I haven't posted anything in quite a while. I'm running short on salame, and i need to make some stuff. Unfortunately I'm in the process of moving which is keeping my weekends completed busy.
So....sorry for the few posts..i wish i could post more, but i'm not home long enough!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Long absence
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16 comments:
I just discovered you and am still going through your 40 posts.
I just bought two whole fresh hams which will sit deep in my freezer until after until after Thanksgiving (yes it probably is better unfrozen, but the logistics are not possible plus it insures no trychinosis) when they will be cured and hung in my basement until it gets back above 60 F. Then one gets cut up and the other moves to the wine cooler for the summer.
http://blog.charcuteire.com/2008/06/01/prosciutto-duh-pomona.aspx
Bob DelGrosso, the commenter above on June 30, is a professional charcuterist with blog.
That sounds like an interesting recipe for a prosciutto. I'll have to give it a try. Even though it'll take up most of my curing space!
Thanks for pointing out the other charcuterie blog. I'll definitely read through it as time permits.
Some point this week I'm putting a side-bar list on my blog of other blogs that are mostly charcuterie, including yours.
I've about 8 now.
NTSC, cool, i'll put yours up as well as soon as i get a chance.
Hi,
I just discovered your site and am psyched to have done so. I do a lot of simple charcuterie at the brewpub i manage. Do you have a good recipe for basque style chorizo?, I have a Spanish recipe and will make that unless I can find something more interesting.
Thanx again for what you're doing
bob
Jason,
I've been busy following your recipes. Now I'm about to have a bunch of stuff ready within the next week or so -- 2 coppa, 1 very large besaola, 4 salame, 2 guanciale and a lonzino. How do I best store this stuff for use over time? Can any of this be frozen? Thanks for all your guidance.
Eric
Eric, if you have a vacuum packer, pack them up. Otherwise put them in sealed zip top bags. They'll keep for a long time, but will continue to dry out unless vac packed.
Jason,
Another question if you don't mind. I'm getting quite a lot of weight loss during the 48 hr F-LC fermentation -- about 10% on thicker salamis and almost 20% on thinner ones in hog casings. Do I gage finished weight loss from the original stuffed weight or the lesser weight after fermentation. Thanks for your help.
Eric
Eric, i measure my weights before i put htem in the fermentation box, but i doubt i lost anywhere near 10-20% during the 48 hours!
Is your fermentation box closed? You want the humidity to be pretty high so the salami aren't really drying in this phase.
Jason, I used the oven with the light on. The temp is 72 but the humidity is low @ 50%. I'll have to develop an alternative. Too bad, the oven was so easy.
Yeah, low 50% humidity could be a problem, and cause case hardening from drying too fast.
Why not put hte salame in a roasting pan and then cover it with plastic wrap? It'll keep the humidity in the roasting pan with the salami. They'll be touching and stacked...but i'm not sure if that's a problem or not. I've never figured that part out. Can they be stacked, or do they have to hang freely....i thikn stacked would be ok...but i'm not certain.
My experience is that they have to hang and not touch.
An oven has all kinds of vents, I use a cold smoker, closing the vent, with a pan of brine in the bottom. An old refrigerator would also work quite well. A big plastic storage box with lid on end would work also. Drill holes in one end to suspend a dowel rod from and seal the holes with tape.
I adjust temperature with an incandesent lightbulb on a dimmer.
What NTSC described with the plastic box is what i do.
Jason, I've been reading your blog and am just pumped to try your suggestions. My wife and I are in our 2nd year of makeing deer and moose sausage and cured meats. Thanks for posting the excellent advice and knowledge. I will be following your blog from now on.
Thanks DAve, i'm glad i'm helping and you like my blog.
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