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I meant to say wrapped in the fridge...shrink wrap is good enough...vac works too. This will stop the drying process yet allow some of water from the inside to move into the outter layers...an attempt to equalize before resuming drying.
I meant to say wrapped in the fridge...shrink wrap is good enough...vac works too. This will stop the drying process yet allow some of water from the inside to move into the outter layers...an attempt to equalize before resuming drying.
If this all goes according to plan, how would you guys first of all carve the lamb? Would you remove major cuts from the bone and then slice or would you leave it all on the bone and slice as needed?
Where should it be stored and how long will it keep?
From a safety perspective you can leave it hanging. My folks left pig prosciuttos hanging in the pantry year round. But we didn't have big@$$ refrigerators back then.
It will continue to dry - and being a lamb leg (smaller) will probably get to dry and chewy before finishing it.
How long will it last you? If a month or so I would leave on the bone and refrigerate. If you plan to munch on it for months I would cut it up and wrap each piece separately.
I bought a whole pork prosciutto in December, cut up half of it and froze it. I would have rater fridged it but had other things going on in the fridge.
Cheers guys, I think Ill only leave this out for 2 months in total before trying it (only 4 weeks to go!!!!)
Id like to show it off (if its edible?) on the bone so may make a proper holder for it and future lambs, and then break it down, seal it up and put it in the fridge to use as and when.
That's the deadline, that's 2 months which I think will be long enough.
Now as this is sort of an experiment to see if the alley way is a suitable curing site, I think I'm going to take all the meat off of the bone in muscle groups to see firstly if it has spoiled near the bone.
I don't want to be eating this and then find its goner off deeper inside.
If I dismember it carefully and as long as its dry cured ok, I should have some sections of meat that will then be able to be kept in the fridge and finely sliced through my meat slicer, as and when required.
Cheers Dave, it was worth the wait. Given me some courage to do a whole hog leg now but will need to build a bigger safe.
Atomic, to be honest I'm not sure if I like it LOL. Imagine the flavour of lamb but ten times stronger! I think it's flavour will improve once I have some properly cut slices. Those ones were a bit thick so I think the flavour was too overpowering. Had a lovely saltiness to it though
Well...it's cured dry meat...that only amplifies the flavours. This is why I asked at the beginning if you had it before. Many people don't like lamb. Of those who do many don't like dried lamb. I love it. It's an acquired taste. I am sure it will grow on you.