Pork is the lone meat I still buy, in no small part because I have access to heritage pork raised the old way, with a varied diet and generally darker and fattier meat than that crap you get at the supermarket. I do routinely shoot wild hogs, too, and they are excellent for this recipe, Italian lonzino.
Lonzino is a fabulous dry-cured cut of pork that ages into a lovely pink, slices well and tastes not unlike a good cured ham. The Spanish call this same thing lomo. And if you coat the meat with a certain set of spices, it becomes the Armenian favorite basturma.
You use the loin of the pig for this recipe. Trimmed of all sinew, and, depending on your preference, fat. I prefer my lonzino lean, but some people love the fat v. lean you get with each bite. Either way works.
The coolest thing about lonzino is how easy and relatively quickly you can make it. Unlike prosciutto, which takes more than a year, lonzino can be ready in a month.
The only special equipment you need is curing salt and a cool place to hang your loins. You can get curing salt, Instacure No. 2 online, and your hanging place can be anywhere that isn’t bone dry (70 to 80 percent humidity is good) and is anywhere from 40°F to 60°F.
And like I mentioned at the beginning of this, you also need good pork. Lonzino highlights the innate qualities in your pork, so if it is factory-farmed you will very definitely notice – especially if it is put up next to a piece of quality pork. So do youself a favor and buy the good stuff.
Note that the time in the recipe does not include cure time.
A word on salt. You need to weigh your meat in grams and then weigh out 2.5 percent of that weight in sea salt or kosher salt, plus 0.25 percent, that’s one-quarter of one percent, in curing salt No. 2, which contains sodium nitrate. Weigh out an equal amount of sugar to the salt and add that to the mix.
Lonzino, Air Cured Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 1 length of pork loin, about 3 pounds
- kosher salt (see above)
- sugar (see above)
- InstaCure No. 2 (see above)
- 10 grams black pepper
- 5 grams garlic powder
- 5 grams ground cloves
- 10 grams onion powder
- 8 grams dried thyme
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients. Rub them well into the loin, then put the meat into a plastic bag or wrap with plastic wrap. This is to keep it from drying out. Keep the meat refrigerated for a week to 12 days.
- When the meat has firmed up, remove from the wrap, rinse it off and then let it dry on a rack for 2 to 3 hours. I use a portable fan set on low to oscillate over the meat.
- Truss the meat with kitchen twine (the white stuff) as you would a roast. Leave a long loop at one end so you can hang the meat. You can also use pre-made sausage netting.
- Hang the meat in a cool place to dry. It needs to be humid, about 70 percent humidity. How long? At least another 12 days. It should feel firm throughout and be a pleasing red. How long can you hang it? Up to six months or more, but it will become harder and drier the longer it hangs. If you've found you have dried it too much, let it go all the way to hard-as-a-rock stage. Then use a microplane grater to grate the dried meat over pasta or rice.
- To store: Wrap tightly in butcher paper or, better yet, vacuum seal pieces of it – I cut the loin into three chunks – and freeze. Unfrozen, it will last indefinitely in the fridge, but it will continue to dry out.
Very tasty, on my third batch. Thanks
What would happen if you didn’t rinse the meat and left the dry rub on during the air curing process?
Ethan: It would be very salty.
Thanks Hank, on my 4th batch. We added some rosemary and spices to vary the flavors and it’s very good.
Do you think I can apply the same recipe for an elk or deer back-strap this fall?
Ethan: Yes you can, and I am very glad you liked the recipe!
I purchased a wine cooler and have it set a 56 degrees, it about 3 feet tall so I can hang to cure. I don’t know what the humidity level is and I was told to put a damp sponge on a tray at the bottom of the fridge. Will this work out? Thanks for your reply.
John: I tend to put salty water in a non-reactive pan in the chamber. Like a glass casserole dish.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond so fast.
I’m going to try this.. is it recommended to get a humidifier? I have a closet that normally stays between 68 -70 degrees. i’d like to hang it there. thoughts?
Kevin: That is way too warm. You need to hang below 55F. And yes, you want a humidifier.
same amount of sugar to kosher salt or curing salt?
Me: The weight of the sugar should equal the kosher salt.
I’m assuming you have no issues with worms in the meat? I’ve just hit the 1st month mark in the curing and already had to scrape and vinegar rinse on small area of the pork loin that began to develop some puffy, airy mold that was light greenish white. That was 2 weeks ago and after resalting I haven’t seen it recur. Everyone says throw ot away, but I think it should be fine. What would you say?
