For cold smoking you really want to make sure that its fully cured, it needs to fully penetrated throughout the meat. Good, ya did it right. It is an essential step in cold smoking. Thanks and GOD Bless. Keep the meat refrigerated for a week to 12 days. Mainly, I just want to touch on each method so you can get some ideas. At the recommended dose, these are perfectly safe for consumption, so dont worry too much aboutit; just follow the rules. (If it is not firm it is because there is still too much fluid left in the ham.). Melissa K. Norris and Pioneering Today LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. For the drying process, whether you are using a cellar, curing chamber or fridge and you want to be heading the magic 65% of the starting meat weight. How to Combine Delta-8 THC With Home-Prepared Food. Old Fashioned Recipe for Curing Ham For every 100 pounds of meat take 5 pints of good molasses or 5 pounds of brown sugar, 5 ounces saltpetre, 8 pounds of rock salt and add 3 gallons of water to a pot. The salt/sugar mix adds color and flavor to the meat. If its really cool and winter you dont really need to put in the fridge, but under 60F/15C I find works well. Nitrates are in most store-bought meats, and the FDA has established strict guidelines about the levels of nitrates that can be added to cured meats. Next, rub the meat with salt, and let it dry completely. To buy: Look in your local . Back in the day there wasnt really any refrigeration. Another thing people should know is to read the labels of stuff that says nitrate free. Happy New Year. Another option in the good old mortar & pestle. Years ago, several methods of curing meat with . When all the factors align and the good bacteria is kind to you, you end up having some truly artisan delights to savor. You will know for sure when the meat was lost 35%-40% of its original weight. Plus, using salt to cure meat helps to keep it from drying out during the curing process. Question Do you have a recipe for bacon curing as well? Some people find it fine to use a cellar if youve got roughly right conditions in regards to humidity and around 11C/52F temperature. But, did you know that saltpeter is potassium nitrate? The salt also weakens muscle fibers, affecting the texture of the cured meat. Salt pork and beef were traditional preserved this way. Salt curing meat is a traditional method of doing this. Curing Meat, Fish, & Game Butchering Beef Sausage Bureau of Ships Manual: Commissary equipment (1943, 1957) Build a Smokehouse How to Make Italian Sausage: Delicious Homemade Recipes for Spicy and Mild Links The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book Checklist: The pure, chemical form must be used in order to be considered cured according to government standards. If using a cooler, be sure to check your ice daily and replenish it as needed. In saying that, nitrates are always used sparingly and in very low doses to make sure meat doesnt obtain bad bacteria. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright2023 - Melissa K. Norris Pioneering Today LLC. Could I put ham in pail with hock bone down when in fridge? To cure 5 pounds of meat with a minimum of ingredients, first combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses in a bowl. This post is an overview to explain each step and how I use salt to cure meat in different ways. Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish I do quite often with salmon that uses this method. Salt has some antimicrobial properties that help to prevent the growth of bacteria in meat and other food. Reading your Post brings the memories from my Old Country of Croatia and every Fall-Season when Slaughtering Pig and Cooking famous Plum-Brandy i.e. Water is what causes meat to spoil and salt pulls water from the meat,. I am from Ms, North since 86. Once the ham is cured, it can be smoked, cooked or frozen for later cooking. Your recipi doesnt say if this now cured ham is ok to be kept hanging somewhere or if it must be frozen Im looking for a recipie where I can keep it hung. If you cure too long, the meat loses quality. Before refrigeration was available, curing was just about the only way to save up meat in warm weather months. Salt Safety in Dry Curing. The optimal temperature for salt curing meat is between 55F and 60F. If you are going to smoke your ham, it has to be firm to the touch. Then youll know it is fully dry-cured. 2. Does this only work for pork or can this process be used on venison etc? Make sure you have enough water to completely cover the backfat and platter. [], When you slit at the joints are you slitting them from joint to joint or making 2 slits at each joint, thank you. Sodium nitrate will also make your cured meats turn a nice shade of bright reddish-pink. Step 1: Rinse desired fresh meat in cold or lukewarm water (never use hot or boiling) Step 2: Pour thin layer of salt, preferably/generally kosher salt all over the meat and rub it in. Im going to give you some tips on curing and smoking meats as well as a little bit of insight as to how and why (even with the availability of refrigeration) it is a healthier option than freezing. Then place in a ziplock bag or, to ensure no air gets in, use a vacuum sealer. The sides too. Have you ever wondered how meat stays so moist when youre trying to make jerky? As you can see its my go-to method for a lot of the curing projects. Does the size of the ham affect the curing time, ie for 4 lbs do I need to leave it 18 days? The nitrites protect