Why do we case whole muscle?

While you can hang it naked, stuffing the loin into a beef bung casing dramatically slows the evaporation rate, preventing the outside from turning to leather while the inside remains raw.

Can I use Cure #1 instead of Cure #2?

Because Lonza takes more than 30 days to dry, Cure #2 (which contains nitrates that slowly break down) is required for long-term protection.

What is the difference between Lonza and Lomo?

Lonza is Italian, typically flavored with wine, garlic, and juniper. Lomo is Spanish, famously coated in intense smoked paprika (pimenton).

My lonza is drying too fast, what do I do?

Increase your chamber humidity to 80%, or vacuum seal the meat for 2 weeks in the fridge to allow core moisture to migrate to the dry edges.

Lonza Pork Loin Juniper Cure Calculator

Lonza is the elegant, lean counterpart to coppa, made from the entire pork loin. With almost no intramuscular fat, it dries rapidly and requires a delicate balance of botanicals - traditionally heavy juniper and white wine - to prevent the lean meat from becoming monotonic.

Master Rule: Because the loin is a massive, uniform cylinder of lean muscle, it is highly susceptible to case hardening. Ficks law dictates moisture will take time to travel from the core to the surface.

Configure Parameters

Loin Weight 2000 g

Target Loss 35 %

Juniper Intensity

Calculated Targets

Final Target Wt

1300 g

Ready to slice

Salt (2.75%)

55.0 g

Crushed Juniper

8.0 g

Cure #2

5.0 g

Crush the juniper berries with the flat of a knife right before applying to release the volatile pine oils.

Lonza Drying Guidelines

Weight Loss	Texture	Case Hardening Risk	Action
30%	Soft, pliant	Low	Keep hanging
35%	Firm, sliceable	Moderate	Harvest and vacuum seal to equalize
40%	Dense, hard	High	Lower airflow immediately
45%+	Jerky-like	Critical	Too dry for traditional lonza

Precision Master Protocol

1

Step 1: Trim the silverskin from the pork loin, but leave a thin 1/4-inch cap of fat on top to slow drying.
2

Step 2: Rub the loin with the calculated salt, Cure #2, sugar, and freshly crushed juniper berries.
3

Step 3: Vacuum seal and refrigerate for 14 to 18 days, flipping every 3 days.
4

Step 4: Rinse off the cure with dry white wine, stuff into a beef bung casing, and truss tightly.
5

Step 5: Hang at 55 F / 75% RH until the precise target weight loss is achieved (usually 6 to 8 weeks).

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