The Reveal!... Berkshire Culatello 2021

[crazymoon]

IDS, WOW and another WOW, your long wait looks like it was well worth it. Nice job !!!!!!

 

[philpom]

I must say, that looks absolutely amazing, that's just a bit of talent and patience right there! Well done, fantastic, lovely, etc, etc.

 

[Newglide]

WOW, That is some process and it looks like it was worth the wait.

 

[indaswamp]

IDS, WOW and another WOW, your long wait looks like it was well worth it. Nice job !!!!!!

Thanks Crazy!

I must say, that looks absolutely amazing, that's just a bit of talent and patience right there! Well done, fantastic, lovely, etc, etc.

Thanks phil!

WOW, That is some process and it looks like it was worth the wait.

Thank you newglide!

 

[indaswamp]

Wowser! I don't have the patience...can I have some of yours - lol?

"Wax on, wax off"- Mr. Miyagi

 

[tx smoker]

Holy crap Keith!! That looks and sounds absolutely incredible. I sure do have infinite respect for the knowledge and patience you have while creating these amazing meats. Very well done and congrats on a hugely successful project.

Robert

 

[indaswamp]

Holy crap Keith!! That looks and sounds absolutely incredible. I sure do have infinite respect for the knowledge and patience you have while creating these amazing meats. Very well done and congrats on a hugely successful project.

Robert

Thank you Robert. I learned from the best. I did not expect it to turn out this good though....blew me away.

 

[slavikborisov]

Absolute Perfection! Without a doubt this is the Pinnacle of my adventure into making Salumi! 2 years of waiting......My mind is totally Blown Away!
View attachment 680268

It is so complex, it is very difficult for me to describe both the aroma and the flavor...it is musky, intense, concentrated, complex, yet sweet....and addictive!!! Now I get it.....I know why Culatello is considered to be the King of Italian Salumi.

The aroma.....best I can describe it...porcini mushrooms, truffle, morning dew covered grass, licorice, rose pedal, cashew, hazelnut, butter, honey.....Magnolia flower, toasted black pepper......that is all I got for now. The flavor just goes on and on and on and on the more you chew. The fat is rich and melts like butter with off the charts umami and buttery notes. Very distinctive scent I simply cannot describe fully! The vast array of intense flavors just keep evolving on the palate as you progress through the bite chewing the Culatello like bubble gum to savor every flavor note. Worth the wait and almost OCD attention to detail to produce it.

So here is the start going back to the beginning two years ago...
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...hire-culatello-2021-second-winter-fog.311256/

fast forward....this was 3 days ago when I pulled it out of my chamber (Norcini Nirvana) compared to Culatello 2023 that I just started a week prior. It has lost 47% weight over the last 2 years...
View attachment 680260
View attachment 680258


Checked it with my salumi mallet and one last time with my horse bone needle....
View attachment 680259
View attachment 680261

It is good. And I want to cut it right now, but I have to wait. After removing the cording net, I soaked it in a 2 gallon bucket with a gallon of water and half a bottle of cheap white wine I had on hand for about 10 minutes to soften up the casing enough to remove it...

Here it is after the bladder being removed. Does not look too appetizing, but don't let that fool you....the aroma is intense at this point!
View attachment 680263

Now is time for the rehydration with dry white wine soaked towel for 2-3 days...
View attachment 680262
View attachment 680264

As the hours passed, and the Culatello began to rehydrate the dry outer layer of meat, the aroma started intensifying through the house. As mentioned....very difficult to describe. No proscuitto I have ever eaten comes close to this. This stuff is in a league all it's own.

Finally, this morning the moment of truth had arrived. The meat had softened enough. It is ready to slice...
View attachment 680265

and my jaw dropped...
View attachment 680266
View attachment 680267
View attachment 680268
View attachment 680269
You can see the little white dots of tyrosine crystals...same little crystals that are on parmesan cheese...little flavor nuggets!

