Curing and smoking legs of lamb

[Julle]

I'd like to cure, cold smoke and dry a whole leg of lamb. Any suggestions how this could be done? I get the cold smoking, but the curing and drying? What kind of cure would be good? Drying? Some advice would be highly appreciated!
/Julle

[jpj]

cure 2 would be the one to use
len poli has a detailed formulation for a lamb prosciutto
http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Prosciutto-lamb.pdf
it's ingredients are quite basic, dried herbs can easily be substituted for fresh if unavailable. i would advise following this recipe before you deviate with flavourings. and can you get hold of mutton easily? as this yields more.
i've left them for a year, and though they needed a fair bit of trimming (overly hardened exterior, same thing that happens when you try it with venison) the flavour was greatly intensified.
unless you wrap in muslin you will need a fly-free environment to hang/dry but i guess where you live will be ok for quite a few months . . .

[kajady]

Hey i actually did a leg of lamb in the syle of prosciuto. I tunnel boned the shank bones. Packed it in salt and grnd rosemary and cryovaced in for a month. I then hung it out to dry for another couple of months and I must say the taste is quite unique and exquisite. I have read about certain cultures that cure lamb legs and then preserve them in fat like a confit.

[quietwatersfarm]

The recipe on Len's site is in fact Jason's (Molinari) if I remember correctly.

I have used it as the basis for Lamb Proscutti very succesfully (with the usual personalising of minor flavourings)

I'm planning a Mutton version next.

[wheels]

I know that they cure the hams of lamb in Scotland - I think it's traditional on one or more of the Scottish islands - but I can't for the life of me think of the name that they call it.

I know that forum member Erikht used to make it, and that it's traditional in some Scandinavian countries.

There's a post about it here, but unfortunately the photos don't appear.

HTH

Phil

[saucisson]

The Irish cure lamb too and I did a couple earlier in the year, time to get the camera out again
http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... c&start=34
Dave

[wheels]

Well blow me down, my post about the scottish (well actually Shetland) version is on the thread you've link to!

There is also a traditon for curing sheep in the Shetland Islands...

Reestit Mutton
The meat would be salted in brine and then would be hung in the rafters of the house usually above the peat fire. The smoke would season the meat. Reestit Mutton is still popular today and can be seen still hanging in many houses, especially in the rural communities. It is also sold in some shops although, increasingly and contrary to tradition, lamb is used rather than mutton. Reestit Mutton is probably as close to being Shetland's national dish as is possible.
Vivda
The term 'Vivda' is said to be old Norse for 'leg meat'. It is probable that Vivda was more traditional in Shetland that Reestit Mutton, certainly until salt became more widespread as a preservative.

The meat would be dried in special ventilated stone houses called 'Skeos' and would be sited nearby the seashore in order to harness the salty air. Some meat was actually dried in caves. Many of these Skeos can still be seen today. Vivda would be dried without any salt being applied and would hang for around 4-5 months before being consumed.

Unfortunately, consumption of Vivda began to die out in the late 18th century and by the mid 19th, had disappeared almost all together. Vivda remains a steadfast delicacy in the Faroe Islands and variations on a theme are widespread in the other Scandinavian territories. At present Taste Shetland are engaged in reviving this product.

http://www.tasteshetland.com/history.php

Phil

[saucisson]

It's now at the top of the Recipes page because I popped some photos in after here:
http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... 5044#45044

[nornbiker]

I'm surprised no Shetlanders have answered this yet, so here goes.....

Reestit mutton is still eaten in shetland as a 'delicacy' around New Year, 'cause it is flippin' cold windy and it makes you really thirsty......so you can drink more alcohol - bonus!! however there is a secret ingredient - saltpetre- potassium nitrate, which can be difficult to get as it is also a component of many explosives e.g. gunpowder! It is this that gives the Reestit mutton its characteristic 'red' shade (the same pickled brine is used to create salt beef). Care must be taken with this ingredient as in too great a quantity it is harmful. The recipe below is taken from a very old Shetland Cookbook called 'Cookery for Northern Wives'(1925) recently reprinted by Shetland Heritage publications, however I hold no responsibility for how good it is. (the gift shop in the Shetland museum in Lerwick should be able to furnish you with a copy or help you find one, it contains many really good old preserving recipes. I particularly like the saucermeat recipe = a million times better than the rather pathetic Lorne Sausage!)

3 1/2 pounds of salt
4 Quarts of water
6 oz sugar
2-3 oz Saltpetre
16 pounds of Mutton

Wipe the mutton and lay in salted water overnight.
pour off the liquid
bring Salt and other ingredients to boil in the water, allow to cool
Lay the meat in a large container then pour over the water and leave for 14-21 days
hang up the meat and use as required.

If you are making a smaller batch I suggest using the advice below in the salt mutton recipe to judge the amount of salt to be added to the water and reducing the saltpetre accordingly, this should make a more manageable quantity for personal consumption

Salt Mutton (Saat Mutton in shetlandic!) can be produced if no saltpetre is available using the following recipe from Shetlopedia.

Requirements
1 large container for making the water/salt mixture
1 large container (large sink or bath) for curing the meat.

Stirring Stick
An area for hanging the meat to dry

Ingredients
Lamb
Salt
Water
1 potato
Water

Method
Fill one container with water. Mix in plenty of salt and give it a stir. Keep adding salt and mixing until the salt no longer disolves into the water. Then add a little bit more salt into the mix, just enough so that you can see it on the bottom of the bath once the water settles.

Cut the potato in half and add it to the water. Leave it for 24 hours.

If the potato floats then you have the correct mixture, you can continue onto the next stage. If it doesn't float, add more salt to the water and stir it in. Leave it again for 24 hours. Hopefully by this time the potato will start to float. Keep adding salt until the potato floats.

Add a layer of meat to the second container. sprinkle it with salt. Then add another layer of meat, again sprinkle it with salt. If you have room for a third layer, then do the same again for that. When all the meat is in the container, add the water (giving it a stir before pouring it in.

This is for a large quantity of reestit mutton. You may not need to layer it if it's just for yourself.

Leave the salt in the water for 7 days. Before those seven days are up, start mixing up a new batch of salty water. After the seven days, dispose of the old salty water and replace it with the new batch. Making sure that you follow all the above steps again. This is not a necessary step, but some people think that it will draw out any impurities from the meat, making it taste better later on.

Leave the meat in the water for 2 weeks.

When it's ready, take it out and hang it up to dry. After a week or so, the meat will be dried and ready to cook.

Hope this helps!!!!

A Sheltie Boy

[nornbiker]

Sorry forgot to say, unless you have a peat burning Rayburn to dry your meat over, hanging it next to your gas boiler helps dry it really well!!! :wink: