Greek Meze and Appetisers
Noumboulo Recipe (Corfu Smoked Cured Pork Fillet)
Νουμπούλο noom-BOO-loh · Noumboulo
In short
Noumboulo is a Corfu specialty of pork fillet cured with salt, red wine and spices, then air-dried and lightly smoked over local wood, producing a dense, deeply flavoured cured meat sliced thin and served as a meze.
Noumboulo is Corfu's own entry in the wider Greek and Cypriot tradition of home-cured pork, a whole pork fillet rubbed with salt, red wine and warm spices, left to cure, then air-dried and lightly smoked, usually over local olive or oak wood, producing something with real depth and chew, closer to a good bresaola or lonza than a simple ham.
It reflects the same Venetian-influenced streak running through Corfu's other signature dishes, since curing and smoking whole cuts this way has more in common with Italian charcuterie traditions than with mainland Greek cured-meat practice, which leans more towards sausages.
This is a genuine project requiring real curing time, proper food safety practice around salt ratios, and patience measured in weeks rather than days, and it rewards being made well ahead of when you actually want to serve it.
Key preparation steps
- Cure a whole pork fillet in salt, wine and spices for several days.
- Rinse, pat dry, and air-dry in a cool, ventilated space.
- Smoke lightly over wood, traditionally olive or oak.
- Rest fully before slicing thin to serve.
The cure
A whole pork fillet, trimmed of excess sinew, is rubbed thoroughly with a mixture of coarse salt, crushed garlic, black pepper, and a good red wine, then left to cure under refrigeration for four to five days, turned daily so the cure penetrates evenly. Getting the salt ratio right matters both for flavour and for safety, since under-salting risks spoilage during the drying stage that follows.
Some households add a little sugar to the cure to balance the salt, and crushed juniper or bay is a common addition alongside the black pepper.
Drying and smoking
After curing, rinse the fillet thoroughly, pat it completely dry, and hang it in a cool, well-ventilated space, traditionally ten to fifteen degrees Celsius with good airflow, for a further one to two weeks, until it has firmed considerably and lost a good deal of its original weight through moisture loss.
Light smoking over olive or oak wood, either during the drying period or as a separate short cold-smoking step, is traditional and adds a real layer of flavour, though a well-cured, air-dried version without smoke is still a legitimate result if you do not have a way to smoke it safely.
Serving
Once fully dried and firmed, noumboulo is sliced very thin, closer to a good salami than a thick ham slice, and served simply as part of a meze spread, alongside olives, cheese and bread. Its flavour is concentrated enough that a little goes a long way.
Properly cured and dried, it keeps for weeks wrapped and refrigerated, and the flavour continues to deepen slightly over the first week or two after drying is complete.
Tips from my kitchen
Do not under-salt the cure
The salt ratio is a genuine food safety matter, not just seasoning, since it is what protects the meat during the drying stage that follows.
Dry somewhere properly cool and ventilated
A warm or still space risks spoilage rather than proper drying. Ten to fifteen degrees with good airflow is the target.
Slice it thin
This is a concentrated, deeply flavoured cured meat, meant to be sliced closer to a salami than a ham.
Noumboulo Recipe (Corfu Smoked Cured Pork Fillet)
Νουμπούλο · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 30m
- Cook
- None
- Total
- 30m
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the salt, sugar, crushed garlic, crushed peppercorns and bay leaf together in a bowl.
- Rub the pork fillet thoroughly with the mixture, then pour over the red wine.
- Place in a non-reactive container, cover, and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days, turning the fillet once a day and basting with the liquid that collects.
- Remove the fillet, rinse thoroughly under cold water, and pat completely dry with kitchen paper.
- Tie with kitchen string and hang in a cool, well-ventilated space, ideally 10 to 15C, for 1 to 2 weeks, until firm and noticeably reduced in weight.
- If smoking, cold-smoke lightly over olive or oak wood partway through the drying period, following your smoker's guidance for time and temperature.
- Once fully dried and firm, slice very thin to serve, and store wrapped in the fridge.
Nutrition, per 4 thin slices
- Calories
- 142
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Sat fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Noumboulo
What is noumboulo?
A Corfu specialty of cured, air-dried and lightly smoked pork fillet, reflecting the island's Venetian-influenced charcuterie tradition, distinct from mainland Greek cured meats which lean more towards sausages.
Is noumboulo safe to make at home?
Yes, provided the salt ratio and drying conditions are followed properly. It is a genuine curing project requiring real attention to food safety, not a casual weekend task.
Can you make noumboulo without smoking it?
Yes, a well-cured, properly air-dried version without smoke is still a legitimate result, though the smoked version carries an extra layer of traditional flavour.
