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Hi

I've been doing bits and bobs with sausages for a while, which I love, and haven't quite drawn up enough courage to have a go at my ultimate aim, which is making my own salami, ham or other charcuterie. So I thought I'd ask a few things.

It seems to me that rather than risk a whole ham, I ought to start with something smaller, like Lomo (Spanish) or Lonzo (Corsican) - both basically a cured and dried pork fillet. Is this a good idea (or is there something more fiendishly complicated about these things)???

My reticence in starting doing my own cured stuff is that I don't have temperature/humidity controlled area anywhere in the house or garage, so was wondering whether there is big sensitivity to this? It seems quite a tall order to have a cool, moist and well ventilated area, especially at this time of year. We have a cellar (well, sort of), but it is not that cool, and not very well ventilated. Do you guys have little weather stations in your curing boxes to ensure evenness of conditions?

Does anyone know whether I should encase something like Lomo (I guess in an ox-bung)?

I also read that traditionally, some cured meats are rolled in wood ash before hanging, which I assume is to provide potash or similar to assist the process. Anyone tried this? Does it help/hinder/other?

All help (and ideally a link to an easy idiopt-proof method) gratefully received.

thanks

Dave

Welcome to the forum Dave

I currently have a Lomo hanging in my fridge. I did not insert it into a casing as I have had Lomo from a supermarket which wasn't encased. I just took a loin eye of pork and vacuum packed it after applying some of Franco's Parma style cure along with some added sweet paprika and some hot smoked paprika. After 15 days curing I washed it and it is currently hanging to dry out a bit. I expect it will be nothing like proper Lomo, but I am sure it will be enjoyable nevertheless.

A short while ago I was attempting chorizo, which turned out dry, and proscuitto lucca using a venison haunch. Both turned out edible and nice tasting. I found I had become engrossed and was checking RH and temp about 4 times a day. I used a mini fogger to keep the RH constant. The fogger also lets out a slight warmth in the sump bucket and this kept the temp reasonable. With the Lomo I am just leaving it to dry out with no fussing. My only issue was wether to cover it with a lard/paprika mix to try to get it to dry evenly. I decided not to in the end. I will let you know how it turns out.

Regards, Paul Kribs

I don't (yet ) have any real control over the enviroment in my curing cabinet, but it's not really much of a problem in the winter.
The cabinet is in the garage which buffers the temperature quite well, I check up on things most days and if it's a bit too humid I'll open the cabinet door for a bit, if it's too dry I put a bowl of water in there.

Give it a go, it's really not too difficult.........

Thanks for your help. I think I'll invest in a little Maplins temperature / hmidity gizmo, make use of the little mini cooler we won in a competition, and get going.

Do you guys have any comment on the wood ash?

I'll let you all know how I get along

Cheers

Dave

Sorry, can't help you with the application of wood ash, can't see what benefit it would have, but I'll bet there will be a subtle reason for it.. unless it is seared in hot ash for some reason after curing but before hanging.. I would be interested in the reasoning behind it.

Regards, Paul Kribs

They do it with some cheeses to.

I believe that wood ash somehow slows down the drying process so that the salami can be stored for longer without becoming too tough.

I don't bother with wood ash, but I do wipe the surface with a little olive oil to have a similar effect.

I have now added a sweet paprika, ground black pepper and lard coating to my Lomo. After 7 days hanging I decided to take 3 thin slices and found that the internal texture was good but the outside was starting to go hard. I reckon with the coating the outside should soften a little in the next week, when I will test again. It has shrunk in diameter by about 30%.

Regards, Paul Kribs

As my Lomo had been hanging for 11 days, and had lost about 30% diameter (it's about 1 1/2") I decided to test it and washed off the lard/paprika layer in warm water. I rinsed it straight away in cold water and dried it off before re-hanging in the fridge for about 6 hours. I took a few slices and it tastes very much like the commercially produced product, also the texture is the same.. slightly dry on the edges but still reasonably soft in the middle.
I gave the wife a taste and she said it tastes like a 'proper' one , I'll take that as a compliment.
I have re-hung it and will give it a few more days.


Regards, Paul Kribs

It certainly looks like the real thing Terry.
I can almost taste it from here.

Spuddy

I am pleased with the final product (what there is left of it), and would certainly make it again. My boned leg will be ready for washing and drying tomorrow.. If it turns out as well as the Lomo, I will be well pleased, although I won't know for some time.

I am hoping to go get a pig sometime this week and will try Franco's brine mix on a boned leg. There was enough work dealing with a 1/2 pig so a whole one's going to be quite a job. I will have to fashion some kind of hanger so that I can use my cleaver on the spine. Might hang it from my shed door so's the veggies next door can see.

Regards, Paul Kribs

Paul,

If you take the pig's head off then spread the legs so a trotter is tied to each corner of the door frame this will pull the pig tight and you won't need to chop as hard with the cleaver as the weight of the pig is pulling itself apart


Franco

Hehehe!

I did a whole pig a few weeks ago but got the butcher to cut it into six for me (seven if you count the head).
I got mine from the local Cash and Carry (I managed to get an account there for my business). It cost me �1.51 a Kilo which I thought was pretty good. It was a locally farmed pig and appeared to be a black haired variety.
Where are you getting yours from?

Franco

I have purchased some ring bolts and will try to utilise them in conjunction with butchers hooks. I saw one of the Keith Floyd programs yesterday, think they were in Czekoslovakia, and they had a pig celebration at the end of the harvest. The pig was hanging from what appeared to be a slightly curved wooden stick hung by the middle to a gallows, quite an ornate wooden stick BTW.

Spuddy

I go to the abbatoir at Southborough, near Royal Tunbridge Wells. Last time I was charged �39 for a half pig weighing 25.4 kg.. works out just under 70p per lb, but it is a 40 minute drive.. so there's petrol to consider. They are just ordinary pigs, the last one a bit on the lean side though.

I miscalculated the date on the Parma leg even though I had written it on the label.. I took it out and washed it today and it's hanging under my lean-to by a series of butchers hooks with a fan blowing on it for 3 hours..
It will give the wife something to look at while she BBQ's the burgers later.. in the rain LOL

Regards, Paul Kribs

Hi Paul, I've just joined the forum. I first read your posts about three months ago when I came across this site. I spent about 28 years in the meat trade both retail and wholesale, and was interested in reading about your venture into home butchery.
Having just started making sausages at home myself, I was having the same problems as you with pork supplies and storage. I've used Macro in Croydon a few times and it's been a bit hit and miss. Sadly the storage issue is still not sorted.
I was also interested to read that you are using Forge Farm, I remember they used to be one of the pork suppliers we used a few years back, the quality was pretty good as far as I remember.
I think I may have found a local supplier that you may be interested in.
I came across them late last year. They had a notice board at the farm gate advertising whole lambs, pigs and poultry. I made enquiries and was told that all the produce was from the farm, and was cut and prepared as required. I was planning to buy a whole lamb and cut it up at home, but still havn't got round to it. The farm is quite close to Polhill, which is fairly local to you. If you are interested in giving them a try I'll give you more details. Cheers, Pete L.