Rachel: Worms? Not sure what you are referring to. As for the mold, you should be fine.
You ever tried this with venison?
This came out great I used 1/2 cup Morton’s Tender Quick home meat cure salt with 3lb. Loin & this recipe is the bomb!!!!
We made this the last couple months without the curing salts and was incredible. The inspiration to just go for it was incredible after an initial dable into duck prosciutto. We will be experimenting more in the future.
The recipe calls for pork loin. I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t tenderloin. Also, have you tried this with venison or beef? If so, what was your take on it?
Brandon: Yes, loin, not tenderloin, although you could do it with tenderloin. And yes, I’ve done it with venison. It’s OK. Not as good as pork.
I did try recipe – I found the cloves were a bit overpowering to our taste – I will try again with the cloves cut in half possibly to see – otherwise colour and texture were excellent – i recommend the recipe and direction.
Hello Hank,
I’d like to say thank you
For a great recipe.
I’d also like to ask if I use a larger
Cut of pork like a boned rolled leg. How much more if the recipe would I need to use ?
Thanks
Nejat
Hi All,
Hank,thank you for the wonderful information! A big AMEN about the quality of meat to use to get the best results. I was reading all of the questions and comments about casing/no casing and hanging methods. We buy ladies knee hi stockings to hang them in. No casing needed and the meat does not attach to the stocking. Just tie the end of the stocking to your hanging pole. It has worked well for us.
Thanks Hank for the blog and the response even after the years. Admirable to say the least. Ever tried to weigh the evaporation of the 35% or just stuck to the (12 day timer)? I do like more a more firm type of texture, so can I let it go longer. Thumbs up on the humidity level (got the perfect invention to keeping that as stated). Think a thin paper bag (lunch type) would be okay? Seen a video with that technique, just wonder thoughts on if the meat would moisten the bag which might then promote bacteria growth. Do not want to have direct air contact but wish not to case it either. Tried cheesecloth but it was hard to get off once ready. Served its purpose but……. Again your the bomb, enjoyed reading and the comments!
What is your invention for humidity?
Lazaro: Invention? Not sure what you mean. If you mean how do I control it, I use a humidifier. My preference is about 75%.
I noticed you did not use any casing (natural or otherwise) and just instructed to truss the meat before hanging. I have read something of using a paper bag (the ones that are thin you would pack a school lunch in), what are your thoughts about that? Also you say cool environment, from reading others blogs I am thinking 50-60 degrees F? (but all other recipes I have found had a casing). Lastly you say, ” 12 days of hanging time”, I am seeing 35% loss of weight as ideal, but again that nasty (casing) creeps in and I wonder if that plays a role in the month to get to 35% weight loss vs your 12 days with “no casing” difference? Love to hear your input so I can get my started. Thank you for your time.
Tim: Hang closer to 50F. And yes, it will dry faster with no casing. But you also need to keep a relatively high humidity so you don’t get case hardening, which is when the outside dries faster than the inside.
I just made some Lonzino and the brilliant pink color was missing. I followed your recipe to the letter. Temp was set at 55 degrees and RH at 75% with little variation during the whole process. The flavor was good but not as tasty as the Lonzino I brought from Europe. Would the difference rests on using wild pigs from Europe vice regular pig’s meat from our US market. If so: is there any place you may recommend to purchase the raw meat directly from Europe that will ship to the US?
Angel: Pork quality absolutely matters. The lonzino you see in the picture is a wild hog I shot in California. The other thing that might be going on is age. A long aged lonzino will be more complex in flavor than one aged only a couple months.
I just tried my first hand at curing meats. I had about 8 pieces of meat, none anymore than half a pound, I buried them in salt for 2 days in the fridge, then hung them up for about 3 weeks in my fridge….they all came out nice, some a little salty, the beef pieces didn’t have as pretty of color than the pork….my question is should I use a prague powder for this method? would I need to change up my methods if I do use a #2 ?
Corey: I use a bit of No. 2 in most of my long cured recipes.
Should I trim the outside 1/16 inch. Or does the instant cure make it edible?
Peter: It should be fine.
Do I need to worry about trichinosis with this recipe? Bear meat specifically
Scott: It can be tricky with bear. I would be hesitant to make this with a bear backstrap.
Hi Hank! Another quick question. My Lonza has gone through the required drying process and time. It has a lot of good mold covering it. Do I remove this? And if so what is the correct procedure to do so? Thanks again!!!
Marcel: I leave it on.
