Post by auntieemu on Mar 13, 2006 16:33:30 GMT -5
Please consider this just real basic info as curing and smoking meat is real inexact - the weight, size and quality of the meat, temperature and density of the smoke (both of these vary with humidity and air pressure), coarseness of the salt and even the type of wood will affect it.
If you are curing and smoking to preserve it rather than just to add flavor, use a strong salty brine cure and cold smoke for the full time. If you are not going for long term storage, you can dry cure and hot smoke, but I am not talking about that here.
Some people like a pickle brine, but I like a sugar cure.
Brine Cure
For every 2 gallons water
Add:
*3 pounds pickling salt (do not use table salt with iodine as it will discolor the meat, rock salt, kosher salt, dairy salt and canning salt will work, but pickling salt is a finer grind and will melt in the water quicker)
*1 pound brown sugar
*2 tablespoons black pepper
*5 crushed cloves
*1 tablespoon white pepper
If your water has chlorine in it, boil it first and let it cool.
The brine should be between 36 to 40 degrees F and needs to be maintained at that temperature during the process.
If you are working with hams, use a brine pump (available at most ag supply stores and looks like a giant needle) to inject brine near the bone in 4 or 5 separate areas. This will help prevent 'center rot' of the meat.
Use a non-metal airtight container like a crock. Start by layering the larger pieces of meat on the bottom, skin side down and then adding the smaller ones. Fill the container with brine until the pieces start to shift around. To keep the meat from floating, use a plate with a weight on it. Make sure you don't trap any air under it. Add enough brine to cover the plate and all the meat.
After 3 to 5 days remove the meat, spoon off any skum and stire the brine up. Then repack the crock. If you are curing hams, you need to do this once a week. If you are working with small pieces, once will be enough.
You can cut off a piece of meat and cook it to test for 'taste' and when you think it is cured to your taste, remove each piece from the crock and rinse in warm water, then in cold. Use a clean scrubbing brush to remove any encrustations of salt. Hang the pieces in a warm place to dry.
Hams or shoulders should cure 4 days per pound of meat, to a maximum of 28 days. Bacon or loin meat should cure 15 to 20 days. After curing, you cold smoke for 4 days.
The temperature for cold smoking should be between 70 to 90 degrees, but if the hams are really large you can go up to 110 F.
Lets see, what else - use hardwood, not soft.
Ya'll hop in here and share some info on what you do. Share a recipe!
If you are curing and smoking to preserve it rather than just to add flavor, use a strong salty brine cure and cold smoke for the full time. If you are not going for long term storage, you can dry cure and hot smoke, but I am not talking about that here.
Some people like a pickle brine, but I like a sugar cure.
Brine Cure
For every 2 gallons water
Add:
*3 pounds pickling salt (do not use table salt with iodine as it will discolor the meat, rock salt, kosher salt, dairy salt and canning salt will work, but pickling salt is a finer grind and will melt in the water quicker)
*1 pound brown sugar
*2 tablespoons black pepper
*5 crushed cloves
*1 tablespoon white pepper
If your water has chlorine in it, boil it first and let it cool.
The brine should be between 36 to 40 degrees F and needs to be maintained at that temperature during the process.
If you are working with hams, use a brine pump (available at most ag supply stores and looks like a giant needle) to inject brine near the bone in 4 or 5 separate areas. This will help prevent 'center rot' of the meat.
Use a non-metal airtight container like a crock. Start by layering the larger pieces of meat on the bottom, skin side down and then adding the smaller ones. Fill the container with brine until the pieces start to shift around. To keep the meat from floating, use a plate with a weight on it. Make sure you don't trap any air under it. Add enough brine to cover the plate and all the meat.
After 3 to 5 days remove the meat, spoon off any skum and stire the brine up. Then repack the crock. If you are curing hams, you need to do this once a week. If you are working with small pieces, once will be enough.
You can cut off a piece of meat and cook it to test for 'taste' and when you think it is cured to your taste, remove each piece from the crock and rinse in warm water, then in cold. Use a clean scrubbing brush to remove any encrustations of salt. Hang the pieces in a warm place to dry.
Hams or shoulders should cure 4 days per pound of meat, to a maximum of 28 days. Bacon or loin meat should cure 15 to 20 days. After curing, you cold smoke for 4 days.
The temperature for cold smoking should be between 70 to 90 degrees, but if the hams are really large you can go up to 110 F.
Lets see, what else - use hardwood, not soft.
Ya'll hop in here and share some info on what you do. Share a recipe!