My brother and I have made prosciutto for a few years now under the guidance of our so called mentor of cured meats and fermented beverages. This is our first attempt stepping out from under his wing. Is the tie correct? Do I need to coat the meat in anything while it hangs? How long should it hang for? Is there anything I should be looking or watch out for?
Thank you for any and all advice or guidance.
by lightningdart23
5 Comments
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use zip ties in the beginning to be able to easily adjust the tension around the rolled meat as it dries and loses mass. if you don’t adjust the twine or use zip ties you can end up with air pockets inside and end up having to throw it out because of mold and/or bacteria growth
edit: i’ve never done pancetta but i’ve done rolled duck breast which is basically the same thing but smaller (lots of fat on the outside, potential for air pockets on the inside) but i’ve only ever done it inside a refrigerator. i have no advice for you on letting it hang in what appears to be a basement
I believe the pancetta should be wrapped in beef intestine just like prosciutto would to protect it against mold, bacteria and drying too fast. If done right this needs to hang 6-8 months the traditional way but that depends on your ingredients and what you are aiming for.
I prefer to do my pancetta flat. I know it’s not traditional but, most folks are just gonna dice it up anyway. If you’re gonna keep it rolled make sure it’s tight or those air pockets will get ya.
Unfortunately no, it must be cased, either in sheet high casing, bung, or bladder depending on the actual size. to have a pancetta open to the air like that you need the skin on, and a very tight roll to the meat, and even then most people will still case it. If this is very recent / still fresh, I would take it apart and start over with casings this time. You will always want to finish it with a netting to help compress as water weight is lost. Attached is a photo of some recent ones I did. These two in particular used hog casing sheets as the final casing before tying and netting. Edit: I would recommend washing the whole belly with vinegar once you take it apart before proceeding to recap and case and tie. Having been exposed to the air like that you are almost guaranteed mould issues
https://preview.redd.it/pwv8jj5vldac1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5147ca1b4ea242bf46530ff65203561aa04fbbf4