This is a totally made up recipe. I appreciate it doesn’t look pretty at any stage so far, but cured meats are all about flavour - not appearances.
The main thing about long curing and dehydrating is to make sure that your Salt and Saltpetre concentrations are sufficient to ensure there is no bacterial growth. Clostridium Botulinum is not a welcome friend. Botulism is no laughing matter. A bit of white residue on the outside of the casings at this stage in nothing to worry about, it’s just Salts crystallizing as they migrate through the permeable skins.
Please note that the weight for the curing Salts are per 1Kg. If your scales only measure to 2g, like ours, you’ll need to subdivide the measures to match the weight of meat you are working with.
Ingredients:-
400g of very fatty Pork. We used Belly Pork with the rind removed.
22.5g of Salt - Per 1kg
2g of Saltpetre - Per 1kg
175Ml of cheap Red Wine
40 Black Peppercorns, simmered to soften and drained
2 Tbsp of Hot Smoked Paprika
2 Tbsp of Paprika
3 Tbsp of Cayenne Pepper
Method:-
(1) Simmer and drain your Peppercorns, set aside to cool.
(2) Roughly cut the Pork so it will go through the Mincer / Extruder.
(3) Mince into a large bowl.
(4) Add all the other ingredients and mix by hand very well.
(5) Remove the cutting blade and plate from the Mincer.
(6) Feel the mixture through the Mincer and us the nozzle to extrude into Sausage Casings.
(7) Twist and cut into suitable lengths and tie off with string.
(8) Place in your dehydration box and change the desiccant as required.
(9) Allow 2 months to fully cure and dehydrate.
We started this in the 18th of December and it’s the 8th of January tomorrow. So we’ve had nearly 1 month curing and dehydrating. They now feel quite firm to the touch but still a little spongy in the middle if you press hard. So another month should do the job. I’ve created a little drying chamber with an air tight box and Silicone desiccant crystals which I pack the around the paper covered Pepperizo. I changed the desiccant every other day for the first couple of weeks. We’re now down it once a week as the greater part of the moisture has now migrated from the meat.
While hunting around the discounts at the local supermarket we found Ray Wings at less than £1 each. Sue isn't keen on fish generally, but this was a meaty fish a little like Tuna.
Ingredients:-
1 Ray Wing per person
Plain flour (We used Gluten free but there is no difference as far as this recipe goes)
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Salt
Chilli Flakes
Onion Salt
Crushed fresh Garlic
50g of Butter
2 tbsp Capers
Soy Sauce
Chopped Parsley
1 Lemon, ½ Juiced and ½ cut into wedges
Method:-
(1) Marinated the Ray Wings in Soy Sauce and crushed Garlic.
(2) Season the flour with the Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt, Onion Salt and Chilli flakes.
(3) Dredge the fish in the flour mixture until completely coated.
(4) Place a frying pan on a high heat and add ½ of the butter.
(5) Let sizzle and add the fish. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes flipping until golden brown on both sides.
(6) Keep warm under the grill.
(7) Place the pan back on the heat and add the remaining butter.
(8) Add the Capers and then the Parsley. Season with Salt.
(9) Squeeze the ½ lemon juice and stir.
(10) Spoon over the fish.
We served ours with Peas and New Potatoes and dressed the fish with the remaining Lemon wedges.