I simply stared for a few minutes. I smelled it for some time. Took some pictures then remembered that I needed to get the slicer set up. Was able to slice this Culatello 0.5mm thick....parchment paper thin...
View attachment 680270
View attachment 680271

Nirvana. No other word to describe it. The experience was sublime. Then I tasted it...and as a super taster, I was moved very deeply. I have never had a flavor experience like this.....it is something special I will remember for a long time. So glad I have Culatello 2022 and 2023 to look forward to!!!

Wow !! Someday I hope to try something like this

 

[millerbuilds]

Absolute Perfection! Without a doubt this is the Pinnacle of my adventure into making Salumi! 2 years of waiting......My mind is totally Blown Away!
View attachment 680268

It is so complex, it is very difficult for me to describe both the aroma and the flavor...it is musky, intense, concentrated, complex, yet sweet....and addictive!!! Now I get it.....I know why Culatello is considered to be the King of Italian Salumi.

The aroma.....best I can describe it...porcini mushrooms, truffle, morning dew covered grass, licorice, rose pedal, cashew, hazelnut, butter, honey.....Magnolia flower, toasted black pepper......that is all I got for now. The flavor just goes on and on and on and on the more you chew. The fat is rich and melts like butter with off the charts umami and buttery notes. Very distinctive scent I simply cannot describe fully! The vast array of intense flavors just keep evolving on the palate as you progress through the bite chewing the Culatello like bubble gum to savor every flavor note. Worth the wait and almost OCD attention to detail to produce it.

So here is the start going back to the beginning two years ago...
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...hire-culatello-2021-second-winter-fog.311256/

fast forward....this was 3 days ago when I pulled it out of my chamber (Norcini Nirvana) compared to Culatello 2023 that I just started a week prior. It has lost 47% weight over the last 2 years...
View attachment 680260
View attachment 680258


Checked it with my salumi mallet and one last time with my horse bone needle....
View attachment 680259
View attachment 680261

It is good. And I want to cut it right now, but I have to wait. After removing the cording net, I soaked it in a 2 gallon bucket with a gallon of water and half a bottle of cheap white wine I had on hand for about 10 minutes to soften up the casing enough to remove it...

Here it is after the bladder being removed. Does not look too appetizing, but don't let that fool you....the aroma is intense at this point!
View attachment 680263

Now is time for the rehydration with dry white wine soaked towel for 2-3 days...
View attachment 680262
View attachment 680264

As the hours passed, and the Culatello began to rehydrate the dry outer layer of meat, the aroma started intensifying through the house. As mentioned....very difficult to describe. No proscuitto I have ever eaten comes close to this. This stuff is in a league all it's own.

Finally, this morning the moment of truth had arrived. The meat had softened enough. It is ready to slice...
View attachment 680265

and my jaw dropped...
View attachment 680266
View attachment 680267
View attachment 680268
View attachment 680269
You can see the little white dots of tyrosine crystals...same little crystals that are on parmesan cheese...little flavor nuggets!

I simply stared for a few minutes. I smelled it for some time. Took some pictures then remembered that I needed to get the slicer set up. Was able to slice this Culatello 0.5mm thick....parchment paper thin...
View attachment 680270
View attachment 680271

Nirvana. No other word to describe it. The experience was sublime. Then I tasted it...and as a super taster, I was moved very deeply. I have never had a flavor experience like this.....it is something special I will remember for a long time. So glad I have Culatello 2022 and 2023 to look forward to!!!

Wow!
AWESOME stuff!

 

[indaswamp]

Wow !! Someday I hope to try something like this

Thanks slav! For flavor explosion, a drying chamber is a must. But you can successfully dry one in a regular refrigerator, but the flavor will be severely lacking compared to one following the traditional drying schedule.

Wow!
AWESOME stuff!

Thanks miller!

 

[JC in GB]

Absolute Perfection! Without a doubt this is the Pinnacle of my adventure into making Salumi! 2 years of waiting......My mind is totally Blown Away!
View attachment 680268

It is so complex, it is very difficult for me to describe both the aroma and the flavor...it is musky, intense, concentrated, complex, yet sweet....and addictive!!! Now I get it.....I know why Culatello is considered to be the King of Italian Salumi.

