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Scott Justice posted:I have one pork belly in the fridge and I plan to buy two more. I got it at wholefoods and they don't carry products with nitrates. Would kosher salt be enough to cure the bacon? Any loop holes on how to only use kosher salt and still be safe? Would they sell curing salts at trader joes or any other places near union square? Bacteria cannot grow in a salty environment. The nitrites are primarily to preserve color. The bacon just won't be the red color you are used to.
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Jan 1, 2012 01:36
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| # ¿ May 5, 2024 09:02 |
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Went back and looked it up to stop all the back and forth. To summarize Ruhlman: First, Sodium nitrite is whats in pink salt. It has three purposes: 1) Kills bacteria, in particular botulism. 2) Preserves color 3) Adds a piquant flavor Nitrates are generally only relevant in long-cured dry sausages, and in the US are sold as DQ Curing Salt #2 or Insta Cure #2. They are basically a time release version of nitrites. Dry cured sausages require some kind of curing salt. As for the danger of cancer, it is possible but not any more dangerous than eating spinach.
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Jan 2, 2012 23:20
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I have seen whiskey cured bacon but it didn't seem all that impressive. You would probably have better luck soaking a spice (peppercorns?) in whiskey and then using that in the cure, but I have not tried it. Finally got a damned meat slicer today, smoked off like thirty pounds of pork belly I had curing. For consistency I don't use more than basic cure + pepper but might get some of my own pork belly and play around. I get it from my meat guy (Sysco lol) for $1.80 a pound so not much holding me back...
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Jan 6, 2012 05:48
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Meaty Ore posted:Would the process for curing a ham be about the same as the one for curing bacon? I don't have access to fresh pork belly at the moment(or Ruhlman's book), but I do have a couple of hams kicking around in my freezer that I've been meaning to cure for a few months. Its pretty different. You rub kosher salt all over it, let it cure for 1 day per pound. Then you rinse thoroughly, coat it in a layer of lard, sprinkle pepper on the lard, and wrap it in cheesecloth. Then you put it somewhere cool and dry for ~6 months...theres a rind you have to take off at the end, as well.
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Jan 7, 2012 19:46
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You need to add more than whats in the cure to make iit actually sweet, in my experience. But i smoke mine too, which might mask it. It wont come out as sweet as maple cured stuff though.
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Jan 12, 2012 18:11
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You can also use the pepper as part of the cure if you want. Gets into the meat, different depth of flavor. Duck breast prosciutto is easier than people realize and ridiculously delicious. I actually have it on my menu with arugula, pine nuts, and a simple citrus vin. It is salty, fatty, and amazing. I didn't make the lox but the recipe for the fennel cured salmon is pretty awesome.
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Jan 13, 2012 03:25
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| # ¿ May 5, 2024 09:02 |
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tomorrow the pastrami comes out, 2 days later the corned beef. Or maybe the other way around I cannot remember. I blew through three breasts of the proscuitto in a week or two here, people loving love it. I think the cure needs pepper though, or maybe some citrus.
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Jan 20, 2012 04:57
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