The dish
We enjoy presenting honey as a precious ingredient in many recipes. In this case, it takes center stage in aromatic extractions and marinades for pork. Honey is indeed a true “sponge,” capable of attracting the most delicate aromas and subtle nuances of herbs, transforming into a perfect natural carrier.
The simple sugars in honey are also essential in charcuterie, as they promote the initial stages of fermentation, lowering the pH and making the meat more stable and preservable.
For this recipe, we chose sulla honey, particularly delicate, with herbal notes, a pleasant acidity, and a pronounced fermentative capacity. Its creamy and dense structure absorbs the free water from the meat, aiding its maturation.
Used in this way, sulla honey acts as a flavor enhancer, intensifying the contrast between sweet, salty, and umami: an essential combination for any good charcuterie marinade.
Ingredients
- Sulla honey
- 3 kg of pork shoulder
- Fresh cleaned garlic
- Rosemary
- Bay leaf
- Camo Maricha pepper
Preparation
- In a bowl, combine the sulla honey with the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Let the mixture rest for at least 12 hours at room temperature to allow the extraction of the aromatic part.
- Generously spread the honey evenly over the raw meat, then massage it thoroughly with both delicacy and vigor.
- After massaging, transfer the meat to a vacuum-sealed bag, adding a bit more sulla honey.
- After 24 hours, at about 10°C, the honey will have done its job by extracting the free water from the meat: the color of the fat will appear darker, indicating that the marinade has penetrated deeply.
- Remove the meat from the bag and proceed with the seasoning.