Is it necessary to wrap the Lonza in cheese cloth or stuff in some sort of casing? I have seen some recipes that do this and some that don’t. What is the reason to do this step?
Marcel: No.
This was my first attempt at curing. After 12 days of hanging, I sliced off a little bit. It is still soft in the middle so I hung it back up to let it dry out more. I think the humidity may be too low. Anyway, I like the way it tastes, but may be a little too clove forward for me. Next time I may leave the cloves out. Thanks Hank for your recipe!
I didn’t use any sugar when I did the recipe. Is the sugar really necessary? I used summer savoury as the herb rub. Have you tried that?
Mary: You’ll be fine without it.
How do you insure that wild hog loins are free from trichinosis and any other parasites?
Charcutodd: You freeze them first, which helps a lot with the trich species in hogs, and then the salt level does the rest.
Why grams? We’re in USA.
Can any cut of pork be substituted?
Matt: Grams for precision. I am in the USA, too. You simply can’t get the precision you need in English units. And no, not any cut will work. This is for loin only.
I’ve got a great 3-5lb locally raised pork leg roast that I was given. It’s decently lean but does have some fat on one side and some through the middle. This recipe should work fine I believe, right? I’ve been looking for a somewhat quick cure/approach to do with it.
Ryan: Seems like it would work. Just make sure it dries out very very slowly, so the outside doesn’t get hard before the center dries. Keep your humidity high.
Looks like a great recipe and technique . As far as the Basturma comment goes Armenian basturma is made only with beef and never with pork but I may give it a try to see how pork will work out.
Shouldn’t you use pink salt instacure #1 as your curing is only 14 days?
Gamehawg: You might be right, but I’ve always used No. 2 with good success.
Have you tried lightly smoking the loin before hanging to dry?
Eugene: Yes, I have. It works well!
Just curious, I believe the recipe used to have a 3lb weight for the loin?
Jared: Nope, it did not.
I did pork butts last year starting end of January. salted 2 days then ringed, peppered wrapped in casing and hung in the attic for a couple of months . No curing powder. is it too late to do that again this year starting them now ?
Hi,
I’ve just followed your Lonzino recipe but for less than half the weight of loin. (and the proportional amounts of salt etc). Do I reduce the refrigeration and hanging/drying time accordingly?
Thanks
Matt: Yes.
Hank,
I bough a loin for a total of 7.4 lbs cleaned. The bags I had limited what I could do so the pieces are 2.8; 2. 5 and 2.1 lbs. it looks as I have to reduce the time in the refrigerator and curing time. Is that right?
Angel: Bags? Not sure what you mean.
My 2nd batch of this is underway. First time it was Lonzino, but this time it is Capicola (aka Gabagool — Tony Sopprano), It does take time, but if you have a good place to hang/air dry it is minimal effort. Thinly sliced for snacking or for sandwiches, this is the best.
Could you do this with deer or antelope loins?
Tim: Sure, I do it all the time.
Can I do it with just salt and no cure?
Hoffa: Technically yes, but you’d need to do some research on how to do this safely. The cure is there for food safety reasons.
For the lonzino. You did not mention a bung or casing. Is it needed?
Thanks david
David: Nope.
This recipe is absolutely amazing! I made a small (one pound) lonzino for Thanksgiving last year, and it was a hit! I just made a massive ten-pound beast (the entire top loin from an orchard pig), and I could barely keep it sliced for how fast people were eating it! I tweaked the spices just a touch to reflect the local tastes, and it went lovely with some homemade yogurt cheese. Bravo on the fantastic recipe.
I found this recipe last year and made it. I cant believe how good it turned out. I lost the website and have been looking for it to find this recipe again. Now that I have, I wont make the mistake of making only one piece again. Its on ( Mass Production )!!! My family cant stay away from it.
KUDOS!!
I’ve got two tenderloins curing in the fridge. They’re from a boar I took with a knife and two dogs. I was looking for a way to treat them when I found your site! Thanks so much.
P.S. I’ve still got a ham left…
Have you ever tried it without Curing salt. In other words, have you ever just used kosher salt like you would a procuitto?
Josh: I haven’t tried it, but it can be done. The color will not be so nice, and the flavor will be different.
Hi Hank, eight years later this recipe still ranks well in search results. I used it for half a wild boar backstrap with great results. Benchmarked it alongside different dry cures for a coppa and a leg cut from the same boar, too. The combination of cloves, garlic and onion powder stood out, making a deep flavor that kept changing (in good ways) as the loin aged. The boar was a decent size, a male about 100 pounds hang weight, and I was expecting it to be more on the tough and gamey side. Dry curing and slicing thin was a win-win. Thanks so much for posting it.
Lemonjelly: Gawd, has it been EIGHT years?! Been doing this a long time…
60 grams salt to 3lbs (1361gms) meat is 4.5%. Does that sound right. I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately but it all came together after listening to your podcasts.
They are a must especially for newbies like myself!
Ed: That’ll work because all the salt won’t be absorbed by the meat.
Is it possible to make this without the Instacure — it’s really hard to find? If so would I need to add more kosher salt?
Dinna: Actually yes. It is important to weigh the meat and then use 3 percent of the meat’s weight in kosher or sea salt.
I want to try a small piece to start with; can I use a 1 pound loin chop? It’s from our own pastured heritage pig (AGH/Berk cross; 20 months old). We are setting up a curing chamber (Matt Wright) but not sure how such a small piece will work as an experiment.
Is it possible/safe to simply do a quick cure/dry (using only kosher salt) as described for duck breast in Ruhlman’s book, but using a pork loin? Thanks.
Ed: Not to my knowledge.
Got a recipe from a person whose family make it near Umbria. After trussed and the 12-14 day cure in just salt they wash off the salt with red wine and let it sit for about 5mins. They pat it dry or air dry it and then roll it in chopped garlic and roll it in black pepper. They they wrap it tight in a paper bag then tie it off again around and length wise and hang it for about 6 weeks or until it is firm. Any thought on that? This has been done forever in that town.
Hank,
Love your site. Great compilation of work. Was wondering when you dry cure wild hog cuts since not technically cooking, how do you address the trich & brucella that suppose to be in the wild hog running around these days? Had some wild hog backstrap medallions visiting relatives in Louisiana last year…..I daydream about it at redlights….
Thanks,
John
Hank,
Do I need to trim the fat off?
Mike: I don’t.
I just love making and eating Lonzino loin or tenderloin. your recipe is by far the best. I’m on my 3rd batch. Thanks
to Joe the comment above, it’s better to be on the less humidity side. If its to dry just wrap the meat in a cheesecloth soaked in red wine for 3 to 5 days than hang it up for a week.
I dry cured some pieces of pork butt (about 2 lbs apiece and 3 in thick) in the fridge for about 2 weeks. Rinsed off the cure and added spices. wrapped them in cheescloth and hung in basement. temp was always between 55-60 but humidity would stay between 50-60 also. After 2 weeks decided to close in area and use pan of water and small humidifier. Got humidity up to 70-75 yesterday. today it was up to 99! shut off humidifier and opened front off chamber to let humidity out. will further try to regulate today. do you think I may have caused harm that i cannot rectify? Meat is damp now . should I dry them off or pull them out of chamber? any suggestions. some people have said to freeze for a week and let thaw in fridge then rehang. thanks joe
Joe: Should be fine. Just let it dry on its own. Maybe pat it dry with a paper towel.
Farmgirl: With domesticated pork the possibility of trichinosis is very, very slight. With wild boar, absolutely freeze it for several weeks before doing this.
When using raw pork, do you worry about Trichinosis? I know freezing the meat takes care of that, but I don’t want to ruin the meat either. Any suggestions? This is my first time curing meat and I want to be safe.
“Wondering if anyone has tried the Umai charcuterie system/bags.”
I’ve got a lonzino drying right now with that stuff. just started drying some salami with it too. will know in a few weeks how it will work but from just looking at it week and a few days in seems to be drying nice . the material is kinda expensive but it seems to regulate humidity better than a casing does.
Thank you so much for recipe and process! do you have any idea what the Teaspoon/tablespoon equivalent would be?
Garhof: Yep, it will be fine, but possibly very salty.
I’m not going to be able to take the loin that I’ve got out at the 12-day mark. It’s going to be more like 15-16 days when I get home from a work trip. How will this affect the meat? Will it just be saltier?
Thanks!
Wondering if anyone has tried the Umai charcuterie system/bags.
http://www.drybagsteak.com/shop-umai-charcuterie.php
I know it’s cheating a bit but seams like it would cut down on errors a lot with novices like me.
Just curious why you rinse the loin off after that first 12 days, hence getting rid of all those great spices/flavoring. Is their impact done as of that point?
Thanks so much, Hank! I’ll give it a shot using some great local loin.
Best, Phil
Phil: Honestly I would not use tenderloin. Use loin instead. It’s what lonzino is meant for. And I don’t case my lonzino, either.
