Cured Meat Week: Week 48 of BigBarn Food & Drink Weeks
We have been curing meat to preserve it since the Stone Age either, drying, salting, smoking or even pickling. Bacon and ham are probably our most popular but like any modern food most curing processes have been mechanised and chemicals added.
Most of these processes result in the meat being preserved very quickly using large amounts of salty water injected into the meat. Have you ever noticed the white liquid that comes out your bacon when you fry it? And get annoyed because you have paid for 200g of bacon but only got 100g of cooked rashers!
Luckily real cured meats have had a revival here in the UK in the past few years. Normally something you eat on holiday has become readily available and in some cases better than the european producers.
Across the UK, farmers and butchers are using traditional curing methods on their bacon and sausages as well as moving towards specialist pate, hams, salami, and chorizo. It seems that whatever they can do, we can do better, or at least, just as well!
Cured meats
It has become so popular that you can even make your own cured meats at home. Just ask your local butcher for advice. Or find a course in our MarketPlace.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to try some of the delicious cured meats being produced in the UK, then you really should. We’ve got lots for you to choose from at MarketPlace.
Or search to see if there’s a specialist butcher or producer near you on our local food map.
If you have a favourite recipe using salami, chorizo or air-dried ham, then why not share it for a chance to win a prize? Please video your recipe and add it to KIS (Keep it Simple) Cookery. Please have a look at existing videos here and try and keep your video less than 2 minutes long.