Whilst homeschooling the kids today, I got a little bored as they were all doing self-directed activities. Thinking about permaculture related topics reminded me of the pork I cured last year. My plan was to wait a year, taste it and then decide upon my status of idiotic for having experimented with a whole hog. Figuring that 11ish months is close enough for government work (and since we all work for the government via taxes, anything we do qualifies as government work), I pulled it down from where it has hung since last January.
Apprehensively, I unwrapped the brown paper that had been its home and noticed that it had become virtually saturated from the oils that had evidently seeped out during its aging. The most notable quality to the eye is that the parts not covered in skin were wrapped up in mold. Here is what that looked like:
Slicing a sliver off revealed this:
Next, paper thin slices were removed and tasted.
Success!
It wasn't Jamon Iberico de Belotta by any stretch but definitely edible. Taking things a step further, a larger, thicker portion was removed and fried in bacon grease.
Success!
Excitedly, I rushed over to Youngblood's carrying the remnants of the fried slice as well as the rest of the shoulder. He was just pulling up on his tractor. While helping him hook up to the cattle trailer, I offered him a bite.
His reaction was, "Now that's ham!"
Which technically it wasn't. Point being though, he approved.
He inspected the shoulder, liked what he saw and told me to take it inside so he could get a slice with which to cook a pot of dried white Lima beans.
While inside, I gave Momma a sliver. Her opinion was, "Ooh, that's good. Too salty though. You should have soaked it before you fried it."
Getting the parental stamp of approval means much.
"Solve world hunger, tell no one." "The, the, the . . . The Grinch!"
"If you can't beat them, bite them."