Top 5 Cured Meats And Their Origins

In this month?s post, we?re going to be looking at cured meats and their origins. There are some great favourites here, ones we enjoy week in week out if we?re a meat lover. Cured meat not only tastes great but also lasts longer, and is a versatile accompaniment to many different dishes, along with a range of different wines.

Before the development of the fridge, meats were cured to help preserve them
Preserved meats of this type were developed in this way in the days before refrigeration, however they are now enjoyed because of their flavour and taste.

Here in the UK, we are producing some of the best British cured meats available, and here at IMS we apply our skills and craftsmanship to produce preserved, salted meat that tastes every bit as good as it looks.

We?re going to look at the top 5 most popular cured meats in the UK, and by the time we?ve finished, we hope we tempt you into visiting us here at IMS so you can taste ours, you?ll be in for a real treat.

1 Salami

There is a sophisticated approach to the curing of this meat, it uses one of the oldest methods and requires fermentation before the process of drying and maturing. You can use any type of minced meat which contains fat so it?ll retain its flavour and of course, moisture. If the meat comes from a pig, then it helps if its from the shoulder or belly.

Salami is a popular as a pizza topping and is used to make the American equivalent, peperoni. As well as adorning a pizza, salami is a great as part of a meat platter for party gatherings, and can be enjoyed alone with a glass of red and some olives, or with a variety of different breads.

2 Chorizo

A type of pork sausage, chorizo is cured before eating. It?s fermented and smoked, which only adds to the flavour. There is Spanish and Portuguese chorizo in a deep red colour produced from using smoked red peppers. It can be enjoyed as part of a hearty breakfast or brunch, or as part of a lunchtime tapas in pasta or soups.

3 Pancetta

Pancetta comes from pork and is similar in nature to streaked bacon. It comes from the pork belly before it?s cured and can be eaten raw and sliced. You can also cook it, and lardons are great in pasta sauces, stews and soups.

4 Bresaola

This is a salted air-dried beef which is aged for around 3 months before it turns dark red and becomes quite hard. This is quite delicious and can be enjoyed with some cheese, preferably parmesan and a simple salad. It can be enjoyed as part of a meat platter or as a started before the main meal.

5 Pastrami

Pastrami ancestry is both Romanian and Yiddish, which has now evolved into a British version which is salted or corned beef. Herbs, spices and seasoning are added, including pepper, coriander seeds, garlic and ginger. We prepare pastrami here using the utmost care and skill under controlled conditions, so you get the very best taste and flavour.

We hope you enjoyed our post on British cured meats, although they have their origins elsewhere, they are now a staple part of the British diet, and here at IMS we pride ourselves on our skill and craftsmanship in this area. If you want to try our cured meats, come in and see us and we can guide you through our product range.