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The last 3 ounces I need my pancetta to lose are taking forever. Started at 44oz, after two weeks it went to 34-35oz, weighed it today after another week and it is still only around 34oz. It needs to hit 31oz to hit 30% weight loss. Hopefully it only takes one more week.
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Feb 9, 2013 17:08
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| # ? May 18, 2024 16:22 |
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My local grocer has started selling bulk pink salt. I bought a few pounds of it so if any goons can't find any let me know and I will ship a cup to you to get you started.
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Feb 9, 2013 19:22
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How much per pound? I gave up and got some from Amazon but I haven't used it much yet
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Feb 9, 2013 23:52
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Like I wrote earlier, I don't have the option of smoking my bacon the real way, but I'd love to get some smokiness into the meat (using a smokegun or something similar). Would there be a point to smoking the salt for the cure, perhaps?
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Feb 10, 2013 15:10
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BraveUlysses posted:How much per pound? I gave up and got some from Amazon but I haven't used it much yet 3 bucks
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Feb 10, 2013 19:07
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Just put two pieces of belly in a cure. I trimmed the skin or rind or whatever off before I did it, was that correct? Also, how should I prepare the skin that I cut off?
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Feb 16, 2013 22:47
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Just put two pieces of belly in a cure. I trimmed the skin or rind or whatever off before I did it, was that correct? Also, how should I prepare the skin that I cut off? I'm not really sure of the benefit of leaving the skin on when making bacon. Less penetration of the cure, same with smoke if you are doing that. I guess you could fry the skin if you wanted, or use it to flavor beans or a soup or something.
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Feb 16, 2013 22:51
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Does just straight up deep frying it puff it up, or do I need to dehydrate it first?
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Feb 16, 2013 22:53
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Does just straight up deep frying it puff it up, or do I need to dehydrate it first? I have never made them but I have heard of people boiling, dehydrating, then frying. Something like this maybe http://lookimadethat.com/2010/02/08/chicharrones/
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Feb 16, 2013 23:12
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so, I've been using a modified version of ruhlman's saltbox method for curing bacon for the last couple years. I basically have a big 2 gallon tub of cure premixed, so I'll just pour some on my work surface, slap my belly down, turn and press to evenly coat, and then throw in a ziplock with my herbs/aromatics/garlic/whatever. I usually leave it, as he suggests, for about 7 days - until it stops feeling so squishy and firms up. only thing is, my bacon is really salty. some people like it, I personally have come to believe I don't. like, my bacon is maybe 1.5x saltier than a decent store bought, maybe 1.25x saltier than broadbents. dunno what to do about this. I mean the obvious thing is to cut down on salt and or time, but I wanna be sure I'm properly curing whatever...
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Feb 18, 2013 09:26
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I only use curing salt for it instead of a curing/sea salt mix or whatever and when I bought it the instructions were for 250g per 10kg of meat.
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Feb 18, 2013 10:16
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I see Ruhlman says I need to rub my bacon half way through. SHould I be turning it daily or anything else? I feel like I should be more involved in this process.
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Feb 18, 2013 14:04
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mindphlux posted:so, I've been using a modified version of ruhlman's saltbox method for curing bacon for the last couple years. I basically have a big 2 gallon tub of cure premixed, so I'll just pour some on my work surface, slap my belly down, turn and press to evenly coat, and then throw in a ziplock with my herbs/aromatics/garlic/whatever. I usually measure everything when I do my bacon so I can adjust, instead of using a premixed cure. I think as long as you are putting the proper amount of pink salt in for the weight of the belly you are going to be fine with the cure. The salt can vary since it isnt like you are going to be dry curing and eating it raw. I have only done the saltbox method when I dry cure, since that seems to be more important to make sure all of the meat is covered in salt, otherwise I just dump everything in a bag with my belly for bacon. Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:I see Ruhlman says I need to rub my bacon half way through. SHould I be turning it daily or anything else? I feel like I should be more involved in this process. I flip the bag it is in over daily just so the liquid that comes out gets evenly distributed over the length of the cure. I also rub halfway through.
