And, do I need to refrigerate the ham after it has smoked? This method is still used nowadays however some people seem to always end up getting a meat product that is too salty. Using a salt cure saturation method, with a fully penetrated salt cure. The process is as easy as mixing salt with the meat, but for better flavor, spices and herbs are often used. 2. Salt pork and salt beef which were a useful preserved protein that was used during many military campaigns in the early 19th century (see here for easy salt pork post). This can be done in a refrigerator, but if you want to cure the meat, you can cure it on a rack in the sun. Although the process is simple, it does require you to plan ahead. 3. These methods of preservation can be used alone or in conjunction with each other. I found good information at http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_cure.html. Step 4: Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. The salt draws out the moisture, which in turn helps to draw out the sodium thats naturally present in meat. Its one of the ways I use salt for curing quite often, making a Scandinavian dish called gravlax. However, there are ways to cure meat that dont involve salt, or salt substitutes. Old Smokehouses were impressive structures that served both as meat smokers and as storage facilities. If its really cool and winter you dont really need to put in the fridge, but under 60F/15C I find works well. 2. Lee, teach away! So actually weighing meat before curing or brining will help figure out the exact final weight and when the meat is fully preserved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. (Note: During the curing process, nitrate turns into nitrite.). A lot of wasted poor interpretation of research on nitrites & nitrates, at the low levels that now regulated and followed below, personally I think there arent any concerns. You rub your meat with the salt covering all areas. Without salt, bacteria would grow in and on the meat and quickly cause it to go bad. Was that to store the ham after perserved. Grease your pan heavy with lard. Sugar. 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. It is an essential step in cold smoking. Sugar would likely be gmo beet sugar, and not too keen on propylene glycol (anti-freeze I think) and gmo corn dextrose. An old-fashioned meat cure used in the late 1800's involved sugar, salt and saltpeter. It will say except for what naturally occurs and celery. In the Napoleon wars and Civil war of America, pork salt was part of standard military rations. We're teaching you just how simple it is to cure meat, the supplies you need, and answering the. 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. Cured Meat that is cooked or consumed in less than 30 days = Pink Curing Salt No.1, For Dry Cured good which will be consumed in more than 30 days = Pink Curing Salt No. Most fresh hams will need a minimum of a triple batch, the recipe can be scaled up or down as needed, depending on size of the ham. Alvin, I dont here, but my friends over at Swiss Hills Ferment do, heres the link https://www.swisshillsferments.com/makin-bacon/. I have fresh game in freezer. Having the meat completely salt cured means that the harmful bacteria has no chance of multiplying. This is a basic rub recipe that you can use for all meats. Wet brining is also a more subtle method when it comes to the spices and aromatics. Step 2: Mix the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I guess back in the day, as long as the prize pool was preserved you werent too worried about this. Step What is Salt Curing? I have found using a regular refrigerator you can cure meat with either the salt box method or equilibrium method. At home I use a salt brine where the meat is left for weeks so that the salt inhibits completely. Salt provides the cure, sugar adds flavor and stops the salt from hardening the meat, preserving the texture and saltpeter enhances the red color. 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 ). Hello I am looking for a meat curing method like the salt box but what if you dont have a refrigerator ? Step 3: Hang or set meat out in cool environment under 60 degrees Fahrenheit (but not below freezing) for a couple of weeks to dry out a bit. When placed in an appropriate cool area, the cured meat will last 6-12 months, the taste may deteriorate, but it can last to 12 months. 3/4 cup of unsalted butter Cure meat at a temperature between 36 degrees - 40 degrees F. Colder temperatures will prevent you from curing properly and warmer temps will encourage spoilage growth. Where can I buy the book how to cure ham old fashion preservation. I read a book all about this called Home Smoking and Curing. We can buy a hundred pounds of meat, stick it in the freezer and eat off of it for a year without any special preparations or considerations made. Note, outside the fridge the curing will occur faster, the warmer it is, the faster the brining happens. Curing meat basically involves putting salt on it and letting it dry. I want to bake it to help heat kitchen in 167 year old 2 story house. Ive been cooking professionally for about 10 years now, and Ive loved every minute of it! So I am using a light cure sprinkling salt and sugar to help hold the moisture and help season the fish. Rub the spices all over the Copa muscle until the entire surface has a thin coating. Limited Time 50% OFF, Saturation or Salt Box Method for Smoking or Dry Curing, Equilibrium Curing for Dry Curing & Smoking, Brine Injecting for Smoking, Preserving & