Sqwertz wrote:

> On Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:56:37 -0700, RegForte wrote:
>
>
>>When I've done cured lamb, I had a good time trying
>>to mix it in with other ingredients. If you do it
>>right, not all dishes have to be a lamb-dominated dish
>>per se. I've used lamb bacon in wilted salads that came out
>>really nice. Also some stews. Other times the lamb did
>>dominate too much. The results were often surprising and
>>the fun part was experimenting.
>
>
> This really isn't too lamby at all. And I only put a very light
> smoke to it sp the smoke didn't dominate. The seasoning is also
> pretty light, but boy - the upstairs sure smells awesome after
> cooking up enough to have a BLT.
>

That's the key, isn't it. Balance balance balance. You want
just the right amount of smoke, salt and seasoning
if you're using it. The reason most mass market commercial
products in this category are so inferior is because one
or all of these elements are overdone. More is not always
better. And it's also why many people have a distorted view
of so many cured products. They've only tried the crude,
cheap supermarket stuff and not the real-deal artisanal
version.

> It's a tad salty after cooking shrinkage. I may try soaking them in
> a couple waters for a few hours after the smoke finishes settling
> in.
>

Another bullseye. After so many inconsistent attempts I've
learned that soaking can be your best friend. That's cause
getting the salt exactly right can be tricky, no matter how
much measuring you do, no matter what anybody says. It
takes a lot of pressure off when you have to commit days,
weeks, and even months to making something when you know
you can easily make adjustments at the end if needed.

After the curing phase I cook up a piece and taste. If
there's too much salt it gets soaked. If it's a long cure
I let it sit after soaking to re-equalize. Never fails.

> All in all, a very successful first try.
>


Awesome!