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Feb 18, 2013 16:24
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My first belly turned out way loving salty. Salty enough to almost not eat. I found using the exact recipe makes it very very close to store bought saltiness. And pink salt in bacon isnt that big a deal for curing, its more for color. There wont be enough time for botulinim to grow since it isnt in an oxygen free environment. For health reasons pink salt is required for dry sausages and other salami products since they dry and are sealed and allow anaerobic bacteria growth. Bacon curing never hits this stage. The pink salt is strictly for meat that stays pink instead of turns grey. (WHERE IS PF!! HE NEEDS TO WEIGH IN WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE!) As for the skin I always leave mine on. I love the texture of it on the bacon. To make some "healthy" cracklins just take your skin you cut off (hopefully here is some fat still attached to the underside) and scoe the skin lightly, set it skin side up on a roasting pan and stuff it in the oven at 375 for an hour, it will blister and pop and hit it with the broiler to finish it off. Thats how I do mine at least. Also yes flip your bag every day. It distributes the cure better.
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Feb 18, 2013 17:42
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Thanks for the help all!
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Feb 18, 2013 18:19
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Errant Gin Monks posted:I found using the exact recipe makes it very very close to store bought saltiness. And pink salt in bacon isnt that big a deal for curing, its more for color. There wont be enough time for botulinim to grow since it isnt in an oxygen free environment. For health reasons pink salt is required for dry sausages and other salami products since they dry and are sealed and allow anaerobic bacteria growth. Bacon curing never hits this stage. The pink salt is strictly for meat that stays pink instead of turns grey. (WHERE IS PF!! HE NEEDS TO WEIGH IN WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE!) But isnt the pink salt what also gives it the specific bacon flavor?
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Feb 18, 2013 19:03
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Nope, the brine and smoking does that, I think.^ I just ordered a pork belly from a great local farm. I should be getting it midweek. I'm going to try a spicy maple cure and then finish with a smoking. If the belly is large enough, I might split it and make a few different types of bacon. Has anyone else used maple in their brine? Or should I brine the belly, and then baste it with maple while it smokes?
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Feb 18, 2013 20:47
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Pink salt is salt. It contains sodium nitrite in some forms and both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate in other forms. (thingk DQ Salt #1 and #2) It doesnt change flavor, it just keeps anaeroibic bacteria from growing as well as preserve the color of meat. The only reason it is pink is because they dye it so you dont go full retarded and think its normal salt and start adding nitrites and nitrates all willy nilly to your pasta water. Pardalis is correct in that it is the qaity fo your pork, the cure and the smoke that makes bacon bacony. Also I have cured with maple syrup and its loving amazing. Cure with it, dont brush while smoking. You arent trying to glaze that bitch you are trying to bring it up to temp and get some smoke flavor in there. Having maple in the brine comes through well.
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Feb 18, 2013 21:11
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Excellent. I split the mix in the OP between two belly pieces, one with brown sugar and the other with maple. It doesn't seem like a lot of syrup, so I'm hoping it still comes through.
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Feb 18, 2013 21:40
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dms666 posted:But isnt the pink salt what also gives it the specific bacon flavor? yes Errant Gin Monks posted:Pink salt is salt. It contains sodium nitrite in some forms and both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate in other forms. (thingk DQ Salt #1 and #2) It doesnt change flavor, it just keeps anaeroibic bacteria from growing as well as preserve the color of meat. The only reason it is pink is because they dye it so you dont go full retarded and think its normal salt and start adding nitrites and nitrates all willy nilly to your pasta water. sorry bro, I like you as a poster, but this is not true. sodium nitrite definitely affects flavor, it gives everything it touches that 'hammy' flavor. just as a lesson in sodium nitrite, try dredging some chicken legs in two different cures - one with sodium nitrite, and one without - then go rinse them off and grill them after 4-6 hours. I frequently use chicken/turkey in place of pork in places I'd normally use smoked ham hocks (like collard greens, jambalaya, etc) because my girl doesn't eat pork. figuring out that sodium nitrite could give me that same hammy taste was a godsend. (CANT HAVE GREENS WITHOUT HAMMY SMOKEY MEAT GODDAMNIT GIRL)
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Feb 18, 2013 22:57
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mindphlux posted:sorry bro, I like you as a poster, but this is not true. sodium nitrite definitely affects flavor, it gives everything it touches that 'hammy' flavor. Then I stand corrected. What I have read said it didnt matter. Although looking online (wikipedia) it directly says that it affects cured meat flavor although they do not know why yet. So, Im wrong on that one 
Errant Gin Monks fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Feb 18, 2013 |
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Feb 18, 2013 23:25
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Ruhlman and Polcyn'sm Charcuterie and Salumi also differ from each other on how or when to use pink salt. Charcuterie recommends it for almost everything to be cured, while Salumi often just calls for sea salt. They also recommend much shorter fridge-curing times in Salumi, usually 1 day per 2 pounds of meat. I'm not sure why there's such a significant difference. They may explain it somewhere but I just missed it.
