Smoking some Wildboar

What can be more tasty then some smoked wild boar meat !

Hanging a few Breasolas in my new curing room

Love the beautiful Breasolas and my refreshed curing room

Pancetta roll

Making a Pancetta roll seems to be very popular . I don´t use to roll my Pancetta but why not making a try for it.
The nice 3 kg pork belly have been inbedded with Nitrite salt and spieces for a week.
I used about  8% salt compared to the pork weight. Then a mix of herbs and peppers and a lot of garlic . The meat was turned a few times during this week.
After this week u get a much firmer piece of meat and a lot of juices from the meat.
Now u clean the meat in fresh cold water removing all salt and herbs on the outside. When the meat is dry enough it´s time for the rolling process, Very interesting process for the handy man....
I read u should start rolling it from the thicker side. Makes the roll easier.
Then u need some food cotton thread to start binding the meat and make sure the roll is compact all the way. I started from one side to the other.  Some experts can do this very nice and easy but I made it somehow. An extra hand can always be helpful for sure.

When the roll looks ready I sprinkled it with peppers herbs and garlic powder.
Then time to hang it in the curing room . My room right now 20 degrees Celcius and humidty 50%.

In a few weeks from now it should be ready to try. In a month from now I will have a first check.
Will get back with result and pictures when ready.

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Now beginning of March after hanging for about 2 month the Pancetta is ready to be enjoyed.
Tasted fantastic! Probably the best so far. The wonderful taste and saltiness last forever in your mouth and u won´t be sorry for sure. Below some new result pictures.

Confit Wildboar ham

They say confit meat is tender and tasty so I needed to try it out.

Had a few wildboar hams ready for the smoker but couldn´t fit them all in it.

So why not try to confit one of them.

The hams had already been marinated in 8% salt water for a few days and was ready.

If 8% works for the smoker it will work well for the confit process also I thought and it did.

I know duck fat is good when u confit but more expensive and difficult to get. Other oils works well also. In this case Rape oil was used. 

I used a casserole big enough for the ham. Filled it up with Rape oil until the meat was covered.

Added some mixed herbs,black pepper , garlic cloves, carrots and some leek I found in the refrigerator. Taking what I found at home more or less.

Now the casserole was put in to the oven at 90-100 degrees Celcius . Just close to boiling but not.

There it stayed for 7-8 hours. I tested once in a while with a knife to see if the meat started to loosen up from the bones. It finally did .The bones got cleaned from every little piece of meat when I started to remove it. Just perfect.

The meat was removed from the oil. So tender and tasty. The oil makes sure u don´t get any dry meat at all. Then u serve this meat with something u prefer . It´s similar to pulled pork.

The oil was filtered and can be used a few more times before thrown away. The more u use it the more good flavors u get for the next meal.

We will for sure try this again. No meat waste at all and very tasty !

Wildboar summer sausage

Had to try making some sausage again.
Read a lot about a sausage called summer sausage. A pretty easy sausage to make it seemed to be and it looked very tasty also. Something between a Salami and Mortadella or Falukorv as we like a lot in Sweden.

This is what I used for above 2 big sausages.

- Wild boar meat 1,7 kgs   Ham and Loin parts in this case.(Other meat can be used also for sure )
- Pork lard  0,3 kgs
- Black pepper crushed  5 tsp
- Garlic powder  3 tsp
- Onion powder  3 tsp
- Mustard seeds yellow  3 tsp
- Mustard seeds yellow crushed 2 tsp
- Liquid smoke 5 tsp
- Water 4 dl
- Nitre salt 2-3 % based on the meat weight u use
- Sausage casing . In this case a red fiber skin . Dimension 69 mm , 600 mm long .
- Some cotton thread to tie up the sausage ends with

Now the fun starts when u have all the ingredients u need.
The meat u use should always be very cold or almost freezed when u work with it.
Also the equipment used as it helps keep the cold during the process.

I started to make the spice slury first. Mixing all the pepper, garlic, onion , mustard , salt , water and liquid smoke in a bowl and mixed it well .

Next step I started to cut up the meat and lard in nice smaller chunks that fitted in the grinder.
Then grind it well. I used the smallest holes . When the meat is grinded it should be very fine  .

Now I mix the minced meat with the spice slury. make sure it´s mixed well .
This will be a very fine paste now. I used my washed hands with some Vinyl gloves on.
Can also use a big wood spoon or similar. Just takes a few minutes .

