Lomo (food)

Lomo is a Spanish cured meat made from a pork tenderloin. In its essentials, it is the same as "Cecina", the Spanish air dried cured smoked Beef tenderloin: a very lean and generally tasteless cut of meat, cured and then left to air-dry for several weeks, but has more in common with chorizo in its seasoning, and "Cecina" is then smoked whereas Lomo is not. The meat undergoes the usual chemical reactions of curing, gaining a translucent, rosy color and complex flavor. The tenderloin may be either brined or dry-cured; if brined, wine is typically used for the liquid. In either case, other flavors may be added to the cure, including orange or lemon peel, bay leaf, black or white peppercorns, or hot pepper flakes. After the cure is done, the meat is rinsed, wrapped loosely in cheesecloth, and hung until it is dry and hard when squeezed. "Lomo" is served sliced very thinly, with some extra-virgin olive oil, perhaps some lemon juice, and a small salad.

There are three common types of Spanish lomo, the cured tenderloin which is cylindrical in shape and contains very little fat, lomo "corteza" which is a flatter full loin with a layer of fat and rind on the outer and lome "Orza" which are chinks of lightly fried lomo in a jar of extra virgin olive oil.

The Italians also makes a variety of Lomo, called "Lonza stagionata" (But usually just "Lonza") which is also dry cured but generally is not as highly spiced.