Lamb bacon? (Ko) sure!

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Lamb bacon.

1 lamb belly, about 4 lbs
2 cups salt
1 cup sugar
I added: 1/4 cup chopped rosemary
1/4 tsp curing salt
6-8 cloves garlic, smooshed
1 Tbsp cracked peppercorns

Mix the curing ingredients in a shallow pan and coat the lamb on all sides. Shake off the excess and wrap in plastic wrap to ensure that the cure remains in constant contact with the meat. Refrigerate for 2-4 days, until the meat is firm to the touch. Cold-smoke for 2-3 hours, cool and slice.

What worked: Yup, cooks up like bacon. It'll work well in a risotto or a cassoulet. I might try making an MLT.

What didn't: I had to take out some belly bones. The meat was much thinner than a pork belly and it absorbed waaaay too much salt - when I cooked up a sample salt was the major flavor hit. Oh well, I can still use this as an ingredient rather than a main.

Will I make it again? Not in a hurry to do so, but I might try it again next year when I've gone through this batch.

Comments

[syele.livejournal.com]

Dear lord...two of my favorite things combined into one? Lamb...AND bacon?

you sir are a god amongst men.

[gormflaith.livejournal.com]

Would using less salt in the cure make it less salty, or would it just not cure?
Do you think a bigger/older animal would work better (be less salty), or would that be too gamey to bother with?

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

I think it would cure with less salt. You want the younger animal though so that it stays baconish tender.

[gormflaith.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, tender bacon good :-)