Cured pork tenderloin

Cured pork tenderloinis found in various cuisines inMediterranean Europeand South America.
It is typically salted orbrinedthendry-curedorsmoked.
InSpanish cuisine,lomo embuchadois a dry-cured meat made fromporktenderloin, sometimes calledcaña de lomoor justlomo. It is similar tocecina, but with pork instead ofbeef.
InItalian cuisine, there are many variants oflonza stagionata.Capocollois very similar, but made from the neck muscle rather than the tenderloin, and often stuffed into a casing. In the northeastern borderregion of Triesteand surroundings as well as coastal Slovenia andIstriain Croatia (influenced byVenetianculture) it is also known asombolo.
InCorsican cuisine,lonzuis cured loin.
InCypriot cuisine,lountza(Greek:λούντζα) is made of pork tenderloin, which is first brined andmarinatedin red wine, then dried and smoked.
It may be sold immediately after smoking, or aged. As it ages, it becomes harder and more strongly flavored. It may be spiced withcoriander.
Lountza may be served cooked or uncooked with alcoholic drinks such aszivaniaorwine. Grilled lountza served with other Cypriot foods such ashalloumiandkefalotyricheese often appears inmezeplatters. Sandwiches made out of grilled lountza and halloumi are favorite fast food snacks in Cyprus.
In the northernCycladesislands ofGreece(Mykonos,Syros,Andros,Tinos),louzais preserved pork loin.
InBosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia,MontenegroandSerbiasmoked, cured loins, tenderloins andshoulder bladeare calledpečenica(literally "that which is baked") orvješalica(literally "that which is hung"). They are commonly made of pork but beef varieties are also not uncommon. The terms (respectively) refer to the process of smoking over heat and being hung on hooks above the source of the smoke while they're left to cure. The cuts are universally prepared only during the winter and are considered winter food. The latter of two terms is more commonly used for the shoulder blade cut, whereas the tenderloin cut is sometimes also calledslatka(sweet)pečenica.
Unlike Mediterranean-style cured meats likeprosciutto,pancettaand buđola (capocolla) traditionally made in drier, littoral and near-littoral southern parts of these countries, smoke-cured loins are traditionally cured meats from the inner continental regions and harsh, freezing continental winters are a big part of curing specifics and flavor.
The cuts are firstbrinedin solution of salt and garlic (locallysalamura), to enhance flavor and help preservation, commonly together with continental-stylebacon(slaninalocally),lardon(also calledslanina, sometimes white bacon or soap bacon) andribs. Then they are cured by hanging them in freezing winter winds, over a smoldering lumber (smoke being essential part of the flavor) for typically up to two months, because the freezing continental temperatures and lack of insects in the winter help curing and preservation. The smolder is occasionally extinguished completely to expose the meat fully to the freezing wind.
The flavor is, as a consequence, much more intensely smoked and garlic tinged than is the case with Mediterranean-style cured meat and the cuts are typically drier and harder. They are typically served as cold cuts, as part of traditionalmeze, but are also used as flavoring for various cooked dishes.
In Bulgaria, the cured pork loin is known as "Filet Elena" (Филе Елена).
All of the names above come directly or indirectly fromLatinlumbus"loin", apart from the Slavic terms from Balkans region which are derived from the actual method of preparation.