Baleron Explained

In Polish cuisine, baleron is a cold cut from cured and smoked of boneless ^[1] After ham, baleron is the second most valued cold cut in Poland.^[2]

Preparation

The Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences summarizes its preparation as follows. It is dry-cured, then immersed in the brine for 8–10 days, then drained, stuffed in a casing, smoked in warm smoke, cooked, and cooled. The cross-section of the final product is marbled meat.^[1] Polish sources describe a more complicated process.^[3]

Etymology

Older Polish dictionaries derived the word from the French word paleron for chuck steak.^[4] Newer dictionaries derive it from German Ballen-rolle.^{[5] [6]}

Registered products

Several balerons are registered as protected traditional food by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

• 2008: Smoked baleron from Masurian butcher shops^[7]
• 2008: Baleron nadwieprzański (baleron from over the Wieprz River)^[8]
• 2014: Smoked baleron from Proszówki^[9]
• 2016: Smoked baleron from Wisznice

Quote: "Meat from pork neck (after removing the bones), cured, placed in a bladder and smoked, brown in color with a shade of dark cherry, dark pink in cross-section, slightly juicy consistency, soft, salty taste. Smoked necessarily in a smokehouse fired with alder wood."^[10]

• 2019: Baleron from Płock^[11]

See also

• Pork butt
• List of smoked foods

Notes and References

1. Book: Polish Baleron. https://books.google.com/books?id=srgvtq14f1AC&q=baleron+&pg=PT950. 950 . Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences. 9780080924441. Devine. Carrick. Dikeman. M.. 19 August 2004. Academic Press.
2. Małgorzata Michalik, Marek Łebkowski, Mała encyklopedia sztuki kulinarnej, Wydawnictwo Tenten, 1996, p. 371. ISBN 83-86628-33-2.
3. Kazimierz Stańczyk, Baleron wędzony gotowany, Mięsne Technologie, Spring 2014
4. https://archive.org/stream/sownikjzykapolsk01karo/sownikjzykapolsk01karo_djvu.txt SŁOWNIK JEŻYKA POLSKIEGO
5. Uniwersalny słownik języka polskiego, p.181
6. Słownik wyrazów obcych p.105
7. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220102500/http://www.minrol.gov.pl/Jakosc-zywnosci/Produkty-regionalne-i-tradycyjne/Lista-produktow-tradycyjnych/woj.-warminsko-mazurskie/Baleron-wedzony-z-mazurskiej-masarni Baleron wędzony z mazurskiej masarni
8. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220102554/http://www.minrol.gov.pl/pol/Jakosc-zywnosci/Produkty-regionalne-i-tradycyjne/Lista-produktow-tradycyjnych/woj.-lubelskie/Baleron-nadwieprzanski Baleron nadwieprzański
9. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220102407/http://www.minrol.gov.pl/Jakosc-zywnosci/Produkty-regionalne-i-tradycyjne/Lista-produktow-tradycyjnych/woj.-malopolskie/Baleron-wedzony-z-Proszowek Baleron wędzony z Proszówek
10. [:File:Lubelskie ze smakiem (2020).pdf|Lubelskie ze smakiem. Produkty regionalne i tradycyjne, p. 8]
11. Web site: Baleron płocki. Ministerstwo Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi - Portal Gov.pl. 30 May 2021. pl.