Bresaola Valtellina

Bresaola Valtellina
Curing MixBeefCold SmokingMedium25-30 daysN/AN/ANo smoking – Air drying

The classic Bresaola from the Valtellina region of Lombardy is an air-dried beef with an intense ruby-red color. It is traditionally prepared from the topside and cured with red wine, juniper, and bay leaves. The result is a delicately seasoned, lean product with a fine meat texture.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Curing salt (0.4–0.5% NaNO2)28 g
Brown sugar5 g
Black pepper, coarsely ground3 g
Juniper berries, crushed2 g
Bay leaves, crumbled1 g
Dry red wine (Valtellina)50 ml

Register to scale ingredients to your weight

Instructions

1

Preparation

30 minutes

Trim the beef topside of sinew and excess fat. Mix all dry ingredients and rub the meat thoroughly. Moisten with red wine.

2

Curing phase

7-10 days

Place the rubbed meat in a vacuum bag or sealed container and refrigerate at 3-5 °C. Turn daily, redistributing the expelled brine.

3

Rinsing and trussing

1 hour

Rinse the meat under cold water and pat dry. Tie with kitchen twine at even intervals and hang on a hook.

4

Air drying

18-22 days

Hang to dry at 12-15 °C and 70-80% relative humidity. Check daily for mold and consistency until a weight loss of 30-35% is reached.

Pro Tip

Dab any mold on the outside with a cloth moistened with a 3% salt solution. A light white noble mold is harmless and even desirable.

Save this recipe to your smoking journal?

With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.