My daughter is an absolute fanatic for all sorts of cold meats (fiambres) and that fact has inspired me to look for a recipe that fits into the Simple Foodies philosophy of making wow things in a simple way. And I must confess that I was surprised to learn just how simple it is to make these stunning cold meats. Time consuming to be fair. But simple also ...
I've decided to make a cured pork on my first attempt. The meat cut is called pork loin (carre de cerdo) and it's a thick piece of meat devoid of too much fat and no bone.
In a Tupperware container, place a 2cm layer of course salt. Place the meat on top of this salt and then proceed to cover the meat with course salt, until you cannot actually see the meat any longer. Place the lid on the plastic container and leave in the fridge for anywhere between 12 to 18 hours (the longer you leave it the saltier the final product will be).
Once removed from the salt, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. In a mortar and pestle, crush three cloves of garlic, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oregano and two tablespoons of sweet paprika (spicier herbs will flavour your meat differently). Now add olive oil until you have a smooth paste.
Place the meat on a big piece of plastic film and, using your hand, cover the meat with all the paste. The next part isn't necessary but it can be included just to make the finished product look good: use butcher's twine or normal kitchen string, and tie the meat up in concentric circles. Once you've achieved this, wrap the meat up in the plastic wrap as tightly as you can. Add a second and a third layer of plastic if you like. Place this meat in the fridge for anywhere between 48 and 72 hours.
Remove from the fridge, remove the plastic and then hang the meat in a cold, dry place. For hygienic reasons, I hang the meat inside a muslin bag (to keep the bugs away). The meat should hang out until it reaches the texture you desire (to be determined by squeezing the meat with your hand - softer is moist and firmer is dryer - everyone will have their own preference).
Then simply cut the strings away and slice your bondiola as thinly as you can and enjoy.
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