Whole Pork Leg - What to Make?

[ComradeQ]

http://curedmeats.blogspot.com/2014/08/prosciutto-crudo.html#more

Correction it seems, the lard paste is called sugna and the whole covered product is stuccatura. Thanks for the info!

[NCPaul]

I wasn't trying to correct you, I was showing you the option of aging it for 18 months.

[yotmon]

I wouldn't worry at all QC, the skin probably looks drier there as you say because of the press keeping the other parts covered. If it does turn out to be a bruise, then there is little meat there that has value anyway - mostly bone and cartilage, so would stay isolated and not spread up to the 'good stuff'. Hope this allays your fears.

[ComradeQ]

Quick update: I took my prosciutto-in-process out for a quick wipe down with red wine vinegar and then I applied the sugna (375g home rendered lard, 375g rice flour, 11g black pepper) to all the exposed parts including the exposed bone where the hoof was. I let this dry for four months and it may have dried a little too much, a part in the centre had sunk slightly and I had lost 35%. No big deal, sugna is applied and the Prosciutto Stuccato has been placed back into my curing fridge. The smell so far seems normal, some expected cured meat funk but nothing that smells off or bad. Not much longer to go now, only around a year or so, ha!

[NCPaul]

I hope to start one next Fall. How are you going to forget about it for a year?

[ComradeQ]

I hope to start one next Fall. How are you going to forget about it for a year?

With great difficulty!! Seriously, maybe I should get a start on another one, start spacing every 6 months so I maintain a steady supply!

[ComradeQ]

I'm also debating whether it is worth trying to debone and then repress it when it is ready or just shave off the bone as needed. I have plently of time to ponder ...

[NCPaul]

BUMP! Have you cut into it yet?

[ComradeQ]

BUMP! Have you cut into it yet?

Not yet. Was waiting for a good event and Canadian Thanksgiving will be coming up in a month so I think I will try it then.

[ComradeQ]

Ok so update finally ... the day has come! After almost two years I have decided to start slicing the prosciutto today for some family coming over.

I must admit I am a little intimidated as it is bone in. Next time I think I will bone it prior to curing so I can slice it on the deli slicer. I have a few hours to come up with a game plan to tackle the slicing.

Any suggestions? Of course I will award the forum with some pics once I start!

[ComradeQ]

Well two years wasted! It has soured in a small section, guess I aged it for the rats and insects at the dump! What a shame!

So be it, moving on ...

You can see the section that soured, some mold growth also along the bone:

[ComradeQ]

Haha, and to add to my Christmas fiasco my oven just went out in a puff of smoke! Wow this stinks! Now I have to figure out how to cook my Christmas dinner in the cold on my BBQ and smoker. This just keeps getting better ...

[NCPaul]

Oh no! I had such high hopes for your ham, is nothing salvageable? I'm cooking the Christmas roast on the grill but I think I'm about 40 degrees warmer. I hope the rest of your Christmas goes well ComradeQ.

[ComradeQ]

I think half of it may have been ok but I couldn't get past the smell from the soured portion. I was going to slice the half that smelled fine but then my mum walked in and asked what the horrible stink was and that was it, not taking the risk, binned! I did slice some coppa which was awesome so slightly redeemed with that. Also, managed to find the cause of the oven, element had somehow become disconnected on one end breaking the circuit. All I had to do was replace the connector and it seems to be working.

As for prosciutto, not sure I will try again after this failure. Will have to rest a bit and see if I can summon the courage to try again. My understanding is, you can do everything perfect and clean and safe but a fairly large percentage of prosciuttos always fail ... I remember reading somewhere that it is in the range of 10% failure with authentic Italian prosciutto.

[AKASTUDY]

Hi ComradeQ,

Great blog. Many thanks for the informative pictures and data. I’m new to this game. Please could you tell me which no2 cure you used? Is there a reason for using sea salt as opposed to ordinary (pure) salt?
Also, what temperature did you equalise at?
Regards

Tony.
Uk.