# Beef Breasola...



## indaswamp (Apr 15, 2021)

I started these to cure during the site shutdown. They are done curing and ready to be moved to the chamber.


trimmed ready to cure for about 10-14 days..






rinsed with red wine and then salt, cure #2, CBP, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf rubbed in..

Done curing, towel dried





Wrapped in collagen sheet










and in netting and pricked...






weighed, tagged and inda chamber...


----------



## WaterRat (Apr 15, 2021)

Wow, that is quite the sausage/salami collection! Nice curing chamber. What is that beef, eye of round?


----------



## indaswamp (Apr 15, 2021)

WaterRat said:


> Wow, that is quite the sausage/salami collection! Nice curing chamber. What is that beef, eye of round?


Thanks Waterrat...It's rump roast that I trimmed into 2 round pieces. Rump roast went on sale for $1.88/# here back in December so I bought 4 whole roasts. I used one for the breasola...made a big beef stew with the trim.


----------



## sandyut (Apr 15, 2021)

OMG!  Totally watching this one.


----------



## WaterRat (Apr 15, 2021)

indaswamp said:


> Thanks Waterrat...It's rump roast that I trimmed into 2 round pieces. Rump roast went on sale for $1.88/# here back in December so I bought 4 whole roasts. I used one for the breasola...made a big beef stew with the trim.



Ahh. That makes sense. I though eye from the shape, but it seemed to have too much fat...  I really need to get a small chest freezer so I can stock up when deals like that come along.


----------



## indaswamp (Apr 15, 2021)

WaterRat said:


> I really need to get a small chest freezer so I can stock up when deals like that come along.


I have 4 freezers....plus another I use for my curing chamber. Is it possible to have too much meat??? LOL!!!!!


----------



## WaterRat (Apr 15, 2021)

indaswamp said:


> I have 4 freezers....plus another I use for my curing chamber. Is it possible to have too much meat??? LOL!!!!!


Too much meat?!? No! I do have a space issue though -  but enough for a  for a freezer.  It's  also just the GF and I so I don't need or want a huge stockpile, things tend to go into the freezer and never return without great effort...


----------



## kilo charlie (Apr 15, 2021)

indaswamp said:


> I have 4 freezers....plus another I use for my curing chamber. Is it possible to have too much meat??? LOL!!!!!


The answer is NO.. especially when it looks like you are making great use of it!


----------



## Fueling Around (Apr 15, 2021)

Nice
How long before you torture us with photos of the finished product?


----------



## indaswamp (Apr 15, 2021)

Fueling Around said:


> Nice
> How long before you torture us with photos of the finished product?


LOL! I'm estimating 6-7 weeks before they dry enough, then another month or so vac sealed to equalize.


----------



## Mmmm Meat (Apr 15, 2021)

WaterRat said:


> Too much meat?!? No! I do have a space issue though -  but enough for a  for a freezer.  It's  also just the GF and I so I don't need or want a huge stockpile, things tend to go into the freezer and never return without great effort...


I have four freezers and I occasionally find things in there that I haven't seen in years.


----------



## Mmmm Meat (Apr 15, 2021)

indaswamp said:


> LOL! I'm estimating 6-7 weeks before they dry enough, then another month or so vac sealed to equalize.


I watched a vid on Bresaola last night.  I expect that cure will be awesome when it's done.


----------



## indaswamp (Apr 15, 2021)

Mmmm Meat said:


> I have four freezers and I occasionally find things in there that I haven't seen in years.


Mine are semi organized...1 freezer is all deer/pronghorn meat. Another is 1/2 fish, shrimp, oysters, frog legs and crawfish.....and store bought stuff like frozen veggies and pie crusts, etc.... Couple frozen turkey breasts too...I'll smoke those with all the wild turkey breasts after the season is over.
3rd freezer is Wild turkey, Ducks, geese, pheasants, grouse, and sausages....lots and lots of sausages....both smoked and fresh. 4th freezer I was given by my friend. It has wild hog, the domestic hog I butchered, 3 whole rump roasts, 2 packer briskets, 4 baby back ribs, smoked roast beef, smoked pastrami, 15# heritage pork fat for salami.


