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Those pictures of the soppressata and duck breast prosciutto in the OP look awfully familiar  .If anyone wants to see my photo tutorials for those and also for peperone, they are up on my blog. The link is in my profile. Peperone, soppressata and pancetta are from April 2011, and duck breast prosciutto I actually just got around to posting about earlier this week. I'm totally with the OP on vacuum sealing stuff for long-term storage. The dried sausages kept really well that way. Now that it's cooled down and my basement closet is back to perfect meat-curing temperature, my next project is the bresaola from Ruhlman's book. I'm also just getting ready to start another batch of the soppressata because it was such a hit with friends, family, and boss. Can't wait until the closet is filled like this again. (Well, it should look a little better since I have proper meat hooks now.):  
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Sep 23, 2011 16:42
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morrisirrom posted:I am curious, I am in the DC area too and was wondering how you determined your basement had the right level of humidity. Much to my wife's chagrin I plan on hanging some meat but not really certain if it is safe. My thought is if I can do it and she can taste the outcome she will not be so adverse to the idea. I bought a small hygrometer/thermometer that I hung inside the closet. The temperature inside the closet with no lights hovers around 65 degrees and the humidity is around 60-65%. When I have something hanging in there, I usually leave a shallow tub of salt water in the bottom to increase the humidity if necessary. As long as it's dark, cool, and slightly humid, you'll be in fine shape. It's important to use the right curing salts for meats that dry longer (like the soppressata or peperone) because they keep things like botulism away. Also for cased sausages, make sure you check your links every few days for any mold growth on the outside. I got a few tiny spots of white mold during the drying phase for the peperone and they were easily wiped away with a paper towel dipped in salt water. I'd advise starting with the duck prosciutto or pancetta. They're both easy projects with short drying periods, so you'll have a finished product to win her over with quickly.  Good luck!edit: Here's the hygrometer I have http://www.amazon.com/Acu-Rite-Indoor-Humidity-Monitor/dp/B0013BKDO8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316802169&sr=8-1 MsJoelBoxer fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Sep 23, 2011 |
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Sep 23, 2011 19:22
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Oxford Comma posted:So where's this duck prosciutto recipe in the OP? Here you go, my friend: Duck Prosciutto, adapted from Charcuterie, by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn -One duck breast (I normally use a moulard duck breast weighing in around 20 oz.) -2 cups kosher salt -Fresh sage and orange zest -Cheesecloth and butcher’s twine First, find a lidded container that will snugly fit your duck breast. I use a small rectangular Ziploc tub, but a 1 qt. oval baking dish covered with plastic wrap would work well too. Pat the duck breast dry and set aside. Combine the 2 cups of salt with the herbs and zest to make a cure. You can use other flavors too. Some people like to add crushed juniper berries, herbs de provence, or a combination of hot pepper and brown sugar to their cure. Pour one cup of the salt cure into the storage tub or baking dish and place the duck breast on top of it. Pack enough of the remaining cure around and on top of it to just cover the surface on all sides. Cover the container and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the duck breast from the cure and rinse it under cool water. Pat it dry once again and weigh it. Wrap the duck breast in a layer of cheesecloth and hang it in a cool, dark, and mildly humid place to dry. Ideal conditions are around 60 degrees F. and 60-70% humidity. Hang for 1-2 weeks, or until it has lost 1/3rd of its original weight. Store wrapped in butcher paper in the refrigerator or vacuum seal for longer-term storage.
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Nov 6, 2011 22:31
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I like turtles posted:I'm to the point that I considered buying a deli slicer to better slice my meat. I don't have any room to do this, though. If you have a mandoline, try using that. Just pop the duck breast in the freezer for a half hour to firm it up and you should be able to get thin, even slices.
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Dec 1, 2011 22:05
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