This post is part of the Festa di Salumi from Punk Domestics. It is the second of three projects from Salumi by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.
I’m hesitant to call this cured meat “prosciutto.” Taking a recipe from Ruhlman and Polcyn’s Salumi, this dry cured leg of lamb flavored with garlic had an undertone of gaminess and character. There was also a vague jerky quality that was especially prominent after devouring the guanciale, a cut rich with luscious pork fat.
You know the drill by now: I completely covered the meat in salt and garlic slices and placed in the fridge for about two days. Then I rinsed it off thoroughly, patted it dry, and hung it from my ceiling fan. The flesh turned an exceptionally striking purple color.
I’m not sure where Ruhlman gets the eight pound lamb legs he speaks of. My boned out leg weighed in at about three or four pounds, meaning it took less than a month to dry instead of the standard three to four months. All and all, it was a satisfying charcuterie project, but I’ll probably stick to dry curing pork from now on.
4 comments :
this is called fenalaar, very ANCIENT AND traditional food of western Norway IN PARTICULAR AND SCANDINAVIA IN GENERAL (MINUS THE GARLIC SLICES, BUT PLUS JUNIPER BERRIES AND SMOKE)
I think smoking the lamb would improve the flavor so much. I need to try making some fenalaar!
i Have a recently purchased lamb leg in the freezer and would very much like to do this. is it as easy as just salting it in the fridge two days and hanging it to dry for a month as you’ve said or am I missing something?
Hi Amy,
There’s more to it than that I suppose. You need to completely cover it salt and cure it in the fridge for a day or two. Rinse it off, pat it dry, and weigh it. Record the weigh and then hang it. It’s safe to eat after it’s lost 30% of its weight. You should really consult a good book like Ruhlman’s Charcuterie or Salumi.