Hank,
Great site. I want to make Lonzino but want to use Pork Tenderloins and no casing.
Ever done this or should I just go with regular Pork Loin?
Best regards,
Phil McCormack
Freeport, Maine
You are so right about buying quality pork for making lonzino. But it does make me wonder why all the seasonings you add to the cure are also not fresh. Sorry, but garlic powder doesn’t cut it against minced fresh garlic. Ditto for the onions. Dried thyme can’t hold a candle to fresh. I think you’ll notice a huge difference if you go to the real thing. I made some guanciale last year. It was late Friday night and I didn’t have any fresh thyme. I used dried, rather than wait until morning and picking up some fresh from an herb grower at our local farmer’s market. Big mistake! It just was not the same aroma and flavor.
For Jacob V up above: your lonzino should lose between 30% to 35% of its weight during the drying process. The key, though, to great lonzino is the correct humidity while it’s drying. As Hank has already said, if it dries too quickly because the humidity is not sufficient, the outside will be hard long before the inside has dried sufficiently. My basement where my cured meats hang can drop below 70% in the dead of winter, and that’s when I have to get out the humidifier to bump it back up. Didn’t bother once, and it was a huge mistake that I won’t be repeating!
Nick: Only one way to find out.
Hank,
Can the lonzino be cured for the duration in a refrigerator? As in a drawer with adustable humidity.
Thanks,
Nick
Jacob: Not that I know of, but thickness is the key here, not overall weight.
Is there a formula that one can use to calculate weight or thickness of the meat vs time to cure?
Many thanks,
Jacob V.
Love it Hank
just did my first peice of pork out of the rump – prop not correct cut of meat but nice – just a bit salty – have to check measurement where correct
Thanks mate
MrG
Australia
Hank,
I am new to your web site. As an avid hunter and fisherman as well as being deeply interested in cooking it seems tailor made for me. I have been fortunate enough to bag plenty of ducks and several wild boar and deer each of the past few years. I usually wind up giving a lot of the meat away for fear of letting it freezer burn before my family can consume it all. Your recipes will help keep a good variety of dishes in rotation at my house. I have recently built a couple of curing chambers and have only cured pork belly in a few different styles. I am very interested in trying a lonzino venison back strap. Will it really work well? My fear is that there is not enough fat for flavor. Would you change anything in your recipe specifically for venison? I have one thawing in the fridge right now. Also do you think dry curing wild duck breast is a waste of time? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and regards.
Tim: Nope. You eat it as-is. There are a lot of cured pork loin recipes in Europe. Every region has their own. In Germany I am certain they would smoke it – the Germans seem to smoke everything…
I have a very basic question: Do I need to cook the lonzino before I eat it?
We enjoyed some ‘cold smoked’ ham in northern Germany several years ago – right at the place where they cured it. Quite an interesting operation, and delicious. So, I’m wondering if the Lonzino could be in the same family?
Love your site!!! I’ve got a 3-lb loin started and in the cure right now. Anxious to taste the results.
Hello Hank,
I was wondering generally there is a fat cap over the top part of the loin,is it necessary to trim it off or would it actually help in the flavor dept?
Thanks
David: First, no, you cannot substitute Instacure No. 1 for No. 2. You need No. 2 for any long-cured product.
Second, yeah, that will help. What will help even more will be to case the lonzino in a large casing, like a beef middle. You can order them online through Butcher & Packer.
Good luck, and be sure to check your lonzino as it cures — pull it early if you need to. Only under ideal conditions can you hang a lonzino longer than 2-3 months.
Thanks Hank
Two more quick questions. I found a place that is cooler, but it is also somewhat dusty, and has a lower humidity (that I could not really control). Would trussing it in some cheese cloth or muslin help solve the humidity problem as it would create somewhat of a microclimate inside the cloth?
Also, is it ok to use instacure #1 instead of #2?
Thanks in advance, and I am really stoked for this
David: It’s not ideal, and in the first couple weeks of curing is especially bad. I never let my charcuterie get above 60 degrees until it is very far along. Once it’s more or less cured, i.e., a few weeks, temperature matters less.
I was wondering how important temperature is? Is it ok if it hits mid 70’s for a couple hours a day as long as it is cool at night?
Paul: I wouldn’t. The smallest piece I’ve ever use has been about 10 inches long. I don’t have a recipe online for it, but if you look up Cajun tasso ham you might be able to do it that way. Sorry!
I have a large bag of pork loin chunks, anywhere from 1-3 inch thick. Can this be
made from pieces or does it have to be whole muscle?