Then it´s time to fill the sausage casings. I can grind the meat and fill the casing with the machine I have. In this case I think u could also fill the casings with your hands or spoon directly as the big dimension if u don´t have the equipment. Make sure u pack the casing well. U don´t want air pockets if u can avoid them.

When the casings are filled you tie the ends. You then take a clean needle and pick small holes where u find air pockets as they should be removed if possible,

I cleaned the sausages in cold water and dried them off with a clean towel before I put them in the refrigerator over night for some needed curing time before the next step.

The next afternoon about 24 hours later it was time put them in the oven for the final stage.
The oven temperature was set on 80 degrees Celcius.
When the sausage inner temperature reach 70 degrees Celcius it should be ready.
For me it took about 4,5 hours. U need to make sure u have a good control over the temperatures.
The oven and the sausage temperature. The first hour I had a small opening in the oven to let out moist . Then it was closed for the rest of the time.

As soon as the sausage inner temperature reached 70 degrees celicius it was time to remove it from the oven. It also has to be chilled down quickly they say so I did.
I put it under cold water for a few minutes. Then a a little later when it had cold down enough it was put in the refrigerator again over night. When chilled down it was ready to be enjoyed.
I had to taste short after the remove from the oven and it was very good and tasty warm also.

This sausage is called summer sausage as they used to make this historically to last a few month over the summer season. A sausage farmers and wood workers brought with them when they were out on the fields or in the woods working.

A perfect sausage for the active people today out in the nature.
Any meat can be used for this but the temperatures can vary a little depending on what type of meat.

You can for sure also avoid the liquid smoke and oven and hang it in a smoker instead if u have it.
This worked perfect though and it tasted just wonderful.


Good luck trying!

Lamb Pancetta

Time to try some Lamb pancetta .

A nice piece of Lamb thigh have been cured a few days in a 8% salt bath.
Then covered with spieces, packed in a meat net and now hanging for a few weeks.

I used Garlic, Black pepper and Ginger this time. Tastes I like and believe in.
In about 4-5 weeks from now I will give it a try.

I will get back about the result and some pictures when the meat is sliced and ready to be enjoyed.

Cured pork tenderloin - Lonzino -

Cured and spiced meat is so good!

This one should also be pretty easy to make so why not test it.
They call it Lonzino in Italy. Cured pork tenderloin. Takes only 10-14 days until ready.

After trimming the tenderloin I give it a 2 day 8% Nitrite salt bath .
Depending on how thick the meat is but for this enough with 2 days.

After the bath I wash the meat in cold water a few seconds to remove salt from the outside of the meat. Then dry it with a clean towel . Then it´s time for the spieces.

I had 2 tenderloins and why not try with different spices . One for each.

The first:

- Black pepper crushed ( The Main spice on this one )
- Garlic Powder
- Yellow onion powder
- Red paprika powder
- Parsley powder

The second:

- Smoked red paprika powder ( The Main spice on this one )
- Cumin powder
- Nutmeg powder
- Ginger powder
- Sage powder


Make sure to rub in and cover the meat with the spieces.
You use as much as u like and the spice variation to be used must be endless.

Now it´s time to hang the meat for 10-14 days in my cellar room.
+23 C Humidity 50% can vary a little.

In a few days from now I will have a first taste and I will let u know what I think about the result.
I will also add some new pictures then showing it sliced and ready to be enjoyed.

You can for sure use what ever pork tenderloin u have available.


Worth trying !

Wild boar spare ribs roll

Had to test something new with some wild boar spare ribs.

Why not remove the bones and make some kind of roll with some tasty stuffing for a change.

What kind of stuffing should I use?

For sure something I like to eat. Something that might be good to mix together.

Cheese ! I like some creamy cheese . Who doesn´t ?  That´s the main ingredient except the meat then.

Some kind of cheese everybody in the family is okay with.

I choosed a ready mix with Cheddar and Mozzarella . Can´t be wrong.

Then u like to have some other good flavors that pops in your mouth and gives u another dimension. Only cheese is to boring . I made a small piece with only cheese though for my youngest . Nice daddy.

I thought Caper might be nice. Spread it all over. Could have used more though. 

Then some Anchovies to give a nice tasty saltiness.

That´s enough I thought. Very easy to over do things .I know. 

Could have added something strong and spicy also. Was thinking about adding some Jalapeno also.

