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Wayne Potgieter

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Cured my first pancetta over the last few weeks.

Came out pretty damn good.

The next four are already hanging...

Prosciutto is next - although I don't know if I have the patience!

 

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Cured my first pancetta over the last few weeks.

Came out pretty damn good.

The next four are already hanging...

Prosciutto is next - although I don't know if I have the patience!

Beautifully done! What spice did you use and where did you get the curing salt?

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Beautifully done! What spice did you use and where did you get the curing salt?

I am actually only using coarse sea salt at the moment with relative success so far.

Added brown sugar, black pepper and dried rosemary to the mix.

The rosemary gave a great flavor - really comes through!

Will post more pics of latest batch when they are ready.

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Cured my first pancetta over the last few weeks.

Came out pretty damn good.

The next four are already hanging...

Prosciutto is next - although I don't know if I have the patience!

FK

Can you provide a few more details on how you did this

what meat you used etc

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Great. How long did you hang them for?

They hung for week and a half - but they were small - I went mostly by feel. In the end they probably could have gone another week for a firmer, drier pancetta, but I couldn't stand the temptation anymore!!!

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FK

Can you provide a few more details on how you did this

what meat you used etc

Here are the instructions - you can find anything on the net!

I used pork belly - just de-boned and off you go.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Pancetta/?ALLSTEPS

 

I used some of it as is, very thinly sliced - very nice!

I used the rest in a pretty good pasta carbonara, with julienne zucchini and sage.

Bellisima!

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The latest batch, cured and ready to hang...

The wait begins.....

Nice! Any particular reason you didn't stagger them? Like hang 2 now and 2 the next week etc so you have some on rotation the time...

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Nice! Any particular reason you didn't stagger them? Like hang 2 now and 2 the next week etc so you have some on rotation the time...

And 2 of them were a little thicker and had more moisture than  the other 2, so they will dry longer anyway.

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Just got my book - in the charcuterie. Lots of reading to do, but my first attempts Will be a prosciutto and a coppa (pork neck)

A prosciutto is a BIG commitment - draining and proper bleeding, 35 days of brining, and at least a year of hanging, because of the sheer size. My opinion is to try the pancetta first to get the hang of it. Even the coppa is quite tricky for beginners apparently.

But coppa is also definitely my next project.

But good luck, whichever one you try - its a great new hobby!

Oh by the way, made some fresh goats milk cheese this weekend also.

Nice with the pancetta on toasted ciabatta!

Edited by FrankieKnuckles
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The latest batch, cured and ready to hang...

The wait begins.....

looks like they are hanging in the open. Flies?

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looks like they are hanging in the open. Flies?

No, I don't plan on curing any flies.... :whistling:

 

I have some of those hanging fly trap thingies on the periphery of my property, which draw any flies away from the house.

And to be honest, I haven't seen a fly for weeks- so I am hoping it wont be an issue.

Wasn't with the first experimental pancetta, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Also ant proofed where I have hung them, and I have a fan on lowest setting circulating air on the meats.

I am planning to build a curing cupboard when I tackle the big stuff like prosciutto, but that will only happen when we are in Australia (couple of months)

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