Enjoy your site a lot.
Marilyn: Don’t know what to tell you about the curing setup, but if you want to leave out the sugar, go right ahead. It’s only there for flavor. And, um, there is no corn syrup in any of my recipes.
As for the spices and herbs, those qualify as natural flavorings, so leave them out, too. Bottom line: If you want a very basic lonzino, use only the salt and curing salt. If you fear nitrates, don’t do this recipe if you are a beginner. You have to be a skilled charcutiere to make this without the protection of the Instacure.
Stumbled across this site while looking for ways to cure pork. Living in N’Awlins, there ain’t no such thang as a basement, unless you fancy an indoor swimming pool. (I’m on HIGH ground, FIVE FEET above sea level!) Been trying to figure out where I could put a refrigerator-cure box, but I don’t have a garage (Hurricane Katrina took it), never had a porch, and the house is too small for another fridge.
I make a bunch of things for myself because I cannot, for medical reasons, have any sugar, starch, natural or artificial flavorings, etc. etc. etc.
Every recipe I see for a ham-like recipe uses sugar, scorch it. Which means, assuming I can create a cure box, I could make the above recipe, but could not eat it myself, which is the whole point of do-it-yourself.
Is there a recipe around using honey? And no [email protected]#$#@! corn syrup?
Kevin: Remember to drop the humidity back toward 60% over time as the lonzino ages. Ratchet it down every week or two by a little. I don’t case my lonzino. I’ve never tried the olive oil rub, but smearing lard on it will work pretty well.
Love the blog.
Just got done building a little cold room in a corner of my basement for my lonzino. Keeping a steady 52F. Had to add a humidifier to get it up to 85%. Outa of the cure today and ready to hang. I forgot to order casings. I want to try the olive oil rub down ,or do you think larding would be better?
Thanks
Ted, how is yours coming along?
Ted: I’d let the white mold grow — if it is dry mold. If it is fuzzy like a cotton ball, wipe it off with vinegar. And I eat it when the lonzino is ready. BUT, if you are allergic to penicillin, wipe off all white mold. In many cases the white mold IS penicillin…
Hi Hank, I’m dry curing Lonzino, I’m at day 20 of 30, I read above that white mold is good to see on the meat, I’m starting to see some on mine, I didn’t use a casing, I followed the advice of someone who said that they brushed olive oil at day 1 of dry-curing. My question is 1. Should I let the white mold build up until day 30 or should I rub it off with a vinegar/water mix? 2. At the end of the dry-curing time, should the white mold be taken off before eating?
Thanks
Great blog, thanks for the info! I have one now in the fridge with the cure on it going on a week now. I’m planning on curing it in a cooler in my basement. That way I can control the humidity because it is bone dry down there naturally.
Humidity is VERY important. My suggestion would be to run a humidifer next to the hanging meat when the ambient humidity gets that low. You want it to dry slowly and evenly; low humidity hardens the outside before the inside can dry properly, and it rots. Ew.
How important is the humidity for making lonzino? Here in MN, my basement gets nice and cool in the winter (& summer for that matter), but the humidity drops to around 40 to 50%. Any ideas????
I mean the backstraps, which are the “loin,” to a butcher. The “tenderloin” is underneath the spine and is so yummy outsiders rarely get any of the ones I collect…
Florida wild boar lonzino would be an excellent use for some of that backstrap! Trim it well to make a rough cylinder, and cut a piece – ideally – about 12-14 inches long.
The spear, huh? Wow.
When you say pork “loin” do you mean the tender loins or the backstraps? It just so happens I am in possession of some Flordia wild piggy that fell to the spear back in January. I think this would be a noble application.
I’m still happily experimenting with Ruhlman and Polcyn, but have some trouble finding decent meat. I do plan on checking out a butcher I just found about 50 miles north of me.
Mmm…air-cured wild boar. This sounds lovely and intense. And makes my experiments with bacon (and currently pancetta) seem tame…
You had me at ‘cured pork’.
My interest in cured items is at an all-time high. We’re moving in April and plans are underway for the construction of both a wine cellar, and a cellar appropriate for dry-curing meats. I cannot wait. I will likely be digging through your posts later this year to give this a shot.
Hank,
Great to see write up’s like these. I’ve managed to get hold of a copy of Ruhlman & Polcyn’s ‘Charcuterie’ over here and it’s a great read. If our two countries are supposed to be great allies how come we can’t get more of your books?!
Happy curing.