Next time maybe.

What did I use:

- Wild boar spare ribs from one small pig 50 kgs . What ever spare ribs u have in place might do.

- Cheese 500 grams  mixed Cheddar and Mozzarella . What ever u like.

- Caper as much as u like. Look at the picture. Could have used some more.

- Anchovies 80 grams . Look at the picture. Could have used some more. 

- Salt

- Black pepper

- Garlic powder

- Egg  one

- Bread crumbles

- Butter salty  200 grams

- Olive oil 1/2 dl

- Cotton twine 

How did I make this roll?

First I covered the meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder as much as I felt was enough.

After that I covered the meat with a thick cheese layer. Adding the Caper and Anchovies on top.

Then it was time to make roll without all yummies falling out. I tied the rolls with some Cotton twine.

You can see the picture. 

Next step was to whisk an egg . Brush the meat rolls with the egg and cover it with bread crumbles.

Adding butter and oil in a frying pan and heat it up until it stops bubble.

Then hot enough and ready for some frying. Now I fry the meat on all sides until it gets a nice golden brown crunchy surface. Adding melt butter on top of the meat from the frying pan with a spoon while frying. Now it was ready to be finished in the oven. Temperature set at 200 degrees Celcius.

After about 1 hour in the oven the meat inner temperature reached + 80 degrees Celcius and was ready. 

It tasted great and everybody in the family liked it. 

Have to try it again some day.

To this I served French fries / Chips and a nice tomato/red onion sallad with Balsamic vinegar.

A glass red wine for the adults.

No more no less. Nice!

A good hunting week to remember

This was a very good and successful hunting week in October.

The week started with 3 nice days vacation in the woods hunting for moose with my hunting team.
The first day we shot a moose calf in the last minute before dark .

The second day and the hunting was soon to be stopped for the day.
I´m sitting and waiting close by a lake on a small hill far out in the woods with a good view over the lake with a nice opening below . I could imagine how the animals could and should run through there .
It was late and now I started to get a little bit cold and tiered and wanted to get home .
I could hear the hunting dog far a way on the other side of the lake . On the radio they said the dog most likely had found some wild boars and was barking at them.
It was far away and maybe hopefully they might get here but not for a while though.
But from nowhere I started to hear the branches breaking in the woods very close by. It was for sure something big closing in fast . I felt the heart starting to beat faster. Getting ready lifting up my rifle .
A few seconds later a big moose enters the opening below the hill where I´m sitting. Only 10-15 meters away from where I sit. I see this big beautiful majestic animal thinking. Is it alone or is there any calf following this moose cow.
We were allowed to shoot cows that were alone but u can never now that if u only have the animal visible for a few seconds in the opening running through.
But there it was . A calf was following the cow and this animal was allowed. As soon as it entered the opening from the right the shot was taken. Both animals stopped and turned around . I hit the calf but it didn´t fall directly. As soon the calf was in a good position the second shot made it fall to the ground.  It was a beautiful animal and u always feel humble afterwards.

3 days hunting for moose was a lot of hunting and it should for sure been enough for most people. But I could see that the wild boars had started to come to my feeding place in the wood.
I had not been lucky with the boars for a very long time now and felt I needed to give it a try.
Thursday evening I get out around 19:00 in the evening. It´s getting dark out there.
After sitting just one hour it comes. Straight out in the opening . It starts eating and don´t notice me sitting only 15 meters away from it.
I lift my rifle and aim. it stays still and I shoot. The pig falls down on the ground where it stays.
2 hours later the pig hangs ready in my garage gutted and the fur removed.
It was a very smooth and fast hunt .

The freezer is now filled with the best possible meet u can ever imagine.
A very good hunting week to remember.

Thanks a lot Diana !

Hunters pork

This is a very simple good dish to make.
It´s called Hunters pork . A nice piece of pork u can bring to the wilderness when hunting or doing some other activities and need some extra good energy and kill any hunger. You don´t need much.

What u need is this:

- A nice piece of salted belly pork
- Cinnamon
- BBQ seasoning

Cover the belly pork with Cinnamon and BBQ seasoning. Be a little careful with the cinnamon though. Put it in the oven at 80-90 degrees Celsius for 8-10 hours.


Now you should have something very tasty to enjoy warm or cold.
For sure u can try other spieces also depending on what u like.  This one works for all the family members.

Good luck!