Erich vG

All- i have a rare opportunity. we have 12 fresh frozen iberico de bellota loins in stock at la tienda. We have them available for sale if anyone is interested and they are probably the only ones in the country (legally ). I came here to approach the network of people that would really love to make their own iberico de bellota lomo. it's a rare opportunity that may not happen again in the near future. you can email me at lisav[at]latienda[dot]com. best, lisa von gehren

The jamon de bellota paleta is available now because it is a smaller ham which takes less curing time. The "mack daddy" jamon bellota will not be available until the summer. Tienda.com has 4 oz. packages of bellota paleta for $34 mailorder. I happen to know quite a bit about these jamones so feel free to ask any questions.... Lvg

tienda.com has morcilla. I think it's on sale right now.

Sorry for the late timing on this post, but I just saw the original. We always called it "silq" around Beirut. Erich

I have used Vulcan ranges for the better part of my professional life, and have to say that they are sturdy, well built and generally hold up very well for the long run. Although the pan supports over the burners are great for larger pans, but I have found them to be too "coarse" for smaller pots as compared with some other brands. Also, the cast iron "spiders" that hold the pans over the burners are rather fragile, and you are bound to break one over the course of time. That said, I find them to be good, reliable pieces of equipment, and have spec'ed them for new restaurant build-outs for many years. As for the fryer, I have no experience with electric high pressure fryers, but I have come to realize over the years that the best fryer is the simplest. Give me one with a gas valve and mechanical thermostat and I'll be happy. All of this now having been said, I must point out a critical truth for all equipment purchases. When a particular piece of equipment goes down, it can put you out of business if it can't be repaired promptly. Given that Vulcan is located on the east coast of the US, make sure that there is someone local in Saskatchewan who not only repairs equipment, but also is familiar with the brand, and most importantly, has quick access to replacement parts. One of the reasons that I have always spec'ed Vulcan products was that I could get replacement parts for almost anything the same day, or the next at latest. Best of luck, and don't hesitate to ask for more info, Erich

Hey Y'all- I've been very successful at making tesa (flat pancetta) and various fermented, moulded salamis for our restaurant, but have a couple of questions regarding whole-muscle cuts, (think culatello, lomo, speck, etc.) 1. For the coppa and lomo I have curing/hanging presently, I have used a 5% salt to raw weight ratio. If the initial cure is done in plastic bags, will this be about right? I know that prosciutti require 6%, but I figured that since they are allowed to "drip" and contain the bone, then 5% should be about right for boneless, "wet-cured" cuts. 2. The FDA requires 200 ppm nitrite in dry cured meat products. Cure #1 is 6.25% nitrite by weight, so the calculation for nitrite addition is easy, but the #2 cure I am using, (from Butcher & Packer), is 5.67% nitrite and 3.63% nitrate. Should I calculate for a nitrite value to equal 200 ppm, or should I just assume that over the hanging time the nitrate will be degraded into the appropriate level of nitrite? 3. Culatello is called the "heart of the prosciutto". Am I to assume that this is a single-muscle cut containing only the pork top round, or is it "harvested" including other muscles? 4. Which muscles/muscle groups are used to produce real Südtirol-style Speck? 5. Where the hell does one find hog bladders!!?? Thanks in advance for your input, you'll see a lot more of me around here.... Erich