Do you like cured meats? Consider spekekjott.

Photo courtesy, https://www.flickr.com/photos/alpha, Creative Commons license

In 1980, renowned chef John Nelson visited Nordic Fest and demonstrated the art of making spekekjott, a Norwegian delicacy of cured and dried leg of lamb or mutton. His demonstrations took place in the Winneshiek Room of the former Decorah State Bank (now Bank of the West),

According to an article published in the Decorah Newspapers after Nordic Fest, Nelson said the the best time to make spekejott is late autumn. After curing the leg, it is hung in a dry and airy place until it is well dried. This take four to five months. Nelson said a cool, airy attic works well as a place to hang the leg, but should be kept from high heat or freezing. 

When ready, the leg will have shrunk to about half of its original weight. The outer fat should be removed and the meat cut into thin slices. Nelson gave the following recipes to those who would like to eat spekekjott in four or five months:

Recipe 1:

2 t brandy

1 t saltpeter 

2 pounds course salt

1/2 C molasses

1 C water

Rub meat with brandy. Make a thick brine of all other ingredients and place in a large flat pan with leg. Turn several times every day and scoop up brine with a spoon and drip over meat. Do this until most of the liquid has evaporated, which will likely take two to three weeks. Then hang to dry.

Recipe 2:

Mix 5 handfuls course salt

1 T saltpeter

2 T sugar

Work this well into a large leg of mutton or lamb. Place on a dish and as mixture dissolves, scoop it up with a spoon and rub into the meat at intervals until the juices stop running, which will be in two weeks or so. Hang to dry. Or, after 3-7 days, dry and have lightly smoked, then hang. 

Recipe 3:

2 T brandy

1 t saltpeter

2 pounds sale

1/2 C molasses

1 C water

Rub meat with brandy. Make a thick brine of all other ingredients and leave meat in brine for about one week. Turn several times every day. Then make a new brine of:

2 gallons water

4 pounds coarse sale

1 pound sugar

1 T saltpeter

Cook all ingredients together and cool. Leave in brine two weeks. Then hang to dry. Or leave in brine six days, smoke and let hang to dry.

Always use glass, crockery, stainless steel or enameled utensils.