Charcuterie

[Angry Perch]

Project #4 is curing, bresaola.  Costco Business in Lynwood had whole eye rounds for a good price, so I picked one up.  I forgot to take a picture before I vac packed it.

What's in it? Rosemary? Juniper?

[Stein]

Here's the recipe I used for the bresaola:

Salt2.25%
#20.25%
Sugar1.50%
Black pepper0.40%
Fresh rosemary0.20%
Thyme0.30%

Pancetta got rolled, wrapped, netted & tied today, probably about 500% overkill but I wanted to get it as tight as possible and not break and fall in the chamber.

[Angry Perch]

Here's the recipe I used for the bresaola:

Salt2.25%
#20.25%
Sugar1.50%
Black pepper0.40%
Fresh rosemary0.20%
Thyme0.30%

Pancetta got rolled, wrapped, netted & tied today, probably about 500% overkill but I wanted to get it as tight as possible and not break and fall in the chamber.

Don't want to be a stickler, but I see several areas of well over 1 cm² with no string coverage. I'd start over, but that's just me!

You appear to have attended the school of if you're gonna do it, do it right!

[Stein]

More a lack of planning than anything else.  I stuffed it in the netting, but wasn't sure it was tight enough to hold it rolled, so I threw on some wraps.  Then, I noticed the netting was really stretching and thought it might eventually rip out of the hanger, so I put the one lengthwise and two two more around it to hold it in place.  Well, that wasn't staying put, so more wraps to hold it in place.  Next time I would probably just weave string through the netting before I slap it on and then call it good. Or, I might just bag the netting altogether.

[Angry Perch]

Started an experimental batch of bottarga. It's a Mediterranean condiment usually made with mullet or tuna roe, salted, dried, and shaved or grated over dishes for a salty, Umami flavor. I picked up some plump perch Saturday, and figured I'd give it a try. Soaked in a brine for a day, then patted dry, oiled, and coated in salt. Will change out salt daily until it feels nice and firm, then wrap in cheese cloth and hang to dry.

[Angry Perch]

Stein, How's that chamber smelling? Love that funky smell of curing meat!

[Stein]

Smell is awesome for sure.  Knock on wood, no problems yet - at least none I have found.

Lonza 1 is at 22%
Lonza 2 is at 26% (it's the narrower side of the loin)
Pancetta is at 6%

[Angry Perch]

Sweet. Do you have an expectation for weight loss on the Pancetta? I'll have to look at my notes and see where I pulled mine. All that fat really changes things.

There's not much that can go wrong with whole muscles.

[Stein]

Not really, maybe 20%?  I saw 15-20% for fatty and 20-25% for meaty bellies, but they all look fatty to me.

[Angry Perch]

Started an experimental batch of bottarga. It's a Mediterranean condiment usually made with mullet or tuna roe, salted, dried, and shaved or grated over dishes for a salty, Umami flavor. I picked up some plump perch Saturday, and figured I'd give it a try. Soaked in a brine for a day, then patted dry, oiled, and coated in salt. Will change out salt daily until it feels nice and firm, then wrap in cheese cloth and hang to dry.

Out of the salt to dry for a couple days, then a cold smoke, and hang to dry for a week or two.

[LDennis24]

Hey Perch do you think those look like empty bladders!? Lol, let me know how that stuff tastes. I had never heard of it until this thread.

[Angry Perch]

Hey Perch do you think those look like empty bladders!? Lol, let me know how that stuff tastes. I had never heard of it until this thread.

I just pulled the first one the other day. Peeled off the dried skein and sliced really thin. Salty, slightly fishy amazingness! Will be awesome grated over past, eggs, or ?

Oh, and I see the bladder resemblance, but I was thinking nuts!

[Stein]

My first two salumis just finished, a pepper lonza and the other half of the loin was prepared using Hank Shaw's recipe.  I equalized them in the refrigerator for four weeks and they really turned out great.  Overall, Shaw's recipe provided a more interesting and complex taste and I prefer it over the simple pepper recipe.  Overall, I'm very impressed as both were better than nearly any charcuterie I remember eating at a restaurant with the exception of some great stuff I had in Spain.





I have the bresaola equalizing in the refrigerator which only leaves the pancetta in the chamber.  It is being stubborn, it slowly dried to 15% in 40 days but has been stuck at 15% for 10 days now.  The chamber was about 80% and I lowered that to about 75% to see if that would help.  If it is still at 15% next weekend I'll call it done but any advice on this would be appreciated. I was shooting for 20% which seemed to be the consensus number from the sources I used.

[Angry Perch]

Yes!
It's so rewarding to not just make it yourself, but to have it be so incredibly good!

[LDennis24]

What brand is that knife Stein? Japanese right?