BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Always walked by these in the meat department and thought what could I make out of one of them. Hmmm  I know maybe prosciutto.
So here we go:

The recipe
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HeOgCJOy7aE/UP6KI6lkKnI/AAAAAAAAE2c/W2nU0yEuKu0/s1024/DSC_0106.JPG)

The Leg
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pjm_BaciFgk/UP6KKGXEpsI/AAAAAAAAE2k/vSl6BrYnSRw/s1024/DSC_0108.JPG)

In The Salt Box for 6 plus days. 1 day per 2 pounds of meat
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HSuyWiW3MqM/UP6K0AYQsmI/AAAAAAAAE3I/VfPQ4op9-Zc/s1024/DSC_0111.JPG)

Looks interesting. Keep us posted.

I found this site which seems to have much info on curing.
http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/2010/01/lamb-prosciutto.html (http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/2010/01/lamb-prosciutto.html)

Brad

If you google a Scandinavian dish called 'fenalar' there are also recipes for cured and smoked lamb or mutton which may help add to your fund of knowledge on what to do. e.g. http://www.de-lish.co.uk/about/recipes/fenalar/ . The legs for that are supposed to be cut 'long' but can't see that it would make much difference.

That sounds like it's going to be good!

Because of work and just not enough time in the day to get things done today I went over on how long I was going to leave it in the salt but no big deal. A little extra time sometimes is a good thing.

So here we have it trying to dig it out of the salt. Lots of liquid on the bottom, you cant see it but its there.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7GdDscpWqxs/UQaNheKV0KI/AAAAAAAAE84/R2116dTD5Nw/s1024/DSC_0137.JPG)

Found it  ;D
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_8gZ7ynrbl0/UQaNi_eaRJI/AAAAAAAAE9E/WWJa1HW0GZg/s640/DSC_0138.JPG)

Now I have to grind some of this up.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZYmuz20h4y4/UQaNhMGdD_I/AAAAAAAAE80/yRBK11EA3YA/s1024/DSC_0139.JPG)

Than add some cracked pepper
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZynnFSXvka8/UQaOKdUsAnI/AAAAAAAAE9Q/SnFXGie4ZPU/s1024/DSC_0140.JPG)

Now we sprinkle it good all over.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Hu1vlf2FqZw/UQaOU2LRGBI/AAAAAAAAE9g/WL_VUd15EQM/s1024/DSC_0141.JPG)

Time to bag it. Thats right we are going to bag it ;)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eS3P3qJgSJk/UQaOMftA0WI/AAAAAAAAE9Y/t8PZiYu0EXE/s1024/DSC_0142.JPG)

All bagged and vac sealed (Dry bag style)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-v_IPSbDq8vQ/UQaOrVk1t8I/AAAAAAAAE9s/fn9NMrSDDtA/s1024/DSC_0143.JPG)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tuWpHdQbm3o/UQaOr0p7nuI/AAAAAAAAE9w/wAa_ATlizEo/s1024/DSC_0144.JPG)

Off to be hung in the right climate, my basement is perfect for this in the winter. This will be taken down next year around Christmas time.  ;)
Will update than.

Curious --if you need to hang it until Christmas and the basement is perfect in winter --what do you do when it is spring and summer?

my curing chamber.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jZrwyHSRQl8/T6Go2aQj28I/AAAAAAAACeI/feJvfWDIPdk/s640/DSC_0001.JPG)

Will be interesting to watch it loose weight over the next 12 months.

How will it dry out in a vacuum bag?

Quote from: Geoff_S on February 04, 2013, 10:36:07 AM
How will it dry out in a vacuum bag?

Good question grasshopper: How will we get to the desired weight you are thinking. Well no big secret here. These bags are designed to allow air out but not let air in from what i been told.
look here for more info on them. The material forms a bond with the proteins on the surface of the beef allowing moisture to permeate out while blocking oxygen and off-flavors.


http://www.drybagsteak.com/

Quote from: devo on February 04, 2013, 10:52:43 AM

Quote from: Geoff_S on February 04, 2013, 10:36:07 AM
How will it dry out in a vacuum bag?

Good question grasshopper: How will we get to the desired weight you are thinking. Well no big secret here. These bags are designed to allow air out but not let air in from what i been told.
look here for more info on them. The material forms a bond with the proteins on the surface of the beef allowing moisture to permeate out while blocking oxygen and off-flavors.


http://www.drybagsteak.com/

Ho hum, so much to learn, so many things to buy.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O5ywvfKc8w0/UTJyJVHb8OI/AAAAAAAAFhw/YTbNkCYucKY/s1290/Prosciutto.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aB_JNSx3HII/UT4VQldwHMI/AAAAAAAAFnU/52lhZLsQwKo/s1280/March%252010th.jpg)

I'm still scratching my head about this being a lamb leg "proscuitto".  I can't wait to see the outcome - it truly intriques me. 

hey Caneyscud

I understand your confusion  ;D  It will not be your traditional proscuitto that,s for sure. I have even seen people use the hind leg of bear to make proscuitto so anything is possible. I agree it will be interesting  :)

Doing a little research yesterday, I found a few recipes for doing the lamb.  I bet it is going to be rich and flavorful when done!  I had heard about the bear one somewhere.  The process of prosciutto, especially those techniques used in years past truly intrigue me.  And especially after reading a short paragraph about how someone's grandfather used to hang his in the chimney to age - or maybe that was country ham.  I think that was in Innes' book but not sure.  My FIL used to make American Prosciutto (aka country hams) by the hundreds and sold them around upper W. TN.  Unfortunately he died 10 years before I met my wife.  I did get to explore some of the "tools" he used - the smokeshed, the salting trough, etc...  Pretty heady stuff all that going on, without stainless steel, antibacterial wipes, refrigeration, rules, regs, etc... and they didn't kill anybody!  We thought his recipe was lost when he died, but when my MIL died and we were moving her stuff out of the house, I pulled a drawer from a dresser and lo and behold, there was his recipe penciled on the bottom of the drawer.  Cool find! and so glad to have. 

Wow thats a really cool find. Maybe some day you might share it with some of us  ;)

One of the many recipes from the internet:
http://www.de-lish.co.uk/about/recipes/fenalar/