Cecina – Spanish Smoked Cured Beef
Cecina de León is a Spanish cold-smoked and air-dried beef from the Castile and León region with protected designation of origin. After curing, the meat is traditionally cold-smoked with oak wood and then aged for several months. The result is a deep dark red, intensely aromatic meat with a smoky note.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Dry Curing
5–7 daysMix all spices with the sea salt and rub the meat thoroughly. Store in the refrigerator at 2–4 °C and turn daily. Remove any released liquid daily.
Cold Smoking
10–14 daysCold smoke the rinsed and dried meat daily for 6–8 hours with oak wood smoke at a maximum of 20 °C. Between smoking sessions, the meat hangs at cool room temperature. The smoker temperature must never exceed 20 °C.
Long-term Aging
5–6 monthsHang the smoked meat to ripen at 15–20 °C and 70–85% relative humidity. Check regularly for mold and wipe with saltwater or vinegar if necessary. Ready at a weight loss of at least 40%.
Pro Tip
Cold smoking should be done in several sessions of 6–8 hours per day so the meat does not overheat. The total smoking time of 10–12 days can be spread over 2 weeks.
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