# More duck prosciutto



## atomicsmoke (Nov 7, 2016)

Seems that it's an "industry standard" now...called prosciutto despite being made from the breast.

Had some ducks for confit a few weeks ago. Time to deal with the breasts.

No excuse for the bad butchering job.

Unlike my previous batches (where I used the salt box method) this will be an equilibrium cure. I have a different method in mind for drying.













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__ atomicsmoke
__ Nov 7, 2016






See you in 10 days.

P.s. I will smoke them


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## pc farmer (Nov 7, 2016)

Info.    We need info.


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## atomicsmoke (Nov 7, 2016)

Info on what? Dry Cure? Is the typical 0.25% cure and 2.5% salt


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## atomicsmoke (Nov 16, 2016)

Love duck prosciutto but never liked the asymmetric appearance of the slice. So this time I tied them up in pairs pancetta style .













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__ atomicsmoke
__ Nov 16, 2016






Will dry them out until tomorrow, then blow some smoke on them.


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## daveomak (Nov 16, 2016)

Great idea doing a double to even things up...  Should help the aging also....


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## atomicsmoke (Nov 18, 2016)

That's what I had in mind too.

These are store ducks. Can't wait to get farm ducks again - 1 lb breasts (halves).


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## BGKYSmoker (Nov 18, 2016)

Ohhhhh yeah

Going to be good.

Waiting


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## atomicsmoke (Nov 19, 2016)

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__ atomicsmoke
__ Nov 19, 2016






Nice tan... after about 30h of smoke.


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## daveomak (Nov 20, 2016)

Nice job on the smoke....   Looks better than perfect to me....  I'm guessing folks will be wondering how 30 hrs. of smoke can look like that... 

Me thinks Atomic has cold smoking down perfect....   Very nice....


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## atomicsmoke (Nov 20, 2016)

I just rendered nice lard from some leaf fat I had.












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__ atomicsmoke
__ Nov 20, 2016






Will use a little to cover the exposed meat to slow down drying.












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__ atomicsmoke
__ Nov 20, 2016


















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__ atomicsmoke
__ Nov 20, 2016


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## daveomak (Nov 20, 2016)

Hey Atomic....   Can you tell me the difference between Leaf Fat rendered and Lard purchased in the grocery store...  I could read it on the web, BUT, first hand experience is ALWAYS better....  

Dave


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## pc farmer (Nov 20, 2016)

Great post.     The color looks perfect.


Lard?    Yes, love lard for cooking.  

Now I need to research leaf fat.


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## atomicsmoke (Nov 20, 2016)

Any lard will do here. Will wipe it off anyway...just needed something that doesn't go rancid.

Leaf fat is valuable as is best for pastries. Yields a bright white almost odourless lard. Creamier than lard rendered from backfat. Irrelevant in this case , but that's what I got. Backfat went for other projects. 

When my wife saw the lard she got some ideas too for some Christmas baking. Hope there will be some left because I plan to use it for some confit.

This lard vs store bought? I guess the same difference as the one between store pork and the heritage breed pork.


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## daveomak (Nov 21, 2016)

Thanks Atomic....   Dave


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 10, 2017)

After over two months...At 25% weight loss. That's the skin/fat for you (slow drying).

No rim like you would get with single breasts. Soft, melts in your mouth. Best duck prosicutto I have made.












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__ atomicsmoke
__ Jan 10, 2017


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## myownidaho (Jan 10, 2017)

That...looks...awesome! A fermentation chamber is on my list but life keeps pushing it down on the list. You give me incentive.


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## daveomak (Jan 11, 2017)

atomicsmoke said:


> After over two months...At 25% weight loss. That's the skin/fat for you (slow drying).
> 
> No rim like you would get with single breasts. Soft, melts in your mouth. Best duck prosicutto I have made.
> 
> ...


You are a mean and rotten person dangling that GORGEOUS Duck Proscuitto  in front of us and living sooooooooo  far away....   I surely do like the way "doubling up" the breasts had an effect on the finished product...  Genius, pure genius...       pts atomic....


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 11, 2017)

MyownIdaho,

One of the reasons I dried the breasts in pair was the fact that I don't use a curing chamber.


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## redheelerdog (Jan 11, 2017)

Looks delicious Atomic, thanks for sharing.

Very nice.


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 11, 2017)

Another view of the smoked/dried breast, twine removed, lard wiped off












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__ atomicsmoke
__ Jan 11, 2017


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 11, 2017)

And one sliced with flash












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__ atomicsmoke
__ Jan 11, 2017


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 11, 2017)

My take on weight loss target: 30% is a guideline. Go with what you like. Some fatty cuts will lose less, some ground meat products taste better at 35%+ loss. 

For this breast 30% would have made it a little chewy.

One good method in my opinion is to plot the weight loss. When you see the graph changing the slope drastically you can pull it.


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## pc farmer (Jan 11, 2017)

Man that looks great.

Nice work.


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## smokin jay (Jan 11, 2017)

Wow! Looks fantastic! Great job!


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## BGKYSmoker (Jan 11, 2017)

Wow

Very nice.

Good job.


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## gnatboy911 (Jan 11, 2017)

Sorry if this is a silly question, but where do you hang these for the 2 months drying time?  fridge?

thanks.


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 11, 2017)

Not a silly question at all. I dry meats in the cold room (cellar). Has low humidity and temps in the winter: not ideal for long term drying but I get decent results.


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## gnatboy911 (Jan 11, 2017)

Thanks AtomicSmoke, I wish I had a cellar.  I have an unheated garage that could work during the winter, however I know it gets below freezing in there on occasion.


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## disco (Jan 12, 2017)

Truly a classic work of art!

Disco


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## indaswamp (May 4, 2017)

Beautiful! According to Hank Shaw over @ Honest-Food.net, Goose pastrami is traditional:


> Although here’s an interesting tidbit from Wikipedia: “Among Jewish Romanians, goose breasts were commonly made into pastrami because they were inexpensive.”
> So there ya go. This is traditional!


I would imagine both ducks and geese were used to make prosciutto as well....

Points for such a nice looking product!


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