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storing whole muscle finished and eating?
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 14:35
by Fingers
Ok this might be a silly question but once my coppa and pancetta are finished and I start to want to eat it. I am guessing I just cut off what I want to eat at any moment and just leave the rest hanging, till its all eventually gone. This may be months but i imagine that there is a limit to how long cured meat is at its best. Reading one chap had a pancetta for nearly 12 months hanging to which he periodically nibbled at. After all the whole idea of curing is so you don't need a refrigerator.
But I also read some vacuum pack, or put in the fridge. Some say once its been cut the cut end cant be left open to the elements?
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 15:00
by Bob K
You can slice off a piece and re hang, but it will also keep drying. As far as the end goes it will crust over and you will waste some trimming each time.
When you get it to the moisture level that you like if you vac seal and refrigerate the moisture level will remain the same.
As far as the pancetta, that's mostly fat so is does not dry out as much.
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 19:46
by BriCan
I am old school so tend to be all over the board on most things -- on a side note I also do this for a living and learned my trade just South of you
As Bob has said once you have archived the weight loss "you" like then store as vacuum packed reason being it will stop further weight loss but also develop a deeper flavour profile without the loss of weight
Panchetta on the other hand can be left hanging for a long time (between 6 and 8 months for me) and can archive a weight loss of up to 50% with some deep robust flavours == again vacuum pack for long term storage
On a side note I have different types of Charcuterie that has been vacuumed packed for over 5 years and is a lot better flavour wise to when they was first put in
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 19:54
by Fingers
Cheers folks, If you vacuum pack do thay have to then go in the fridge? I am thinking more salami.
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 20:03
by BriCan
Fingers wrote:Cheers folks, If you vacuum pack do thay have to then go in the fridge? I am thinking more salami.
Yes unless you have somewhere in the house that is less than 4 degrees C. all year round
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 22:06
by crustyo44
Hi Fingers,
My 2 cents worth, I'm NO expert but have been making salami, coppa's and bresaola on/off for the last 45 years. I usually dry them to whatever result I like best, than I cut them all in either 2 or 3 pieces ( depending on size), obviously remove the skin, casing, whatever they are and vacuum each piece and keep in the fridge, sometimes for up to 9 months with good results. I still think that they all improve in flavour.
This method saves you opening a whole vacuumed piece of meat or salami and circumvent it losing flavour and condition.
Good Luck my friend.
Jan.
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 21:55
by harleykids
Jan,
I do the same thing on all my salumi. I cut mine into seeing sized chunks (like serves enough for 4 person family. Then vacpak all of them individually. So on a 14" sopressatta, it would be cut in typically 3-4" pieces, then vacpaked. I remove all casings, etc before vacpaking the pieces.
Jason