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Zombie Dachshund posted:there is interest
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Jul 28, 2016 16:38
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All your meats are very handsome.
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Jul 28, 2016 17:35
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Zombie Dachshund posted:there is interest. There is also interest in hearing about how you rigged the freezer!
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Jul 28, 2016 19:03
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CaptainCrunch posted:There is also interest in hearing about how you rigged the freezer! This is easy (because I don't have to dig up photos). I originally used an old refrigerator, but when it blew out, I replaced it with a freezer. Either works fine, but he freezer has more storage space. Literally all I did was buy an Auber TH210 thermostat/hygrostat. I plugged the freezer into that, put an ultrasonic humidifier in he freezer, plugged it into the Auber, and bingo! Done. If, unlike me, you are handy, you can do it cheaper with a more DIY setup. You can also do something like install a computer fan in the side of the freezer, but I would electrocute myself. I figure that I check it once a day anyhow; when I open the door to look at mah meats, that creates enough airflow. The Auber keeps it at 55 F/ 75% RH, more or less. Works great. That's it. The whole setup was about $300 ($125 for the Auber, $100 for the freezer, $40 for the humidifier and a few bucks for random items like S-hooks.) As I said, you could do it for cheaper if you have more know-how, but this was really easy. The only other piece of advice I have is that I wouldn't recommend using a dorm freezer or wine fridge unless you live in a small apartment or whatever, or if you're really low on funds. It can work, but you'll have less control.
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Jul 28, 2016 22:30
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Are there heaters that people would recommend for this purpose? The space I'm thinking about charcuterizing in is a cold cellar, and winters here get down to freezing. I don't know how cold the cellar itself gets, because I haven't done a winter in the house yet, but I suspect it's well below 55F.
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Jul 30, 2016 14:45
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Chemmy posted:I was at the grocery store and they had brisket so I bought a piece and made pastrami for the first time. If you're going to do single muscle pastrami, always use the fatty end of a brisket. If you do whole brisket, you'll need to brine for at least 10 days.
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Jul 30, 2016 14:51
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Chef De Cuisinart posted:If you're going to do single muscle pastrami, always use the fatty end of a brisket. If you do whole brisket, you'll need to brine for at least 10 days. How long do you need to smoke a full brisket after a 10-14 day brine?
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Jul 30, 2016 14:53
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Chef De Cuisinart posted:If you're going to do single muscle pastrami, always use the fatty end of a brisket. If you do whole brisket, you'll need to brine for at least 10 days. That's all they had. It came out ok.
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Jul 30, 2016 16:50
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Subjunctive posted:Are there heaters that people would recommend for this purpose? The space I'm thinking about charcuterizing in is a cold cellar, and winters here get down to freezing. I don't know how cold the cellar itself gets, because I haven't done a winter in the house yet, but I suspect it's well below 55F. You mean a space heater, right? I don't have a specific answer, but I imagine the two issues are power (how big is the space you're using, and how much warmer do you want it?) and precision. Ive never used a space heater that was all that precise; I'm sure there are some but I bet they're expensive. Better to get a cheaper model and hook it up to a PID temperature controller, IMO. What's the humidity in the cellar? Chemmy posted:That's all they had. It came out ok. Looks better than OK, Chemmy. Fattier pastrami is always better if you can get fatty brisket (or even better, plate), but lean pastrami is still pretty great.
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Jul 30, 2016 20:13
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Zombie Dachshund posted:You mean a space heater, right? I don't have a specific answer, but I imagine the two issues are power (how big is the space you're using, and how much warmer do you want it?) and precision. Ive never used a space heater that was all that precise; I'm sure there are some but I bet they're expensive. Better to get a cheaper model and hook it up to a PID temperature controller, IMO. I figured it would be a lightbulb sort of thing rather than a space heater. Like for terrariums or such. Space is likely to be mid-sized freezer or fridge, but I haven't bought it yet. Outside temp as low as 20F, have to measure indoors as winter arrives. Not sure of humidity either. Basically I'm just trying to figure out if charcuterie will be a half-year or full-year pastime once I get into the new place. Recommendations for good containers very welcome as well!
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Jul 30, 2016 20:23
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Subjunctive posted:I figured it would be a lightbulb sort of thing rather than a space heater. Like for terrariums or such. Space is likely to be mid-sized freezer or fridge, but I haven't bought it yet. Outside temp as low as 20F, have to measure indoors as winter arrives. Not sure of humidity either. I heard that the terrarium heater bulbs work well combined with a temperature controller in a home-brewing scenario, so I'm assuming they will work with Charcuterie. Specifically something like https://www.chewy.com/flukers-ceramic-reptile-heat-emitter/dp/129150 But make sure you have a fan in there to circulate the heat around so you don't have hotspots.
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Jul 30, 2016 23:17
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Slimy Hog posted:I heard that the terrarium heater bulbs work well combined with a temperature controller in a home-brewing scenario, so I'm assuming they will work with Charcuterie. Cool, this looks like it's shaping up to be a fun project
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Jul 30, 2016 23:23
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Zombie Dachshund posted:This is easy (because I don't have to dig up photos). I originally used an old refrigerator, but when it blew out, I replaced it with a freezer. Either works fine, but he freezer has more storage space. Well that's pretty cool, regardless. Thank you for the write up!
