Cured meat projects?

So, my big cooking goal for '15 is getting a toehold on cured meats. Finally in a position to get started. And have done some preparatory shopping:



2 whole pork bellies (2 from the Asian market, and 1 from a gourmet grocery store for comparison), and a whole USDA prime packer brisket.

Looking for ideas and recipes. My thoughts:

Pastrami (one of my favorite things), bacon, and some kind of cured/SV pork belly entree thing similar to what I had at Knerds resto in '13....I still have dreams about that course...well, the whole meal.

 

SUBSCRIBED uch

 

You ain't country if you can't salt cure a ham!

 

i ll also be keepig an eye on this

 

Pastrami is relatively easy to brine and smoke. Lots of recipes out there depending on your preference.

The bacon can be a little trickier to cold smoke depending on your set up but also an easy brine/cure. Pancetta can be a great use but will cure better at slightly above refrigerator temps.

I've used a lot of recipes in Ruhlman's Charcuterie book which a lot of recipes are similar to the CIA charcuterie book. Both great resources and the CIA book can be found for cheap on used book store sites.

 

Thanks John! Given the response in several different places that I've posted this....it seem Ruhlman is required reading....

I have a 24" offset barrel-type smoker (Horizon), a Kamado (Akorn)....I have a cellar....but its got a dirt floor....and critters from time to time...are you talking about those kinds of temps?

 

@zweifel

Cellar temp should work. I used an attic in winter when I did a large amount of pancetta. I used a fifty-five gallon hefty barrel with a loosely fitted lid and the barrel had other ventilation holes in it. I checked the meat a couple of times a week and it never had an issue with mold of any color. I would have to check my notes for what temp you want.

For cold smoking you can use a "fuse" pan or whatever they call it. Something where you have a small amount of charcoal lit and smoldering with some sawdust on it and then it lights a little more charcoal beside it. Usually in a metal maze -ish pan. Easily made from metal (not galvanized) spackle pans. The long trough ones... But you're aiming for smoke but keep it as close to refrigeration temps as possible. Ideally never getting above 90. I've used a metal pie plate, a soldering iron and a sealed cardboard box with a belly hanging from a broomstick inserted through in a pinch...

Then knowing your other interests I can see you getting into lacto-fermented sausages. That'll be another can of worms but you should know what your cellar temp is by then and if you would need a cooler fermentation chamber or not. I'm still watching for a fullsize upright fridge that isn't a POS that I can put a temp controller in and use it for regulating fermenting beer temps that would double a sausage ferment er. A lot of the temp ranges overlap!

Ruhlman's book is a nice book with decent background on the why and how. The CIA book has better pictures and I think better details on actually doing things. A lot items are knowing salt to meat ratios then meat to fat ratios. Proper sanitation and then temparature control through all the processes and keeping most of your grinding/stuffing equipment as cold as possible to keep fat from breaking down/sticking.

Holler at us with any more questions or hit up your other forums.

 

Interesting. Thanks again!

 

Duck prosciutto! These pics were from several years ago.

Salt, cracked black pepper, cracked coriander, crumbled bay leaves:



Magret (Moulard duck breast), about a pound for each half:



Coated in the herb salt (used about two tablespoons per pound):



Vac sealed and ready to refrigerate:



After five days' curing time:



Rinsed them thoroughly, dried them with paper towels, then wrapped them in a triple layer of cheesecloth. Since I don't have a basement, cellar or charcuterie chamber, I made do with a little portable fridge set to 50 degrees F, with the door cracked open to allow for air circulation:



Because they exuded quite a bit of moisture, I took them out to let them dry for about half an hour each day:



They reached 30% moisture loss after about fifteen days, so at that point I figured I was due for a taste test:



And it was lovely - salty, fatty, a little funky, with just the right balance between melty and chewy. What we didn't eat or freeze right away made a perfect accompaniment for herb-roasted figs.

 

That is Duck- tastic!

 

Thanks, Jim! It's one of those spectacular-result-for-minimal-effort things. Freezes beautifully, too, and you can vary the herbs/spices however you like.

 

Very nice!

 

That is ducking awesome!

Never had duck before.

 

never had duck liek that but the other ways i have had it let me know thats got to be stunning