Strange ingredients

Part of the planning process for the 150 odd kilos of pork meat that we will soon need to deal with involves working out what we are going to make and what we need to do it.

Our recently purchased 400 Litre chest freezer, which should be delivered tommorow can only freeze 22 Kg of meat in 24Hrs. So there is a need for some clever logistics, and hopefully meat that is already nearly frozen due to the temprature in the barn where it will hang for a couple of days.

On way of ensuring that we do not have to freeze all of the meat at one go is to cure some of it. The idea of bacon and hams lying in salt for a number of days does no daunt me too much. On the other hand, Air Dried prosciutto style Ham and cured sausages are, I consider, among the most risky and ambitious things we are attempting.

Mr Fearnly Whittingstall assures that for him making Salami and Chorizo were an unqualified success. Our attempts seemed to be doomed before a single sausage skin was filled. One of the ingredients called for is "acidophilus" a bacteria/start culture, that apparently sets the desired mould growing process under way. Given the availability to the general public of uncommonly used ingriedients in this sparcely populated land our hopes were not high. However, today, 2 phone calls and I have 2 different start cultures suitable for salami and other cured pork sausages winging their way through the post to me. So, as long as they turn up, we'll have the ingredients, we already have the mincer, the eqiupment to fill the sausages and real sausages skins. Looks like theres no excuses and no backing down now.. Don't know if I'm glad or sad.......

If any of you out there have experience in Salami or Prosciutto curing, please share them in the comments.......