----------



## GentlemanJerk (May 5, 2021)

I've got a question about the collagen sheets you used.  I've currently been drying  using the Umai dry bags, but they changed their quantities from 5 bags per unit to 3 bags per unit for the same price so I'm looking for alternatives.   How does the collagen sheet hold up in comparison to the umai dry bags?


----------



## indaswamp (May 5, 2021)

GentlemanJerk said:


> I've got a question about the collagen sheets you used.  I've currently been drying  using the Umai dry bags, but they changed their quantities from 5 bags per unit to 3 bags per unit for the same price so I'm looking for alternatives.   How does the collagen sheet hold up in comparison to the umai dry bags?


Apples and oranges...

umai sheets are for use in a regular refrigerator while collagen sheets are for use in a curing chamber with controlled temp. and humidity; 55*F, 80-85%RH...


----------



## Mmmm Meat (May 5, 2021)

indaswamp said:


> Mine are semi organized...1 freezer is all deer/pronghorn meat. Another is 1/2 fish, shrimp, oysters, frog legs and crawfish.....and store bought stuff like frozen veggies and pie crusts, etc.... Couple frozen turkey breasts too...I'll smoke those with all the wild turkey breasts after the season is over.
> 3rd freezer is Wild turkey, Ducks, geese, pheasants, grouse, and sausages....lots and lots of sausages....both smoked and fresh. 4th freezer I was given by my friend. It has wild hog, the domestic hog I butchered, 3 whole rump roasts, 2 packer briskets, 4 baby back ribs, smoked roast beef, smoked pastrami, 15# heritage pork fat for salami.



That's a lot of meat!  I guessing you're vacuum sealing it - at least some of it.   If that is the case, what brand of V. sealer are you using?  I hate my Food Saver.  They should have named it "Food waster"  At least 50% of the sealed meats loose their vacuum and freezer burn takes over.    

Also - Pronghorn?  Is that from trips out West?  That seems like a perfect meat to dry cure.


----------



## indaswamp (May 5, 2021)

I just bought a vacmaster last October....I love it! it is a work horse!

Yep-that proghorn is really good.....been feeding on alfalfa hay so no strong flavors at all.


----------



## Mmmm Meat (May 7, 2021)

Hey Inda - do you think an eye of round would work well with this method? 

I found whole Angus Eye of Rounds on sale about 10 days ago for something like $3.50/LB.  Gorgeous looking whole muscle cuts, vac. sealed.  I couldn't pass on the sale, though I only got one since I'm totally out of space in my freezers.  I had to go through and remove some of my early Covid supplies purchased prior to the lockdown just to make space  for this beauty.


----------



## indaswamp (May 7, 2021)

Should work......just be sure to slice it really thin.


----------



## pushok2018 (May 7, 2021)

Nice! That is one happy curing chamber!


----------



## pumpkinseed (May 14, 2021)

I don't have a curing fridge so I use 'dry aging steak wraps' from The Sausage Maker in a normal fridge to do Bresaola & Pancetta.  I've been very happy with the results.  Check out the youtube channel for Two Guys and a Cooler, he has a video for using them.  
It is only the two of us in my house also.  But having a freezer is nice for when meat is on sale.  Or when I bought a half hog or a quarter beef.  And I like to make sausage, cure bacon, etc.  I'll also cook a large batch of soup or chili and store.  Did you know meatloaf vac sealed works really well if you put some gravy in with it?
I don't keep the freezer stuffed all the time, it varies.  But it is useful.  
For vac sealer I had to get a new one a few months ago.  I got a Nutrichef PKVS50STS with a cooling fan.  I occasionally do 20lbs of sausage in a weekend and my foodsaver just couldn't handle that much use, it isn't designed to.  SO far this has worked really well.


----------