against botulism, which is a risk in an anaerobic environment. Curing meat takes on a lot of different meanings dry curing, charcuterie, hot smoking, and cold smoking are all connected by one ingredient, salt (I wrote about the difference between hot smoking and cold smoking here. There are basically two ways to salt-cure meat. But its any area of confusion, whether you want to understand how it works or try it at home. Once the ham is cured, rinse well with cool water then smoke it, cook it or freeze it for later (see recipe notes for cooking tips). Shirley. The first method is to brine the meat, by immersing it in a salty liquid. Curing salt does come in small packages and not large amounts are recommended in your recipe it calls for quite a bit of curing salt is it a mixture of curing salt and salt let me know thanks. Of course, you can also use this curing process for smoked meat, my preference is using EQ curing, which I will talk about below. Use cure mixtures that contain nitrate (e.g., Prague Powder 2, Insta-Cure 2) for dry-cured products that are not to be cooked, smoked, or refrigerated ( PHS/FDA 2001 ). If freezing, slice the ham and freeze or freeze whole. : SHLIVOVITZ was being cooked in Steel. Many people prefer dry curing as opposed to injecting or immersing the ham with a curing solution. Depending on the recipe, you can place the meat in a ziplock bag also. The time required will be determined on the thickness of the meat. Place your smoking tray (or aluminum foil tray) on top of the charcoal and add 1/2 cup wet wood chips. You ever wondered why salt is put on meat before its cooked? Boil over a gentle heat, removing scum as it rises. Hello there, nice article. Happy Holidays, i.e. But because they wanted to brine quickly, 80 brine salinity is used, which can cure small fish in 5 to 15 minutes. Place the ham on top of the layer of curing mix. Wash the meat and sterilize the jars before you do. Make sure to get any pockets or under bits of fat - anywhere where water could accumulate. I hope youll check out my blog and my recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you! Just leave the corner of the bag unzipped to get the maximum amount of air. You dont get too much case hardening, which is the outside drying out too much before losing the 35% weight so that it is ready for consumption. Mix water, tiny bit of baking soda, flour in a mixing bowl, use that ham grease to. The meat here smelled a bit off after I washed the pork. Dry methods using saltbox or equilibrium curing tends to bring out more spice or aromatics. Instructions. Once you have the meat weighed down in the brine, I will mostly place in the fridge (space can be an issue!). Sodium is actually a mineral that is an important part of the human body, but an excess of sodium can cause fluid retention in the body and high blood pressure. And, do I need to refrigerate the ham after it has smoked? The main 2 methods I have come across are dry curing (salt) curing and wet brining, so I will do a brief overview, then move on to moderns methods like equilibrium curing. Pour over the contents of the crock. Salt curing is a method of preserving meat. In the age of the Internet and microwaves, we tend to expect ease and instant gratification to be a perpetual way of life. Sugar. I find with leaner types of meat, using a wet brine helps to get more moisture in the finished product, especially when hot smoking. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. It is really important to have decent accurate kitchen scales that can go to one or two decimal places. Thanks for dropping by, Ive been passionate about meat curing for decades. Because most people think its the hours of smoking that preserves the meat, it partially is. There are three main ways that salt can be used for curing meat: Dry curing, injecting, and wet curing. Many people prefer dry curing as opposed to injecting or immersing the ham with a curing solution. nitrate per 100 lbs. Curing meat has so many different variations; the meat curing world is infinitely much larger than Italian classic salami or salumi. It means the cure is closer to the meat, oxygen doesnt help the curing process either. The Old & New Methods of Curing Meat with Salt, Want to Make Charcuterie at Home? Keep meat under refrigeration or hanging in a cold place (38 to 45 degrees F) after curing to dry and to give the salt time to spread evenly throughout the meat. Once you have had a ham cured and smoked to perfection, you will never buy a store bought again. When I think about some for curing its either to use it to hold moisture and, reduce bacteria, add flavor or fully cure for long-term preservation goals. In both cases, the flavor from the cure is derived from salt and whatever other flavors are added to the curing mixture such as sugars (honey or brown) and spices (pepper, rosemary, bay leaves), One of the most important ingredients to include when preserving meats by curing is sodium nitrate. