first attempt at curing

[aeddon]

Hello all

I have stopped lurking and reading up and am actually going to put the info to good use.

I have two beautiful loin eyes to make lomo with and a loin of pork. Both to cure in Parma Ham cure.

Also some cure no.2 to make small small kabano type dry cured sausages to be stuffed into hog casings.

Will take some photos and document the process.

wish me luck guys and gals

[Michelle]

Good luck in your meat curing ventures!Please post your recipes as well when you report back with your results.I am sure others will benfit from your experience.Thank you!

Georgie

[Paul Kribs]

aeddon

Good luck with your ventures. Are you going to use Franco's Parma Style cure for the Lomo's?. I made a Lomo and it came out very well using Franco's mix with added paprika.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[aeddon]

Indeed i am going to use franco's mix. you inspired me to make the lomo Paul, the pictures you posted got me instantly inspired

I do have a problem tho, my girlfriends is a vegie and it's not going down to well she's uninformed and thinks there will be rotting meat hanging in my bedroom. am going to try and explain the whole process to rest her mind but might be fighting a losing battle! might have to relocate venture to a friends house?

right then, here we go....

[Wilf]

Good luck aeddon, Ive just hung a batch of chilli salami's up in the garage, hope the weather holds a bit more consistent than of late, hunidity is a bit high but it was when I done the parma ham in the porch, so with a bit of luck should be OK....should be ready for xmas

[aeddon]

i've just had a thought...

ok - you rub the cure into the meat and wrap it in clingfilm. so... what happens during the curing time in the fridge?

does it

A - allow the cure to kill all nasties and make safe to eat raw
B - allow the cure to kill all nasties and make safe to eat raw AND draw out liquid

becasue if it draws out liquid, wont the meat be sitting in bloody water in the bag and if it is do you tip the liquid away when you need to rub the rest of the cure in the second time?

[Paul Kribs]

aeddon

Opt for option 'B'.. the cure will start the curing process and draw out the moisture from the meat, then I tipped the liquid and I quote from my procedure:-

I made a Lomo (loin eye of pork) using Franco's Parma style cure and it started at about 2 1/8" diameter. I cured it for 15 days and then hung it in a warm place for about 12 hours. Then it went into the fridge for a total of 13 days. It was on the cold side at approx 5-7C and RH of 65%-71% and it came out very nice indeed. I have eaten about half of it and am here to tell the tale so all must be well.

As a loin eye is considerably smaller than a leg I deduced that just one curing period would be fine, a bit of guess work but worked out fine. Good luck.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[aeddon]

cheers paul

[aeddon]

Sent this today. was recommended i post to help others i the future, as useful info.


START

From: aeddon
To: Paul Kribs
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 4:14 pm
Subject: lomo stage 2 help....

Hi paul

glad to catch you. hope you read this mail.

just taken my lomo out of the fridge after 15days curing. i have washed it and am hanging for 3 hrs ina drafty room. i have brought lard and will mix with some sweek paprika as per your experience.

My question is this: lard is pretty solid. how do you spread it over the meat and how thick. at a crisis time as it needs to be done nowish. will working it make more maluable to spread or do you warm it? i have pushed a metal hook throught the meat, is that right? as they are not put into casings. how do you hang them? just open in a room with correct RH and Temp? or do you need to encase them in a net cage?


arrrhhhhhh... the time has come to really start the process and i'm paniking a bit. worried that meat left to hang without any protection is going to rot. i know the lard mix is a protective layer ut is that enough?

sorry to ramble... dont panick mr mannering...

END

[aeddon]

and the reply...

START

From: Paul Kribs
To: aeddon
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 4:33 pm
Subject: Re: lomo stage 2 help....
aeddon

don't panic at all. It is all quite a forgiving process once you have initially cured it. If your hooks are stainless steel then fine, if they are not take them out as there could be a reaction between the cure and the steel. There is a way around this using butchers twine, by making a slip knot and placing it around the top of the Lomo about 1/2" down from the top and then hanging the Lomo via the twine to a hook.

With regard to the lard, you are correct in that it becomes more malliable as you work it in your warm hands. You do not need to smear loads of it on, just a bare covering. Then lightly sprinkle the paprika (sweet or smoked) onto the lard and work it in for a few minutes. Then let it hang and mature. Once the maturation time is finished, gently wash the Lomo with warm water to remove the lard/paprika covering. Pat it dry with kitchen paper or a teacloth and allow it to hang for a few hours to dry the outside. You have succeeeded in the hard part and all you need now is the time... then enjoy. To carve, use as thin a blade as possible and although it may be long winded, wipe the blade between each cut with a damp cloth to remove the build up of protein which will, if left on, tend to stick and tear the Lomo.
As I say, enjoy your Lomo.. I must do another soon.

This may have actually been beneficial to be posted on the main forum to assist others in the future.. no worries though. Good luck.

Regards, Paul Kribs

END

thankyou paul

[aeddon]

I am Aeddon's girlfriend who lives with him and I am a vegetarian!! I am not offended by other people who eat and cure meat but he wants to hang it in my kitchen which makes me very squemish when I wake up in the morning and go to make a cup of coffee only to be stared at a rather disgusting looking lump of raw meat.
(To be honest, I am a little worried with his obsession with chatting to you all online so much, but understand he needs an outlet for his hobbies as I tend to switch off when he starts to ramble.) I would really appreciate it if you could give him some suggestions of where he could hang his salami where it will be safe and not cause us to breakup. I am buying him a large shed for Xmas!!
Thank you so much

[aris]

A shed is probably a good start

[aeddon]

errr sorry bout that

have moved to a back bedroom to avoid 'a dry season'