The aroma.....best I can describe it...porcini mushrooms, truffle, morning dew covered grass, licorice, rose pedal, cashew, hazelnut, butter, honey.....Magnolia flower, toasted black pepper......that is all I got for now. The flavor just goes on and on and on and on the more you chew. The fat is rich and melts like butter with off the charts umami and buttery notes. Very distinctive scent I simply cannot describe fully! The vast array of intense flavors just keep evolving on the palate as you progress through the bite chewing the Culatello like bubble gum to savor every flavor note. Worth the wait and almost OCD attention to detail to produce it.

So here is the start going back to the beginning two years ago...
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...hire-culatello-2021-second-winter-fog.311256/

fast forward....this was 3 days ago when I pulled it out of my chamber (Norcini Nirvana) compared to Culatello 2023 that I just started a week prior. It has lost 47% weight over the last 2 years...
View attachment 680260
View attachment 680258


Checked it with my salumi mallet and one last time with my horse bone needle....
View attachment 680259
View attachment 680261

It is good. And I want to cut it right now, but I have to wait. After removing the cording net, I soaked it in a 2 gallon bucket with a gallon of water and half a bottle of cheap white wine I had on hand for about 10 minutes to soften up the casing enough to remove it...

Here it is after the bladder being removed. Does not look too appetizing, but don't let that fool you....the aroma is intense at this point!
View attachment 680263

Now is time for the rehydration with dry white wine soaked towel for 2-3 days...
View attachment 680262
View attachment 680264

As the hours passed, and the Culatello began to rehydrate the dry outer layer of meat, the aroma started intensifying through the house. As mentioned....very difficult to describe. No proscuitto I have ever eaten comes close to this. This stuff is in a league all it's own.

Finally, this morning the moment of truth had arrived. The meat had softened enough. It is ready to slice...
View attachment 680265

and my jaw dropped...
View attachment 680266
View attachment 680267
View attachment 680268
View attachment 680269
You can see the little white dots of tyrosine crystals...same little crystals that are on parmesan cheese...little flavor nuggets!

I simply stared for a few minutes. I smelled it for some time. Took some pictures then remembered that I needed to get the slicer set up. Was able to slice this Culatello 0.5mm thick....parchment paper thin...
View attachment 680270
View attachment 680271

Nirvana. No other word to describe it. The experience was sublime. Then I tasted it...and as a super taster, I was moved very deeply. I have never had a flavor experience like this.....it is something special I will remember for a long time. So glad I have Culatello 2022 and 2023 to look forward to!!!

Amazing work. I am so very pleased that my help with your cooling system has helped, in some way, to produce such a beautiful result. You are a true master of your craft.

Haven't been around much lately as life has been beating the crap out of me. Hope to get through the storm and get back to some semblance of normal if that is possible.

Wishing you all well on the forum.

JC

 

[indaswamp]

Looking around on the internet, I found a great pic. of Culatello cut in half...

http://www.salumificioducale.it/wp2/?page_id=1237&lang=en

I zoomed in on it and I am happy that my Culatello 2021 looks almost identical. The shades of dark red follow the same pattern along with the slight yellow edges on the fat. I am very happy....

 

[indaswamp]

For those curious souls with the means, the real deal Culatello di Zibello can now be purchased in the U.S. after regulations barring Italian dry cured meats were lifted in 2017. This is one of the ONLY Culatello di Zibello I have found in stock (demand is several times more than production); and it is made by Negroni.

https://www.amazon.com/Culatello-Zibello-Italian-Cured-Protected/dp/B081ZF8K47

It is aged the minimum 10 months and goes through the first winter phase and 1 summer fermentation. Not as complex had it undergone the second winter phase where the flavor and aroma created by the mold intensifies exponentially. The price is on the low end. Longer aged Culatello made by other producers are easily 3-4 times that price......