Curing Meats (pic heavy)
Submitted by Jackfrost80 on Mon, 2015-12-07 22:46
Anyone else into curing meats? I've been doing it for almost 2 years now and have done several coppas and pancettas in my curing fridge and done a few honey cured bacons and pastrami in my smoking oven. Still haven't got around to doing chorizo, salami or dried italian sausage but it is definitely on my to do list.
Just bought a nice slab of pork belly last night and split it in half to make some honey cured streaky bacon and another pastrami.
____________________________________________________________________________
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
.thumbnail.jpg "Pink Eye")
scano
Posts: 1246
Date Joined: 31/05/07
Hey jack
Not sure how you got onto meat curing and the process to do so, but looks bloody good to me!
i have done plenty other home grown curing methods like making own olives, making own pasta sauce, ect. Interested to see you pics on the meat curing process though, especially the fridge / heater idea.
checkout wine barrel smokers when you have a chance online. This is something I will definitely be working towards building in the near future as soon as I have finished my wood fired pizza oven build.
scano
Shark1
Posts: 1084
Date Joined: 21/05/12
interested to hear how u run
interested to hear how u run your fridge - do u have a dehumidifier in it?
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Cheers for the interest. I
Cheers for the interest. I have my fridge and a humidifier hooked up to an external temperature controller/hygrometer with temperature and humidity probs next to where the meat hangs.
I can set the controller to keep the inside of the fridge at the perfect temperature and humidity to ensure the cured cuts dry evenly and safely.
You need a mechanical humidifier as the vicks ones will produce unwanted heat.
I use Ruhlman's book Charcuterie as my bible but have also used various website for varying the recipes.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Walfootrot
Posts: 1386
Date Joined: 23/07/12
I have used these as they
I have used these as they allow you to cure and age the meat in the fridge, done a Rib eye fillet dry aged for 60 days and it was unreel.
http://www.drybagsteak.com/
More drum lines, kill the bloody sharks!
sandbar
Posts: 704
Date Joined: 25/10/09
Looks Tasty
Excuse my ignorance, Do you eat the cured meat without cooking? I have no idea on this.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Yeah mate all your air dried
Yeah mate all your air dried meats like salami, coppa etc are eaten raw (cured) and you use sodium nitrite which breaks the meat down as it drys and kills the harmful bacteria. For the bacon, pastrami and pancetta you use potasium nitrate which kills harmful bacteria and allows you to smoke at low temperatures safely.
My Italian cousin and uncle don't use nitrates or nitrites but I like to err on the side of caution and add the minimum amount to my products as insurance against illness.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
Good work, now you've got me
Good work, now you've got me thinking about doing another bacon!
devhay
Posts: 328
Date Joined: 27/10/14
Anyone able to point me in
Anyone able to point me in the direction of a good 'How To' to make bacon? one of those things I've always wanted to try
scubafish
Posts: 949
Date Joined: 15/08/12
'How To' to make bacon?
My wife used to say "get out and make more bacon do more hours get a better paying job"
not any more!
http://img.gg/BQ91Sys
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Mine is in my book mate.
Mine is in my book mate. Checkout Ruhlam's recipes online but the one in his book is much simpler without the juniper berries etc. I just use salt, sugar, honey and pink salt (Nitrate). Cure it in vac sealed bag for 7 days, wash off and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight and smoke at 93 degrees to an internal temp of 65 degrees(take it off around 60 degrees and cover). Vac seal and back in the fridge and then slice the next day. Cook and enjoy. It will be drier than what you're used to because the stuff you get from the shops is cured in brine and not hot smoked.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Must admit
Stuff walfootrot done was tender and very tasty . Looks horrible but def way to go.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Worth looking at
Worth looking at
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Giving it another crack after
Giving it another crack after finally replacing my humidity controller.
Going to do a rolled pancetta so have used sodium nitrite instead of sodium nitrate that I'd usually use when drying it as a flat cut.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
devhay
Posts: 328
Date Joined: 27/10/14
Nice setup mate! What
Nice setup mate!
What controller are you running on your fridge?
I do my own bacon & pancetta once or twice a year, had one failed attempt at salami & chorizo but hoping to have another crack in the cooler months this year
-Edit.. just saw this was an updated older thread and saw my comment above haha this must have been what inspired me to start
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
I ended up going with the
I ended up going with the Inkbird IHC 200 and went with a smaller humidifier which punches out less moisture allowing for a better control of the humidity/more stable humidity.
I still haven't had a crack at salami or chorizo and will also wait until the temp is lower to avoid contamination during the prep stage.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Yummmm, you know where my
Yummmm, you know where my workshop is ;)
Love the West!
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
I might swing by with some to
I might swing by with some to discuss knocking up some trailer guide posts soon mate
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Love the West!
still trying
Posts: 1020
Date Joined: 27/06/17
they look great i have done
they look great i have done a gravlax before cured salmon that was really nice but that was just done in the fridge using salt and herbs but is really nice only takes 3 days too. I would love to try some of the aged beef im drooling already just thinking about it
rather be fishing
Da pirate
Posts: 1519
Date Joined: 03/05/15
Wow ..
very impressive mate . Thinking bout a dehydrater
too make jerky. Whole meat thing I’m a novice
thats for sure ..
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Get onto it pirate. Those
Get onto it pirate. Those sunbeam 6 stack units are great although I've graduated to using my electronic smoker with a small computer fan to move the air and smoke the jerky. Only problem is that I eat it all in two days.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
timboon
Posts: 2924
Date Joined: 14/11/10
When are U coming down south
When are U coming down south Frosty?
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Just got back after a week in
Just got back after a week in Dunno 2 weeks ago Boon. Mrs wants to go to Bali next.... yuck
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
timboon
Posts: 2924
Date Joined: 14/11/10
Tried to call did you?
Tried to call did you?
Doc
Posts: 691
Date Joined: 29/05/16
Love a good pancetta, don’t
Love a good pancetta, don’t see it much in our travels. Cut about 7mm thick and have it with soft fried eggs and toast, can’t beat it.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Couple of updates after
Couple of updates after curing. Time to dry it out.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Finished product
Finished product
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Doc
Posts: 691
Date Joined: 29/05/16
Looks good mate
Looks good mate