Lonzino is a dry cured pork loin and similar in taste to proposition.

These trimmed loins I have been buying foir a while are 750 gm and have been ideal for a pork roast for us however now that I have salami in the curing chamber thought I would make a lonzino.

Ingredients
750 g pork loin
2.5% kosher salt - 18.75 g
2.5% Sugar - 18.75 g
.25% #2 cure
3.5 g black pepper
1.5 g garlic powder
1.5 g ground cloves
3.5 g onion powder
2.6 g thyme

Process
I measured out all of the rub and mixed to make sure it was well integrated.  Then rubbed the meat all over and place in a clip lock bag.  Making sure any loose spices went in the bag.

It is in the fridge and will be turned and massaged every day for 12 days.

After that I will wrap it in a collagen sheet and then put in a net bag and hang it in the drying chamber.  More photos to come at that stage.

Because it needs to dry right out the hanging time could be anywhere up to six months but will be ready for a taste ready when it has lost 43% of it’s weight.

Next stage for my Lonzino. 

Day 10 and I removed from the bag and with paper towel mopped up all the moisture leaving as much of the herb/spices behind as I could. 

Then wrapped it in a collagen sheet and then with great difficulty into a butchers net bag. 

Using a fine needle I went all over it making pin pricks to allow moisture out.

It’s now in the drying fridge for however it takes to lose 43% of its weight.

Going to sit there for months now.

12 days in and we have lost 15% of weight.  Looks, feels and smells great.  Starting to get the good white penicillin mold on it.

From what I have read and been told it is highly recommended as a best practice, particularly for home producers as it actively suppresses the growth of unwanted, potentially toxic, or harmful molds (such as black or green mold) that can appear during the drying process.

It can also help to prevent "case hardening" (where the outside dries too fast and traps moisture inside) by regulating surface evaporation.

It can also give a traditional white-molded salami taste that is often described as mushroomy or earthy.

From here in I shall be using it.