Dry-Cured Lonza Recipe

Lonza is dry-cured pork loin. It is somewhat similar to prosciutto and coppa in flavor, but it is much more tender and it cures in a very short time frame. Some people asked me why not use cure #2, as it would insure you have a safe product. However, if you read the recipe with attention, you’ll see that the salted meat was wrapped in Saran wrap in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Plenty of time to properly cure a cut of pork loin that’s less than 2″ thick. I kept track of the weight as the curing process progressed. Normally, at 30% weight loss an adequate amount of moisture has left the meat to prevent “bad” bacteria from thriving. This loin lost 50% of its original weight, has no rind, and the flavor and color are consistent thru the cured meat. This Lonza is easier to make than bacon and is a great addition to any antipasto tray. The recipe was taken from The Craft of Italian Dry Curing Salami by M. Rulman and B. Polcyn and looks pretty darn tasty cure 2 or no cure 2.

Ingredients

One pork loin (if possible, choose the loin section further back on a hog)

For the Rub

1 cup of non-iodized salt

1 tbsp of freshly ground black pepper.

Peppercorns to taste

Saran Wrap

Directions

1. Trim any loose muscle, the silverskin, and most of the fat off of the loin. Make a rub with 1 cup of non-iodized salt and a tbsp of freshly ground black pepper.  Throw in some peppercorns if you like.
2. Rub one-half of the cure into the meat and wrap with Saran wrap, removing all the air.
3. Store for one week in a refrigerator. Turn the loin every couple of days. The liquid will be forced from the loin as it cures.
4. Remove the loin, rinse in cold water, and rub in the other one-half of the cure.  Store in the refrigerator for another week.
5. After curing for a couple of weeks, it is ready to hang.
6. The meat loses moisture, loses weight, as it cures.  After 2 weeks of curing in the fridge. remove the Lonza and rinse in cold water.
7. Wipe the loin down with red wine and then coat it with black pepper.  Wrap it in the paper, weigh it and hang it in a cool place.
8. Weigh the Lonza. It is ready when it has lost at least 33% of its original weight. I took mine down when it had lost 50%.
9. Nice white mold growth will start forming.
10. Slice the Lonza about 0.025″ thick.