Here's a quick and easy first charcuterie project to really impress your friends. Duck prosciutto is deep red with a mouth-watering layer of rich fat. With the UMAi Dry Small Charcuterie bag, Duck Prosciutto cures and dries to target weight in only 2-3 weeks. Also, it requires no special curing salt. Check out the recipe. You can also make guanciale and "cold smoked" cured salmon with this size UMAi Dry Charcuterie bag.
Make sure you have a digital scale on hand to weight the proportions of ingredients to match the meat weight -- or pick up a reliable one here: The Escali Primo Digital Scale.
Dry Cure Ingredients (recipe per 100g of duck meat)
- Duck breast, 100-400g (recipe per 100g of duck meat)
- Kosher salt, 3g per 100g meat
- Brown sugar, 6g per 100g meat
- Juniper berries, crushed, 1 per 100g meat
- Bay leaf, ground, 1 per 100g meat
- Black pepper, ground, 2g (1/4 tsp)
- Smoked paprika, 1g (1/8 tsp)
Instructions
- Lightly score fat side of duck breast into diamond pattern for assist permeation of cure.
- Mix salt, sugar, herbs and spices together in a bowl. Once combined, rub onto meat, making sure to cover all nooks and crannies.
- Transfer meat into a resealable or vacuum bag, remove air, and place in your refrigerator to cure for one week.
- After curing, remove meat from bag and rinse off cure under running water.
- Transfer the meat to UMAi Dry, sealing as directed. Record start weight, calculate and record the target weight 25-30%.
- Place on an open wire rack to dry in your refrigerator 2-3 weeks. Weigh periodically to track progress toward target weight.
- Drying time varies based on the humidity in your fridge, After target weight is reached, slice thin and enjoy!