Photo by Holly A. Heyser
Curing whole cuts of meat can be both easier and more difficult than making salami. Since the interior of meat is pretty clean, you have fewer sanitation issues — but since the interior of a large cut like the back leg of a hog can be huge, controlling the temperature and humidity can be tricky if you want the cure to get to the center of the meat before it rots from within.
If you’ve never done this before, start with a duck ‘prosciutto,’ which can be done in a few weeks. For those waterfowl hunters out there, this is a great use for the breasts of Canada and snow geese.
Bacon in All its Forms
Basic Unsmoked Bacon
This is a “green” bacon, so called because it contains no nitrite, and so will not be that pretty red color. Green bacon also goes bad much faster than cured bacon.
Ventreche, French Bacon
A lightly cured, smoked variant on pancetta. This is a great addition to any French dish.
German Bacon
Sichuan Bacon
And you thought bacon was a Western thing, didn’t you? Not so. In fact, this Chinese bacon might be my favorite style yet…
Guanciale
This is jowl bacon, made from the large jowls on wild or domestic pigs. It is a Roman specialty, and is my favorite bacon recipe
Hams and Other Whole Cured Meats
Duck or Goose Prosciutto
This should be your first project when you are a beginner at charcuterie. It can be done with domestic or wild ducks or geese, and cures rapidly.
Wild Duck or Goose Jerky
Thinly sliced pieces of duck or goose breast, salted, spiced and air-dried. A perfect use for snow geese or diver ducks.
Corned Venison
An awesome recipe for the big roasts on any kind of venison. Cook up several of these, vacuum-seal and freeze them, and you have lunch meat ready to go.
Lonzino
Lonzino is cured, air-dried pork loin, also doable with wild boar backstrap. It is a delicately flavored meat that you slice thin and eat alone, or on sandwiches.
Bresaola
Similar to lonzino, this is cured, air-dried beef or venison. Typically it’s done with eye round of beef, I use bison or elk. You can also use venison backstrap.
Mocetta, or Goat Ham
Mocetta (MOH-chet-ah) is a Northern Italian ham normally done with wild Alpine goats, but domestic goats or venison work just fine.
Lardo, or Italian Cured Pork Fat
Sliced thin, this is like pork butter. A little goes a long way…
Smoked Pheasant
A whole smoked pheasant is a beautiful thing. Don’t you agree? This one’s glazed with maple syrup.
Smoked Goose Breast
A very special recipe for a German smoked goose breast, from Pomerania in Northern Germany. One of the best things I’ve ever made.
How to Smoke Salmon
My method for smoking salmon is very simple, but I’ve perfected it over many years. It’s a wet-brine with a maple glaze, although I prefer Alaskan birch syrup when I can get it.
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Nice! I will try the corned venison recipe. Just one question: This is supposed to come from the time refrigeration was not available, so, although you mention putting it in the freezer or in the fridge, how long was it supposed to last if left at room temperature?
And speaking of cuts, any good book you could recommend about butchering? I have the Basic Butchering of Livestock and Game, and it is very good, but it stops at the T-bone and Sirloin steaks, and I was looking for more modern cuts.
Thanks
Ricardo: Not sure, but I would not keep it around very long. In the past, it was stored submerged in the brine. Butchering books? I can recommend The Butcher’s Apprentice: The Expert’s Guide to Selecting, Preparing, and Cooking a World of Meat
, although in full disclosure — I am in it. 