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Feb 18, 2013 23:27
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mindphlux posted:yes I'm repeating myself but I've given you curing salt safe weights of 250g of salt per 10kg of meat. Start with that and then add as you want. I personally prefer a bit more salt.
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Feb 18, 2013 23:46
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Scott Bakula posted:I'm repeating myself but I've given you curing salt safe weights of 250g of salt per 10kg of meat. Start with that and then add as you want. I personally prefer a bit more salt. Thanks!
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Feb 18, 2013 23:52
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I feel I should add that this was UK bought curing salt that isn't pink but is 0.4-6% sodium nitrite
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Feb 19, 2013 00:02
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Scott Bakula posted:I feel I should add that this was UK bought curing salt that isn't pink but is 0.4-6% sodium nitrite Thanks!
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Feb 19, 2013 05:06
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Hey I want to corn a beef. Any preferred recipe? I I only have pink salt, and I see that Alton Browns recipe calls for salt peter. I assume they aren't changeable but is there a conversion I can do and use it instead?
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Feb 22, 2013 22:36
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Ruhlman and Polcyn call for pink salt. 1 gallon/4 liters water 2 cups/450 grams kosher salt 1/2 cup/100 grams sugar 1 ounce/25 grams pink salt (5 teaspoons) 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons/20 grams pickling spice
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Feb 22, 2013 22:57
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Hey I want to corn a beef. Any preferred recipe? I I only have pink salt, and I see that Alton Browns recipe calls for salt peter. I assume they aren't changeable but is there a conversion I can do and use it instead? Like above you dont have to use salt peter. Its potassium nitrate instead of sodium nitrate. I use the Ruhlman recipe calling for pink salt to make corned beef/pastrami.
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Feb 22, 2013 23:32
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I corned a beef once using Ruhlman's recipe (+ a lot of extra herbs and spices), it was magnificent.
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Feb 23, 2013 21:13
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4th'ing the Ruhlman's corned beef. I made one about a year ago and is was awesome. I might have posted pics in this thread or an old Curing thread.
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Feb 24, 2013 06:09
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I discovered a place around the corner from my house. I thought they were just a wine shop, but no, they do fresh local bread from a bakery around the corner and various wacky cheeses . . . . and their own in-house charcuterie. They have jamon iberico. I am gonna end up so broke.
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Feb 24, 2013 18:19
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I just used Ruhlman's recipe to corn some short ribs from which I made pastrami so ill 6th that or however many it's up to. You can definitely increase the amount of spices no problem too.
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Feb 24, 2013 18:59
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Martello posted:Ruhlman and Polcyn call for pink salt. I've been eyeing this which is the same thing. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/home_cured_corned_beef/ The advantage is it actually explains pickling spice.
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Feb 25, 2013 06:12
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Charcuterie has a pickling spice recipe also, I just didn't post it. I can post the whole recipe if anyone wants and doesn't own the book.
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Feb 25, 2013 12:38
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I made Rhulman's corned beef once but I think boiling it the full 3 hours was a mistake. I want to try again but roast it for half the cooking time.
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Feb 25, 2013 12:47
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I followed the Alton Brown recipe for my corned beef. I cooked the thing a week ago and my apartment still smells of juniper berries. It's wonderful. The only thing i would do differently from next time is ask the butcher to remove the moist. Even after the boil and everything was rendered, it was a bit too fatty for my taste. I was able to use some of that fat to make corned beef hash though, so maybe it wasn't so bad. I'll need to work on it.  Fatty Goodness 
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Feb 25, 2013 13:34
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...too fatty? That's unpossible
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Feb 25, 2013 17:03
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Going to do the corned beef tonight, anyone have any particular recommendations for spicing over and above the pickling spice?
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Feb 25, 2013 21:46
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Generalissimo
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| # ? May 18, 2024 16:22 |
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I put one in brine yesterday. Just used a whole bunch of everything. We'll see if I overspiced. 2tbsps doesn't seem like a hell of a lot for a gallon of brine.
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Feb 25, 2013 22:34
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