Culatello

LOUSANTELLO · Post by **LOUSANTELLO** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 12:50

Looks incredible. Has anybody found a decent video on how you guys are making multiple loops ties on each horizontal band like I see in the photos?.. If not, do you think one of you can shoot a video of doing this,,, even if it's on a basketball or something. Thanks.

Post by **Bob K** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 13:42

Lou-

These are good ones on U Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVMSZHFt51E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QvRFcbeXBM

BriCan · Post by **BriCan** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 17:30

Bob K wrote:Lou-

These are good ones on U Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVMSZHFt51E

Use this one and turn the speed right down, you will as I did have to play it a few times before it all falls into place

Post by **redzed** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 08:30

After one year and two days, I cut into last year's culatello. I cased it in a patched beef bung and it worked, but this year I'm hoping to case a couple of them properly, that is in hog bladders. Curing was initiated a couple of days ago, and I hope to get some bladders from a Canadian source in two weeks, so I have my fingers crossed.

A bit of drying on the side without the fat cover, so I quartered it and vac sealed it for a while. Overall I'm happy with it, I managed to do a better job in trimming, shaping and tying it than the previous two. Green weight was 4.5kg, and it lost 34%. My curing chamber has gone to the scrap yard two months ago, so the culatello has been hanging under a roof, in a ventilated metal box, but literally outdoors. The temps and humidity were perfect. And it has a heavenly aroma, tastes divine and makes you want to drink wine.

The fiocco you see in the pics was pulled last summer.

Jan. 7, 2016 - Applied cure, 2.5% sea salt, .25% #2, .2%BP, vac sealed and into the fridge.

Jan. 29, 2016 - Rinsed off with red wine.

Jan. 29, 2016 - Cased in beef bung, double netted and tied.

Jan. 9, 2017

The moment of truth!

Post by **Butterbean** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 16:03

That looks great. So how does it taste?

Post by **Bob K** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 16:39

Looks Great!

Lou - you should try one of these the bladders are available from BP

Post by **redzed** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 17:35

Butterbean wrote:That looks great. So how does it taste?

Silky, smooth, complex, funky, almost sweet. Abslutely delightful, and other than the BP there were no aromatics. This was from a market hog, a leg from a heritage or free range pig would probably take you to the upper rafters of heaven!

Post by **Bob K** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 18:32

redzed wrote:A bit of drying on the side without the fat cover,

Probably not traditional but could you coat the non-fat side with lard for more even drying? Before casing

Post by **redzed** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 19:14

Great minds think alike! I,ve been having the same thoughts. Yes, the Italians don't apply sugna to the no fat side, but they do to their whole hams, so it probably would help with the culatello. I might do that with the two that I just started, But I think I will wait about two or three months into the drying phase, (just like you do with prosciutto), and apply the lard and rice flour mixture over the casing. It should still slow the drying and will be easy to remove at the end.

Post by **redzed** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 17:48

Not exactly a culatello, but close. Prepared like a culatello but with the skin on and smoked for 10 hours. Equilibrium cured for three weeks, 3% salt, .3% Cure#2 and cracked black pepper. Stuffed into two hog bladders, hung in curing chamber for 10months. I also covered the exposed meat side with sugna about half way through. Flavour is quite delicate, with only a hint of the smoke, buttery soft texture.

Post by **Bob K** » Wed Nov 29, 2017 18:42

That looks delisious! How did you know where to apply the lard mix after 5 months? And I didnt know Stephan gave sewing lessons!

Culatello

Culatello 2016