Cured meat and fish for winter
By Fr. Franjo Mabić, the Author of the bestseller Recipes from the Franciscan Kitchen

Sausages, prosciutto, paprika-flavoured salami, ham and bacon, even when cured and preserved properly, are not great friends to you or the friends you are hosting. So here should be applied the maxim of ‘nimis maxima’ – ‘nothing too much’

he cuisine of Croatia is rich and varied, partly because of the climactic differences in the country. The traditional food preparations for winter has been the same for centuries in the different areas, right up to the present day. The continental part of Croatia has perfected the smoking and curing of all sorts of meat and fish for long-term preservation. The Mediterranean parts of Croatia are mostly famous for the smoked prosciutto (Dalmatia and Hercegovina), while in the northern parts the most famous delicacy is the Slavonian paprika-flavoured salami.
Dalmatia, located by the Adriatic, enjoys an abundance of fish, but the locals have never tried to cure anything but cod. In the continental part, where people catch freshwater fish, they have long ago started curing trout, carp and other species of fish from lakes, rivers and streams.

The smoke-cured meat – pork, baby beef, beef, mutton or game – is prepared initially after butchering, by salting and pickling. After a certain period of being marinated in the pickle the meat is suspended above the smoke and cured for as many days as needed.

Bacon is kept in salt for 48 hours, and then smoked for 15 days. It is afterwards put into a freezer or a safe place. The largest problem is with paprika-flavoured salami and prosciutto. It is said that the paprika-flavoured salami is properly cured only when the combine harvesters are reaping the new grain, and similarly with the prosciutto.
It is advisable to put spruce or juniper tree twigs with the berries on the first fire for smoking, since their scent protects the meat from unwanted insects.

Be cautious with the cured meats, they are full of calories, and salt, when smoked. You should eat them in moderation.

When the cured meats, ribs, or hams are to be cooked in cabbage, pickled cabbage, pottages, or stuffed cabbage leaves, it is preferable to soak the cabbage in water for a few hours, and it is best to soak the meat in water from the evening before. The water extracts a lot of the smoke, grime, salt and other impurities. In the morning, you will see floating on the surface all those things you would have eaten otherwise.

Sausages, prosciutto, paprika-flavoured salami, ham, bacon, even when cured and preserved nicely and properly, would not be good for you or your friends if overindulged in. So here should be applied the maxim of “nimis maxima” – “nothing too much”

The full article can be found on pages 80-81 of Vol 3
2007 issue.