Orange Lonzino

Post by **redzed** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 04:53

This weekend I finally cut into my orange lonzino. It was started 45 days ago and lost 45% of its weight. This one really rocks. Seasoned only with salt (and cure 2), garlic and orange. Not overly salty, with a silky texture and delicate flavours. Did not have anything to case the meat, and that would have been better and there would be no need to wipe off the mould.

Great stuff and so easy to make. Whole loins are on sale this week at $1.97lb, will have to pick up a few and make some more.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 08:39

Chris, that's a gorgeous project. It looks delicious. How about more details?

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Post by **redzed** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 16:27

CW, this a easy and simple recipe with a minimal amount of ingredients. I think we sometimes over do it with trying to make a blend of a dozen or more spices. .5% toasted fennel, is usually also used with since it goes well with the orange, but I decided to bump up the garlic and skip it.

I used .25% Cure #2, c2.3% sea salt, three cloves of garlic, a couple of sliced navel oranges, juice of one orange and cured in the fridge for 10 days. Seville oranges would have been better, but could not find any. Washed, dried, tied and hung in the curing chamber for 45 days. The mould coat developed on it's own, I did not spray it with any starter. I had other salumi hanging in the chamber so that there was enough around. No black or grey spots appeared on it at all.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 18:00

Nicely done, ol' friend!

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 18:03

I bet that is wonderful in almost every way you can think about.

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 06:37

Chris,
I am lost for words. A wonderful result.
Congratulations,
Jan

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 17:38

What a great piece of work, I can only imagine the fantastic taste! Sliced thin like that it appears very much like a prosciutto. RAY

Post by **redzed** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 01:57

sawhorseray wrote:What a great piece of work, I can only imagine the fantastic taste! Sliced thin like that it appears very much like a prosciutto. RAY

Well, it's been a hit with everyone who tastes it. And everyone goes for it because there is no fat, and it does taste like prosciutto. When I served my coppa, some individuals did not even want to taste it because of the visible fat.

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 03:57

Hi Red,
These same people go to Maccas or the Colonel and get a belly full of their muck.
What makes coppa so good is the little but of tasty fat. Go figure!!
Cheers,
Jan.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 04:52

At least with cured pork you know where the fat came from.

Baconologist · Post by **Baconologist** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 06:29

That looks great!

TSMODIE · Post by **TSMODIE** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 16:40

Chris, that does look great, i will have to try that recipe, the last lonzino i made was a little too salty, and very mild in flavor, i like the idea of the oranges,Tim

ursula · Post by **ursula** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 03:13

Hi Red,
I've just been reading your thread, and think your orange lonzino looks magnificent. Can you tell me what temperature you had it in the curing chamber, and can you remember the humidity. It is an inspiring piece of work.
Ursula

Post by **redzed** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 07:37

Hi Ursula,

My curing chamber runs a a steady 12°. Humidity is a bit all over the place since I often add new product so then there is a spike for a while, sometimes in the high 80's. At the moment I have a couple more pieces of lonzino in there, coppa and some old salami, and its running between 75 and 80%. Most people that sample my lonzino really like it, especially the flavour and lack of visible fat. And it's so easy to make! In fact loins here are $1.99 per pound this week and I will be preparing one for a lonzino tomorrow. Will be using a stronger spice blend, similar to a coppa I made earlier this year.

ursula · Post by **ursula** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 08:23

Lucky you, Red,
I have to travel 85 km to get the best loin prices, and we're talking $8 a pound! Pork bellies have become really fashionable here because of programs like Masterchef, and are on special for $11 a kilo. (about $5.50 a pound).
I just read today that there were 50000 pig farmers in Oz in 1950, and now there are only 600. That would explain it.
Best wishes Ursula