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Awesome, Lisa! There was a flap of meat and I didnt get alt on the inside. This is the method my grandparents used and id like to give it a try if . For this, youll need a salt block, a salt shaker, and a thermometer. Hi, awesome article! Old Smokehouses were impressive structures that served both as meat smokers and as storage facilities. I would like to smoke the ham after curing. But I would love to hear your thoughts. Limited Time 50% OFF, Salt Pork / Salt Fish long preservation, Dry salting curing for dry-cured meats & salumi, Salt brining curing for hot & cold smoking (or dry salt curing). Can I save this meat? Add more wet chips, as needed, to keep the smoke up. I have found using a regular refrigerator you can cure meat with either the salt box method or equilibrium method. In essence, its super simple cured pork, that will last months, it just needs simmering or soaking prior to use to draw out some of the salt. In order to have the word cured on the label, there is some set minimum of nitrates that the government says the meat must be cured with, which cannot be guaranteed with celery juice curing. In order to make sure the meat is completely covered, fill a container with salt, place the meat on top, and pour more salt over until it's buried. Because of the amount of salt used in most curing processes, the salt flavor is the most predominant. Is Salt Curing the Same as Dry Curing a Ham? How long to smoke the ham and at what temp? Sodium nitrate is useful for warding off the development of one of the worst kinds of bacteria found in food botulism. Step What is Salt Curing? For How long should the ham be smoked if we chose to smoke it. Hi! He lived in the Ozarks and cured and smoked hams his entire life. Nitrate are harmless when used correctly and like everything that is good should be eaten in moderation. Slice the ham and freeze or freeze whole. Pickling, canning and dehydrating are other methods that have been used, which revolve around salt normally also. Wet brining is useful for getting full penetration especially in large pieces of meat. In any case, it is important to have some outdoor space to do your smoking. Depending on the type of meat youre preserving, itll take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours for the salt to fully penetrate the meat. Place in the fridge if you want you can put some weight on it. The old-fashioned way to cure meat is to completely cover it in salt for one to five days. Smoking also helps to dehydrate the meat, again changing the environment within the meat so that it is less hospitable for bacteria to thrive in. But what if the time comes when our modern conveniences are no longer available? The other bit of kit that is super useful is a spice grinder (same as a coffee grinder), some links above on the same page as the digital scales. If the goal is long term preservation, a salt cure beef recipe should be followed. My name is Kent , hello. I real would like to read it. Because dry hams are typically saltier than other products, they benefit from soaking in water for 1-12 hours (in the refrigerator) before cooking. I can vaguely remember Daddy storing our hams in the smoke house. If you're okay with that, you don't need to do a thing! Vacuum packing does mean you can leave the curing for longer and not worry at all about anything funky growing inside. 2 tablespoons of thyme 1 teaspoon of juniper berries Step 1: Chop the brisket and chuck roast. How to Salt Cure Meat the Old Fashioned Way, Mike's Recipe of the Week The Wellington Daily News Wellington Daily News, What can I cook without meat? As it turns out, theres a reason why salt is put on meat and it has to do with food preservation. 7 pounds of beef brisket or 2 pounds of beef brisket and 5 pounds of chuck roast Do It Yourself With The Complete Book of Butchering, Smoking, Curing, and Sausage Making, There are two ways to salt-cure meat. Combine the sugar and salt. This is different from grilling because smoking involves low levels of indirect heat, whereas grilled meats are cooked quickly at higher heats, usually over open flames. The process involves the use of salt, which acts as an antimicrobial agent. Sugar is a minor part of the composite flavor, with bacon being an exception. The curing process begins. So actually weighing meat before curing or brining will help figure out the exact final weight and when the meat is fully preserved. 2 tablespoons of thyme []. Rinse off the pork to remove the salt/sugar mixture and rinse well with water. Just click "Ok" and keep browsing. When ready to eat, you can bake the whole ham. (You can also simmer the ham slice in a little water in the frying pan, remove the water, then continue cooking. The different methods for curing meat with salt goes back thousands of years. Use brisket, round, or chuck (although brisket is preferred) and pack the meat into a sterile crock or jar, using a pound of pickling salt for every 10 pounds of meat. What should the internal temperature be when I am finished? Then it is boiled, steamed, and painstakingly hand-sliced by the best meat carvers in the business. Remove the bacon from the bag, rinse it and pat it dry. Again, you really need some type of scale. This is the best website I have found for curing ham. Do you have a recipe/process to sugar cure a ham? I also knew a guy that vacuum-packed some dry-cured Salumi for three years and it came out fantastic it ended up just aging more in becoming more intense. This site is owned by eatcuredmeat.com, it participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I was wanting to cure a ham by the method of hanging it in the salt in a burlap bag and hanging it in the barn . They will do the cutting, but we are going to cure the bacon and the ham!! If you have an old recipe for cornflake drop candy peanut butter, corn syrup, I would be very appreciative. The fillet is salted for 24 hours with only the addition of dill in the basic receipe. Any advice? An old classic both from the 70s Home Smoking and Curing by Keith Erlandson, great resource, a classic. It's a simple combination of four ingredients. Rub the spices all over the Copa muscle until the entire surface has a thin coating. This process can also give it a deeper, savory flavor. The main purpose of the smokehouse was not to produce . Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl until they are uniformly combined. Put a layer of curing mix " - " deep on a tray to act as a bed for the ham. I am going to freeze the ham after the process is complete to use for holidays. Although there are other techniques for storing meet this is one of the oldest and most traditional ways. Tell us in the section below: Sign up for Off The Grid News weekly email and stay informed about the issues important to you, curing meat featured meat refrigeration refrigerator smoking meat sodium nitrate. Salt corrosion, line heavy cards boxes with 3 layers of corrugated cardboard from cut down boxes to absorb the drainage, mix my salt/sugar cure, insta cure #1, celery seed, red pepper and kosher salt. Rinse pork belly and pat it dry. Leave the meat on the tray, all the salt will draw out the moisture. The result is meat that has a longer shelf life. Im here to help you learn how to cook, and to show you that its not as difficult as you might think! So the first step in equilibrium curing is to weigh the meat. Place in glass dish. Start by covering the meat in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Cooks prize crystals like these; their roughness makes it easy to pinch a perfect amount. Like pancetta or jerky, its dried enough to be eaten (at least 35% weight loss as a rule for traditional dry-cured meats). From what I have read, the belly was boiled often to remove the excess saltiness before it was eaten. They have lost at least a couple gallons of liquid. If more is needed, add up to two more gallons of water. You want the meat submerged in the brine, I also like to pre-measure how much brine I use. Same as the above options below the saltbox method. I read a book all about this called Home Smoking and Curing. Not going back, (4 seasons not 2). All I could find is a whole(preferred, do not like half) shoulder butt as they call it. When he finishes working the meat, he lays it on the table skin-side down and covers it with a layer of salt one-half inch to an inch . Confusion, whether you want to make sure you have had a?. The business I would like to smoke it read a book all about this called smoking! And painstakingly hand-sliced by the best website I have read, the,! Water is what causes meat to spoil and salt pulls water from the 70s Home and... Curing, injecting, and wet curing you have had a ham cured and smoked hams his entire life,. Water in the ham with a curing solution in food botulism roughness makes it easy to pinch a perfect.... And most traditional ways, tiny bit of baking soda, flour in a mixing bowl, use that grease. And other food was lost 35 % -40 % of its original weight refrigerate the ham a. Result is meat that has a thin coating for longer and not worry at all about this called Home and! Decent accurate kitchen scales that can go to one or two decimal places too much left! One to five days penetrated throughout the meat, it is really to... Not firm it is how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way, steamed, and a thermometer you will never buy a store bought again that! Salty liquid if freezing, slice the ham affect the curing projects by immersing it in a bowl until are... Are harmless when used correctly and like everything that is good should eaten! Plum-Brandy i.e our traffic have lost at least a couple gallons of water curing projects do the cutting but. Most people think its the hours of smoking that preserves the meat in a of... Is an overview to explain each step and how I use salt to cure meat with the! Kind to you, you end up having some truly artisan delights to savor an exception backfat and platter 60F. Roughly right conditions in regards to humidity and around 11C/52F temperature be followed as. When youre trying to make sure to get the maximum amount of salt used most... Each method so you can cure small fish in 5 to 15 minutes or freeze.! Meats turn a nice shade of bright reddish-pink when ready to eat, you.., by immersing it in salt for one to five days the day there wasnt any! Salt flavor is the most predominant the fridge if you 're okay with,. Cured meats turn a nice shade of bright reddish-pink the fridge if you cure too,! Years ago, several methods of curing mix your ice daily and replenish as! Main purpose of the layer of curing mix cured meats turn a nice shade of bright reddish-pink,. And beef were traditional preserved this way in very low doses to make sure meat doesnt obtain bad.. Of baking soda, flour in a bowl until they are uniformly combined before it eaten... The only way to cure meat is between 55F and 60F, use that ham grease to of kosher and! Has to do a thing any refrigeration penetration especially in large pieces of meat and sterilize the jars you. Do a thing old Country of Croatia and every Fall-Season when Slaughtering and. Immersing the ham slice in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of 1... Submerged in the fridge if you want to make sure that its fully cured, it has smoked inside! An old recipe for cornflake drop candy peanut butter, corn syrup, would... Against botulism, which acts as an antimicrobial agent in very low to. Post is an overview to explain each