011

The problem I hear is always about rot near the bone. I get vague explanations on how to make it from my butcher friends Carlo & Joe. Carlo came here from Lazio & has been a butcher for 45 years. What I can contribute from my "bible" is these couple of steps when you are brushing off the salt to get ready for hanging stage use a rolling pin to express as much blood from the vein along the leg.Do it for 4-5 days then recover with salt. Then put weight down prosciutto under a board with a bag of cement on top. Italians always have a bag of cement handy. Leave 7 days. Then wash cut surfaces with wine ,they always have that handy to.Then coat cut surfaces with white or black pepper. After 2-3 months make mix of fresh fat,salt ,flour like a putty then recover cut surfaces.

You guys look like you are all over this anyway so Bon Gusto. "'Cu si marita e cuntentu nu iornu cu mmazza nu porcu e contentu n'annu'" They who marry are happy for one day, but kill a pig & your happy all year" Calabrian proverb. Hard to argue really.

cycletrash · Nov 21, 2011

Here is the finished product !!!!

navyjeremy · Nov 21, 2011

Dave54 the second picture on your link is that you or cycle, I have traveled as well. Just wondering.

dave54 · Nov 21, 2011

Navyjeremy said:
Dave54 the second picture on your link is that you or cycle, I have traveled as well. Just wondering.

Both of us are
( and since you are in Italy, could you send us some of that Northern Italian wind for for

our next hams?

)

fpnmf · Nov 21, 2011

Dang!!

That is some fine looking prok!!!

Looks like it was worth the effort!!

Thanks for keeping us filled in on the long term!!!!

Gobble gobble!!!

Craig

diesel · Nov 22, 2011

Man.. that looks great! My grandfather used to cure hams and he told me about using a needle to inject the salt/brine down around the bone. I have started curing meat in the last several months. I have been successful with Panchetta and guanciale. I made an attempt at spanish chorizo but my curing chamber took a crap on the 5th day.. had some really bad furry mold growing. I am going to try again really soon.

Can't wait to do a ham like that.. very nice stuff.

alelover · Nov 22, 2011

Looks like the real deal to me. Nice work. Take a piece and wrap it around some sharp provolone. Heavenly.

bratrules · Nov 22, 2011

Wow that looks amazing!!! i wish i could make something like that but the temps over here in Southern Cali. don't let me!!

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