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Jul 30, 2016 23:50
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Random Hero posted:How long do you need to smoke a full brisket after a 10-14 day brine? I do 12 hours at 225F. quote:That's all they had. It came out ok. Oh, for sure. Can't go wrong with cured meat. Fatty end just results in that perfect need for a nap after eating.
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Jul 31, 2016 01:27
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Subjunctive posted:I figured it would be a lightbulb sort of thing rather than a space heater. Like for terrariums or such. Space is likely to be mid-sized freezer or fridge, but I haven't bought it yet. Outside temp as low as 20F, have to measure indoors as winter arrives. Not sure of humidity either. Ah, I thought you were converting part of the cellar itself. Got it. In that case, yeah, a ceramic terrarium heater works great. My chamber is in the garage, which gets pretty cold in the winter. Last winter, the chamber itself stayed at around 50-55 degrees without me doing anything to heat it. However, since the compressor wasn't cycling, it got crazy humid in there and the humidity sensor stopped working. I put in a ceramic heater just like the one Slimy Hog linked to, and hooked it up to a timer that I had lying around so that it didn't get too hot. (A dimmer switch would have worked better and I need to get one before the winter.) At some point in the spring I turned it off, and I haven't installed it yet in the new chamber. As far as a container: if you can get it down the stairs, you might as well go big, with a full-sized upright freezer. I prefer that to a fridge, since you can use all the space (a fridge will have a separate freezer compartment, which you can use for casings, etc., but that's only marginally useful IMO.) If you can get a beverage cooler (the kind they use for sodas at convenience stores), I've heard those work well and have a lot of space. My recommendation is to start trawling Craigslist now, so you can get one for cheap. Good luck!
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Jul 31, 2016 03:13
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Some of you are doing gods work in this thread. My grocery store I frequent has a charcuterie section and I've always wanted to try some stuff but don't know where to start. I get San Daniele prosciutto when it's on sale and it's the most delicious meat I've ever put into my mouth hole. What's some other stuff I should look out for?
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Aug 12, 2016 16:17
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My advice is try all the things and have conversations with the seller about your tastes.
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Aug 12, 2016 18:11
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Try some prosciutto di parma and see if you like that as well. You will probably also want to explore some salamis. If they have it, see if you can get some lomo as that has some similar characteristics to san daniele prosciutto. Grocery stores are tough to buy from since you are just getting pre-packaged and often mass-produced product. See if you can find a proper deli, as they can help guide you based on your tastes, and will likely have fresher and more diverse products.
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Aug 12, 2016 18:36
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ada shatan posted:Try some prosciutto di parma and see if you like that as well. You will probably also want to explore some salamis. If they have it, see if you can get some lomo as that has some similar characteristics to san daniele prosciutto. Thanks for the suggestions! I probably did it a disservice by calling it a grocery store. They have what I think is a nice deli, they have $120 per/lb ibérico ham and a bunch of other expensive stuff. They just have so much it's a bit intimidating.
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Aug 13, 2016 10:25
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Get the ham.
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Aug 13, 2016 14:04
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Chemmy posted:Get the ham.
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Aug 13, 2016 14:09
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Chemmy posted:Get the ham. $120 / lb iberico is super pricey though.
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Aug 13, 2016 15:29
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If you do get the ham, taste it first. I've had fairly mixed luck with Iberico outside of Spain, I think largely due to issues with it being shipped and stored inappropriately. Not that it's spoiled exactly, but the fat can go off slightly and it kinda wrecks the flavor a bit.
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Aug 13, 2016 17:20
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Yeah to me J.I. is just one of those things I go all out and enjoy when I go to Europe and don't worry about in the US.
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Aug 13, 2016 17:55
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Chemmy posted:Get the ham. This, but realize they will cut it super thin so don't be scared by price. You could spend 10 bucks and get a few slices.
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Aug 14, 2016 16:02
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Hey folks, I made the Bresaola using Ruhlman's recipe and it's been hanging for 3 weeks, and has lost nearly 30% of its weight, which is good, but it seems too squishy still. I realize now - perhaps too late - that I made a mistake early on and didn't know until I went over the recipe again just now: I forgot to trim off the fat and silverskin, so it has a (relatively thin) layer of it along one side of the meat. One other weird thing that happened was that when sitting in the cure in the fridge, not as much water came out as the book described - it was wet, but not sitting in a puddle, so to speak - so it might have had more water than it was supposed to when I hung it. So... What should I do now to get the best result? Should I trim it and re-tie it and hang it for longer? Do nothing and wait to see if it firms up a bit when it's lost 40% of its weight in another week or two? Write it off as a failure and enjoy my weird squishy meat? Aside from being squishy, it seems perfectly fine - smell is fine, no signs of bad mold, etc.
