What do you think - my different approach idea?

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

klyde

Newbie
Original poster
May 17, 2016
17
10
Hi guys,

I had a thought today (ouch that hurt) LOL.  Anyway, how do you think the results would turn out if you processed  a Pork Belly just like you would with Bresaola?  Cure in a vac-sealed bag for two weeks, add seasonings and hang dry, in an controlled environment, until it lost 30% of it's weight ???

Thanks. 
 
Oh, forgot to mention that part of the seasoning will be with cold smoked hickory salt.

ALSO:

Should I remove the skin first with this method?

Since it will probably dry for 6-8 weeks, it can be eaten with cooking - right?

Thx.
 
Last edited:
You do not cook it...   You use cure #2 to prepare it... 

You should get a charcuterie book...  Marianski is a good author...    look at his other books also.... 
 
Yep, because of the long cure & hang time... Cure#2 is for sure the way to go.  I was 96% thinking that cooking wasn't necessary but I am a green noob and just wanted to make sure.  I just started Ruhlman's book and quite frankly, I am a little disappointed with it. Half the book is about confit, pate and terrines.  I'm a meat and potatoes guy.  Plus he gives a brief description of the difference between cure  #1 & 2 in the beginning.  But then doesn't state which to use in any of his recipes. More plus again, box dredging the cure, really? With no accounting for the weight of the meat to salt & cure ratio? I am a green noob... but that makes NO sense to me from an analytical perspective.

Thanks for the heads up on Marianski book.  I'll check it out.

Thxs, cheers. :) :) :)
 
Last edited:
Box dredging is a commercial way to speed up the process...   weigh the meat, dredge the meat, note the pick up of salt  etc...  add the appropriate amount of nitrite to the dredge mix so when dredged, the nitrite will be close....  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... 

The USDA has since improved upon that "method" and determined maximums and minimums...  

You need to be aware of misprints in ALL books on curing...  types of cures and amounts are often in error....  Soooooo, a good basic understanding of how to use cures is important....  also, dry rubs and dry curing can be a bit confusing..  sometimes folks interchange those "words" without knowing the difference...

Curing meats is a science that does take some diligence to understand it, and it's terms.... 
 
I couldn't agree more.  After months of research, the most common recipe for a cure mixture I have seen is as follows...

Salt   =  3 % of weight of meat.

Cure =  0.25 - 0.30 % of weight of meat.

So, unless otherwise instructed, I will ignore what recipes say on this.
 
Last edited:
Seems like I have read 3% salt is the absolute minimum when fermenting...  then I saw 2.8ish %...  then 2.5% ...  I think every "master" has a number and sticks by it... 

Those are good numbers....  about "aging" with the skin on....   Did you notice Evan punctured the skin with thousands of holes to let the moisture out....    I thought that was a good idea....   I've not seen it done on ham legs, when doing a country cure or whatever it's called...

He has quite an interesting "aging" chamber he built himself....  He describes it in one of his threads, or on one of his many social media pages...

Well, good luck / skill ....   Pictures would be cool....  

Dave
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky