The lamb legs that were set down in salt last Saturday and the Saturday before (that is, February 21 and 28) were supposed to be rinsed and either hung or re-salted on March 7, but, alas, the National Guard continues to ruin everything. It was a drill weekend.
So we didn’t get to that project until yesterday, March 9th.
The fenalar leg (salt only) now weight 4Lbs, 0.4oz after 16 days in salt. This is down from 4Lbs 12oz fresh. Starting weight: 76oz, Current weight 64 oz, or 16% total weight loss. End goal is a minimum of 30% total weight loss.
This year I am wrapping them in cheese cloth before I do the butcher’s wrap and hang them. This should reduce dust on the meat, slow water loss a little, and make it easier to remove the strutto when all is said and done.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any rendered lard on hand, so I was not able to add the strutto on Monday. I will try to get to that this week.
It is below 60% humidity in the basement, so we will need it sooner rather than later to prevent too rapid water loss and case hardening.
Leg two (Salt and crusher herbs mix #2) is down to 4Lbs. from 4Lbs 10 oz. Starting weight 74 oz, Current weight 64 oz. This was rubbed again and put back in the tub for another week of salt cure.
Leg three was cured in salt and red wine. This was down to 77 oz from 86 oz.
I tried to improvise a bag out of plastic wrap to let leg #3 soak in a bag of wine and salt for the next week. However, this was a disaster, so I ended up just doing a salt/wine slush and rubbing the whole thing with that.
Back into the fridge with you two.
Getting pelted in the face with a mixture of hail and rain while setting up paddocks.
It was bad enough for a minute even the sheep tried to get out of the wind. 5 minutes later the sun was out and they were back to mowing down my grass.
Look at the difference in color and length from the south half and the north half (other side of the fence on the right side of the photo). Some sunlight would be really nice right about now.
Little Farm in the Big City 