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Aug 15, 2016 04:43
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Chemmy posted:Get the ham. Also, it was already said but they will cut it very thin. Certainly it's amazing that way but if you want to make it last a bit more toast some baguette and rub a little garlic and tomato on it. Just rub, you still want the ham to be the star of the show so you'll only want a hint of garlic/tomato. Again, the ham on it's own is amazing but this will help you spread it out if you're using it as an appetizer or snack for a party. lifts cats over head fucked around with this message at 15:45 on Aug 15, 2016 |
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Aug 15, 2016 15:41
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gnaw chunks off the ham they give you like an animal imo
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Aug 15, 2016 19:22
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Jimbozig posted:Hey folks, I made the Bresaola using Ruhlman's recipe and it's been hanging for 3 weeks, and has lost nearly 30% of its weight, which is good, but it seems too squishy still. I realize now - perhaps too late - that I made a mistake early on and didn't know until I went over the recipe again just now: I forgot to trim off the fat and silverskin, so it has a (relatively thin) layer of it along one side of the meat. One other weird thing that happened was that when sitting in the cure in the fridge, not as much water came out as the book described - it was wet, but not sitting in a puddle, so to speak - so it might have had more water than it was supposed to when I hung it. It's hard to tell from here what's making it squishy. If it's the fat on the outside, well, that's never going to dry fully, but it's not a problem. And at 30% loss, I would expect it to still be somewhat squishy. That's said, I'd be a little concerned that it's drying too quickly (3 weeks/30% is faster than I ever see) and you might be getting some case hardening. If it hits 40% and the inside feels squishy, then that's the reason. Not the greatest thing but not the end of the world. You can always vacuum seal it for a couple of weeks and it will even out somewhat. Don't trim the fat. Some people don't like the flavor of beef fat, but IMO it's fine, and gives it a little funk. I've even made lamb prosciutto with a lot of fat left in it and it was great (if you like that sort of thing.)
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Aug 15, 2016 22:14
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Zombie Dachshund posted:It's hard to tell from here what's making it squishy. If it's the fat on the outside, well, that's never going to dry fully, but it's not a problem. And at 30% loss, I would expect it to still be somewhat squishy. That's said, I'd be a little concerned that it's drying too quickly (3 weeks/30% is faster than I ever see) and you might be getting some case hardening. If it hits 40% and the inside feels squishy, then that's the reason. Not the greatest thing but not the end of the world. You can always vacuum seal it for a couple of weeks and it will even out somewhat. Thanks! I'll keep waiting and see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
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Aug 16, 2016 17:47
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Zombie Dachshund posted:It's hard to tell from here what's making it squishy. If it's the fat on the outside, well, that's never going to dry fully, but it's not a problem. And at 30% loss, I would expect it to still be somewhat squishy. That's said, I'd be a little concerned that it's drying too quickly (3 weeks/30% is faster than I ever see) and you might be getting some case hardening. If it hits 40% and the inside feels squishy, then that's the reason. Not the greatest thing but not the end of the world. You can always vacuum seal it for a couple of weeks and it will even out somewhat. That sounds interesting, what cut did you use for the lamb?
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Aug 17, 2016 13:09
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Just boneless leg, trimmed, cured (garlic, rosemary, juniper), rolled as tightly as I could and cased in a beef bung. It was good stuff and I need to make another in the near future.
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Aug 19, 2016 00:24
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I had to trim a solid 2.5 lbs off of a brisket I'm smoking this weekend so I decided to make corned beef. I just wanted to double check something. I'll be using Ruhlman's recipe for corned beef and I think I should use the same ratios for the brine but since the piece is half of what he recommends it may not take the full 5-7 days? If that's true does anyone know what to look for to know it's cured properly (ie firmness, weightloss, etc.)?
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Aug 19, 2016 14:21
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 Party time! I brought a selection of my salumis. Clockwise, from 1 o clock: lamb prosciutto Orange/fennel lonza Saucisson sec Fennel/red wine salami Hot coppa And in the center, 'nduja
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Aug 22, 2016 20:07
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 gently caress
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Aug 22, 2016 20:09
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Zombie Dachshund posted:
Wow. That looks incredible. Well done!
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Aug 22, 2016 20:09
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Zombie Dachshund posted:Just boneless leg, trimmed, cured (garlic, rosemary, juniper), rolled as tightly as I could and cased in a beef bung. It was good stuff and I need to make another in the near future. Can you go a little more in depth on that? Id love to give this a shot at some point.
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Aug 22, 2016 22:01
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Zombie Dachshund posted:
Amazing. 
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Aug 23, 2016 00:09
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Thanks for the props, all!Ckwiesr posted:Can you go a little more in depth on that? Id love to give this a shot at some point. How much curing have you done? If the answer is "not much," it's not the best place to start- you want a lonza or bresaola, which is easier to work with. If you've done some, I can get you the recipe in a week or so (I'm out of town and my notebook is at home). But it's basically the same technique as you'd use for other solid muscle curing: the difference is that a deboned leg is a little messy and requires rolling as tight as possible before casing it (I used a beef bung cap).
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Aug 23, 2016 02:35
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Zombie Dachshund posted:Just boneless leg, trimmed, cured (garlic, rosemary, juniper), rolled as tightly as I could and cased in a beef bung. It was good stuff and I need to make another in the near future. As long as its not a boneless human leg
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Aug 23, 2016 05:57
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