I have been told that due to the fat on mangalitza the skin will not crackle

I have spoken with numerous people who have eaten mangalitza and they all love the meat but are diapointed by the lack of crackling

Well I have just eaten a loin joint and the crackling was fab

the secret is ............................. cut this skin using a stanley knife to the depth of the fat and at 3mm intervals (aprox) this allows the fat to be released and not soak into the skin thus allowing the skin to crackle and it is yummy

We have just had friends for dinner and they are very impressed with mangalitza

Hairy pork is the way to go

My mouth is watering now- thanks!!!!!!

When you say the ammount of fat, how much was there please?

Thanks for the tip too.
Carole

Hi Carole

there was a good inch of back fat, but the meat is also slightly marbled, which adds to a lovely texture.

We had to treat the skin of our potbelly/saddleback cross meat in the same way. Pot belly skin is totally removed so no crackling there, but the saddleback element made all the difference.

Have you cured any of the legs on this one and if so, have you treated it any differently to the other breeds? I am thinking more of brine or dry cure before boiling and perhaps finishing in the oven. Of course there is the famous parma ham, but I just wondered if the other processes were successful.

Kate

Hi Kate

we made wet cure back bacon, and streaky. I found it a little salty, so soaked for 10 mins prior to cooking and it is very nice.

we took a reciepe from the river cottage book for dry cured belly pork and it is stunning, it only uses salt black peper and brown sugar, rub the cure in every day for 5 days and the bacon is ready. This was by far my favorite experiment!!

we also have a leg, ham, in a box of salt that we will be making parma style ham with........... fingers crossed it doesnt go green!

we have just eaten another joint tonigt from the shoulder and it is truely lovely and succulent. I have given a couple of local farmers som meat for helping us out and they think its great.

We have decided to slaughter at 6 months as the meat will be less fatty, I do think 18 month would be far too old for the english taste. The two we have just slaughtered were 7 month and were just starting to gain a little too much fat.

Hope this helps, if you were a little closer i would give you a bit to try