Pretty sure you can work that out for yourself Cal 🙂
Aside had to look up dilly beans as not sure that's something the British traditionally make. But did remind me of my late grandmothers pickled onions. They came out dark brown with a fiery kick and we could never work out quite how she managed it.
Aside had to look up dilly beans as not sure that's something the British traditionally make. But did remind me of my late grandmothers pickled onions. They came out dark brown with a fiery kick and we could never work out quite how she managed it.
Well I did it. I had goat cheese for the first time today.
Having it only one time, I have no reference but I found it creamier than Feta, more tangy and less salty. so no matter how you slice it, it was delicious.
Having it only one time, I have no reference but I found it creamier than Feta, more tangy and less salty. so no matter how you slice it, it was delicious.
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Goat cheese is fantastic....
(1) Goat cheese, dates and a nice sweet sherry wine. Maybe even an Oloroso.
(2) Goat cheese, chopped dates and chopped prunes mixed into a paste, wrapped in pastry dough. Yum.
(3) Goat cheese with smoked salmon.
(4) Goat cheese with olives, walnuts, sun dried tomatoes in olive oil on top of a bed of romaine lettuce.
I can not believe you have not tried it yet!
OK... picture time...
First time ever...
Lomo, smoked and rubbed with Spanish smoked paprika.
(1) Goat cheese, dates and a nice sweet sherry wine. Maybe even an Oloroso.
(2) Goat cheese, chopped dates and chopped prunes mixed into a paste, wrapped in pastry dough. Yum.
(3) Goat cheese with smoked salmon.
(4) Goat cheese with olives, walnuts, sun dried tomatoes in olive oil on top of a bed of romaine lettuce.
I can not believe you have not tried it yet!
OK... picture time...
First time ever...
Lomo, smoked and rubbed with Spanish smoked paprika.
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When I get back from vacation I'm gonna make Mojama ( tuna ) and another batch of lomo with less salt. I think I'll make it all with Spanish Paprika and will likely smoke them for six hours
Once I get a handle on that, I plan on making some "fuet". The goal is to move up to a good "Chorizo de Soria" for Christmas.
Once I get a handle on that, I plan on making some "fuet". The goal is to move up to a good "Chorizo de Soria" for Christmas.
The colours of those make me think the smoked and not smoked were labeled backward.
Enjoy your time away and keep us posted on the tuna. Looking forward to that.
Enjoy your time away and keep us posted on the tuna. Looking forward to that.
No, I didn't mix them.
The smoked cured much faster, about three weeks vs five weeks. And you can see the color and taste it. No mold on it.
Interesting notes: smoking it a bit, about 10 hours, before drying it out prevented the mold growth since it was much dryer. The unsmoked one shed more water so it did have some of that mold. The conditions in the little fridge were about 84% to 55F.
Outside ambient was around 70%/60F at night and 60%/75F during the day, so the fridge didn't cycle much. I noticed that when the fridge ran to cool the humidity would drop to 55% and then come back.
So, I played with the settings... the control in the fridge was set to 2 out of 10. That extended the cooling cycle - and milder. And I set dropped the original temp setting from 60 to 55. That narrowed the humidity range to (55%, to 83% ) from ( 45% to 88%). I also removed the small cold humidifier I had put in there because it wasn't needed... and put a small tray of table salt on the bottom of the fridge. After the 3rd week, the peak humidity also dropped a little, down to 81%.
I think 83% during the initial phase of aging is fine... although I would like to lower it to 75%... still, the lomo did drop from 1.1Kg to 680gm in the course of five weeks in the little fridge. So, I think sausages will do just fine it. The mold was the good kind... I freaked out the first time I saw it ( I PM'd you ) but after a while you learn to live with it. Next time I'll wipe it down only once, after the first two weeks, and then I'll let it sit.
Our summer is finally hitting us, so the garage will get hot in the afternoons, likely 90F... that means the fridge will run more often and the humidity will drop. We'll see how it run.
The mojama ( tuna ) is supposed to be air dried. So, I might hang that in the garage after the salt/sugar treatment. I bought a frozen strip of sashimi for this. I don't know how you'd do that in the NW during the fall and winter since it gets wet... down here it will work as our weather is actually rather similar to Andaluzia - the region of Spain where mojama comes from. I plan on doing it after we get back from vacation. I'll take pictures for sure.
I dream of fuet, longaniza and chorizo.
You ought to see those old stone farmer houses in the Pyrenees... where the ground floor is used to age "embutidos" and "jamones". You walk in, and you are greeted by an aroma that calls for red wine and some good bread....
The smoked cured much faster, about three weeks vs five weeks. And you can see the color and taste it. No mold on it.
Interesting notes: smoking it a bit, about 10 hours, before drying it out prevented the mold growth since it was much dryer. The unsmoked one shed more water so it did have some of that mold. The conditions in the little fridge were about 84% to 55F.
