Bulletin – Dec. 20, 2007
Hi Folks, I’ve been doing some reading on home dry salting and curing and yes, end result can be a bit salty.
What you can do is soak the tenderloins in warm water(80F) for a couple of hours and some salt will draw out.
The meat looks a little grey on the outside but the deep red colour remains in the middle, it’s softer and a delight to eat.
Finally, towel dry the pork and once dried, re-wrap with the original tea towels and refrigerate for future nibbling.
HOLY $#!@…..IT WORKED!
Excuse my exuberance but I was “iffy” on if this cured pork tenderloin recipe would turn out well and it did!
I will try anything (almost) anything once, be it ceviche, carpaccio, prosciutto, braesola, tartares, sushi….bring it on!
Now I can add Jacques Pepin’s Saucisson of Pork Tenderloin to the roster of adventurous eats. I followed his instructions verbatim and this was uncharted territory for me but I will relate my experiences from preparation to the final, delectable tasting of this wonderful pork.
Before I proceed, let me emphasize that if you’re the type that’s sheepish about cured meats or any other food that hasn’t been cooked using heat, then move on…this post isn’t for you. If, on the other hand you’re like me, daring and willing to try something new to add a new taste experience, then stick around!
If you’re the type of person that loves sausage (like me) but you’re also watching your weight, this could be the answer for you. The Saucisson is a salty cured meat…like a prosciutto but it’s also lean as it’s a cured pork tenderloin. Just as Jacques Pepin recommends, have it with some buttered bread and a bottle of red wine and damn was this tasty!
(For the record, I will be buying some more pork tenderloin this weekend for curing)
You can save & follow Jacques method as I did but here’s how I exactly made it (with some explanations he doesn’t provide).
Saucisson of Pork Tenderloin
- 2 pork tenderloins, each about 1 lb., with the silver skin removed and cut off about 2-3 inches off the ends (cook the ends as Jacques recommends as the ends are thinner, become saltier and hard and barely edible)
- 1 cup kosher salt (or 1/2 cup Morton Tender Quick Curing Salt)
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp of Cognac
- 2 Tbsp of fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 Tbsp of herbs de provence
- Put the salt and brown sugar rinto into a plastic zip-lock bag large enough to hold the 2 tenderloins and mix well.
- Add the tenderloins into the bag, force out any air, seal the bag and gently mus the bag around to coat the meat with the salt/sugar mixture. Refrigerate overnight (or 12 hours).
- After 12 hours or so, remove the tenderloins from the bag (discard the bag and contents) and wipe them dry with paper towels.
- Rub the meat with Cognac then roll them in cracked black pepper and sprinkle the herbs de provence all over the tenderloins.
- Wrap each piece of meat in a cotton cloth and use butcher’s twine to to wrap and secure the cloth tightly.
- Hang the tenderloins in a cool cellar or do what I did…hang it in my fridge. I cleared enough space between the salad crisper and the the shelf above it. I then tied a long piece of butcher’s twine around the shelf. I then attached twine to each tenderloin, looped it through the twine that was wrapped around the shelf and tied the 2 twines. Now my tenderloins were hanging, air curing in my fridge.
- The tenderloins will dry out in 5 -6 weeks, even less if the tenderloins are smaller than a pound each (use less salt as well if they are less than the 1 lb.). Slice thin, enjoy with buttered good bread and polish off a bottle of red!
Oh my gosh! This looks incredible! You should be so proud of yourself. I have always wanted to try something like this. Have you ever tried curing bacon? I can’t find pork belly here, so I gave up, but this looks so doable!
Pam, give it a go…I’ve yet to go wrong with Jacques Pepin’s recipes. Just be patient and wait for the 5-6 weeks, then slice’em thinly and think bread, wine, saucisson, more wine!
im so intrigued!
impressed also comes to mind! I love Pepin…
Very daring, I must say. I am a chicken to try this. bakkabakkabakka
You are brave :)
Congratulations! It looks wonderful! Considering all of the Prosciutto, Serrana, Bayonne, etc. ham I eat I have no problem with this. I wonder if our cave would be cool enough – further study required – but thanks for the primer!
I am soooo impressed, Peter! I’ve always been a bit loathe to cure my own meats but you make it look so very easy. I’m going to get the pork tenderloins this weekend and get started. Thanks for this great primer!
Curing your own meat sounds interesting. The recipe sounds like it would make for some tasty meat.
Very impressed Peter. This is going one step further into your food journey. How long do you think the tenderloin would keep once it is cured? I could have it every morning instead of peameal bacon.
Val, that’s a good question. I still have them in the fridge and I’ve kept the tenderloins wrapped in the tea cloth.
I suspect it should stay good for the winter. If you like, make small batches as they aren’t much trouble to prepare.
Wow! I’m impressed! This is definitely one for the New Year.
I’m definitely going to try this thanks to Peter & Christine.
Anne
I’m definitely going to try this thanks to Peter and Christine
That is looking good.
This looks really good and I really would like to try it.
This is so cool Peter! I tell you that Jacques rocks! I am reading his book “The Apprentice” right now. Which book of his did you get this recipe???
I must try this!
Deb, it’s from his latest hardcover, “Chez Jacques”.
Hi Peter! It’s hard to catch your rithym!!!
Your Charcuturie methods really impress me. I’m glad it turned out so good!!!!
Wonderful! I have a pork tenderloin that’s crying out for me to do this transformation! Thank you!
Hey there Peter. Thanks for posting your update in my comments. I’m starting the process again and this time will wash the tenderloins after salting. Such a good tip!
well done!
Did you use tender quick curing salt or kosher salt?
Kosher salt was used.
Very interesting!
Have a look here:
http://karvouna.wordpress.com/mykonos/
not at the begining but at the end of the page.
Louza is a similar delicacy from Mykonos. They do it also in Tinos and Syros.
Wow!!!!!
I was looking around for a Basterma recipe on your site and found this instead; I was going to buy cheesecloth but your idea of using towels is so clever and handy! Also, I was planning to wait a few days after the salt thing to dry the meat first, then apply the spices but I see that you have applied the spices right away; maybe that’s a better option! Would love to hear any comment you may have on that topic!
I just used the last of my first try with this. Delicious in every bite! I have two new tenderloins waiting to be cured.
One difference I do is to use an equilibrium cure in the initial stage. There are a number of articles covering the technique listed in Google. It prevents an overly salty bit of charcuterie and is less time sensitve if you leave it in the bag for a bit longer.