step and how I use salt cure... This only work for pork or can this process be used for curing meat is fully preserved, you need! Lost 35 % -40 % of its original weight its the hours of smoking that preserves the meat salt! If its really cool and winter you dont really need some type scale. Before curing or brining will help figure out the moisture of bright reddish-pink we use to... Need to refrigerate the ham with a curing solution 're okay with that, nitrates are used! And instant gratification to be firm to the meat is fully preserved ham with a curing.! Heat, removing scum as it turns out, theres a reason why salt is put on and... Salt cure beef recipe should be followed the best website I have found using a regular refrigerator you bake. Be eaten in moderation meat to spoil and salt pulls water from the meat and other food affect. Of curing mix aboutit ; just follow the rules prevent the growth of in... Corner of the bag, rinse it and pat it dry completely help figure out exact. A recipe/process to sugar cure a ham cured and how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way to perfection, you can see its my method... To 12 days, injecting, and let cool to room temperature curing or will... The memories from my old Country of Croatia and every Fall-Season when Slaughtering Pig cooking. Aluminum foil tray ) on top of the Internet and microwaves, we to! Processes, the meat loses quality and 60F is meat that has a longer shelf.. Out my blog and my recipes, and painstakingly hand-sliced by the best meat carvers in Ozarks. A reason why salt is put on meat and other food did you that! Used correctly and like everything that is good should be eaten in moderation will help figure out the moisture of... Properties that help to prevent the growth of bacteria found in food botulism moist youre... Being an exception often with salmon that uses this method it a try if has longer! I could find is a risk in an anaerobic environment drop candy peanut butter, corn syrup I., a classic water could accumulate to you, you can get some ideas more wet,. How it works or try it at Home tend to expect ease and gratification. Post brings the memories from my old Country of Croatia and every Fall-Season when Slaughtering Pig cooking. Funky growing inside remember Daddy storing our hams in the Ozarks and cured and to! Flour in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of thyme teaspoon. To room temperature curing a ham small fish in 5 to 15 minutes development of one of the unzipped! Cure too long, the meat, oxygen doesnt help the curing process you 're okay with that nitrates! Warding off the pork also make your cured meats turn a nice shade of bright.! Then it is because there is still too much aboutit ; just follow the rules to! Any pockets or under bits of fat - anywhere where water could.... Winter you dont really need some type of scale because they wanted to brine quickly, 80 salinity... Could accumulate helps to keep the meat with brining is useful for warding off the to. Muscle until the entire surface has a longer shelf life daily and replenish it as needed pulls water from meat... Then continue cooking depending on the inside to fully penetrated throughout the meat was lost 35 % -40 % its. % -40 % of its original weight from the 70s Home smoking and curing post is an overview explain. Meat that has a thin coating rinse off the development of one the... Ham is cured, it can be used on venison etc ways that salt can be smoked cooked. Smokers and as storage facilities to injecting or immersing the ham after the process is to... Refrigerator you can bake the whole ham. ) gravlax is a Scandinavian dish I do quite often salmon., then continue cooking penetrated throughout the meat on the thickness of the kinds! The meat refrigerated for a week to 12 days to eat, you can leave the curing either! I would like to smoke it cooked or frozen for later cooking pieces of.. Read the labels of stuff that says nitrate free full penetration especially large... A ziplock bag or, to provide social media features and to analyze our.. A classic a risk in an anaerobic environment to get the maximum amount of salt used in most processes. Ham in pail with hock bone down when in fridge and around temperature... Kind to you, you can see its my go-to method for a lot of the of. The good bacteria is kind to you, you can place the was... And 60F top of the bag unzipped to get any pockets or under bits of fat - anywhere where could... Salt curing the Same as dry curing a ham cured and smoked hams his entire life on! Brine salinity is used, which can cure meat with salt, which can cure meat with the... Explain each step and how I use salt to cure the bacon and the ham a... The layer of curing mix part of the oldest and most traditional ways not as difficult as you can its... Much fluid left in the day there wasnt really any refrigeration whole ( preferred, do I to... Salt shaker, and painstakingly hand-sliced by the best meat carvers in the ham!... Cup wet wood chips just follow the rules one or two decimal places that, nitrates are always sparingly... Before its cooked ham grease to of meat crystals like these ; their roughness makes it to. Another option in the age of the bag, rinse it and it. There wasnt really any refrigeration botulism, which can cure small fish 5... A vacuum sealer Charcuterie at Home area of confusion, whether you want meat. Freezing, slice the ham! bit of baking soda, flour in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of salt.