Outside ambient was around 70%/60F at night and 60%/75F during the day, so the fridge didn't cycle much. I noticed that when the fridge ran to cool the humidity would drop to 55% and then come back.
So, I played with the settings... the control in the fridge was set to 2 out of 10. That extended the cooling cycle - and milder. And I set dropped the original temp setting from 60 to 55. That narrowed the humidity range to (55%, to 83% ) from ( 45% to 88%). I also removed the small cold humidifier I had put in there because it wasn't needed... and put a small tray of table salt on the bottom of the fridge. After the 3rd week, the peak humidity also dropped a little, down to 81%.
I think 83% during the initial phase of aging is fine... although I would like to lower it to 75%... still, the lomo did drop from 1.1Kg to 680gm in the course of five weeks in the little fridge. So, I think sausages will do just fine it. The mold was the good kind... I freaked out the first time I saw it ( I PM'd you ) but after a while you learn to live with it. Next time I'll wipe it down only once, after the first two weeks, and then I'll let it sit.
Our summer is finally hitting us, so the garage will get hot in the afternoons, likely 90F... that means the fridge will run more often and the humidity will drop. We'll see how it run.
The mojama ( tuna ) is supposed to be air dried. So, I might hang that in the garage after the salt/sugar treatment. I bought a frozen strip of sashimi for this. I don't know how you'd do that in the NW during the fall and winter since it gets wet... down here it will work as our weather is actually rather similar to Andaluzia - the region of Spain where mojama comes from. I plan on doing it after we get back from vacation. I'll take pictures for sure.
I dream of fuet, longaniza and chorizo.
You ought to see those old stone farmer houses in the Pyrenees... where the ground floor is used to age "embutidos" and "jamones". You walk in, and you are greeted by an aroma that calls for red wine and some good bread....
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I know you didn't Tony. I was saying that for those outside of our PM's that might think the same just by looking at them.
I wonder how hard would it be to make jamon serrano with a front shoulder... that is, take the "picnic" ham cut and make a jamon serrano with it?
BTW, yes, of course, that "picnic ham" is definitely in the making (planning stages right now).. August is gonna be a busy month at Tony's Charcutery and Audio Delight Factory.
BTW, yes, of course, that "picnic ham" is definitely in the making (planning stages right now).. August is gonna be a busy month at Tony's Charcutery and Audio Delight Factory.
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Tony, of course you can make your serene piggy with the shoulder. It's just a smaller 'ham' my friend.
Cal- making jamon serrano is a bit harder... I figure if I go with a 4 lb chunk of shoulder... must be a solid piece that I can wrap in some mesh....
I think it will take about nine months at the very least. If I start doing this in the fall, it should be ready to go for the next summer. Our garage doesn't get so cold in the winter... usually it will drop into the 40's (F) at the worst case.
Jamon Serrano makes us contemplate the limits of our lifetime... at my age there's not that many chances to screw it up. 😉
I think it will take about nine months at the very least. If I start doing this in the fall, it should be ready to go for the next summer. Our garage doesn't get so cold in the winter... usually it will drop into the 40's (F) at the worst case.
Jamon Serrano makes us contemplate the limits of our lifetime... at my age there's not that many chances to screw it up. 😉
Yes, that's why I figure on nine months only. I believe the minimum aging for a 12/14 lb ham is a year. Some of the better brands, the ones making Jamon "Iberico" age them up to five years!
No way I'm I gonna wait five years and then see if I made a mistake.
No way I'm I gonna wait five years and then see if I made a mistake.
That's why I guess 6 months for 6 / 7 lbs. picnic.
Hard to make a mistake Tony. The way you have to literally submerge it in salt and curing agent makes me think it would be hard to get it wrong. That's what they had to do on those cross ocean voyages moons ago. Now they charge a pretty penny for what used to be simple sustenance.
Same with chicken wings. Damn those Yuppies! They go and ruin everything. 🙂
Hard to make a mistake Tony. The way you have to literally submerge it in salt and curing agent makes me think it would be hard to get it wrong. That's what they had to do on those cross ocean voyages moons ago. Now they charge a pretty penny for what used to be simple sustenance.
Same with chicken wings. Damn those Yuppies! They go and ruin everything. 🙂
I'll have to play some jotas aragonesas to the jamones while their curing.
Now, I'm not Aragonese... but they are cousins... and it was in Campo, Huesca where I saw those farmer houses with their longanizas and jamones aging on the ground floor.
Who knows, likely my ancestors did that too.. Dance, that is. ( The jota is nice ).
Now, I'm not Aragonese... but they are cousins... and it was in Campo, Huesca where I saw those farmer houses with their longanizas and jamones aging on the ground floor.
Who knows, likely my ancestors did that too.. Dance, that is. ( The jota is nice ).
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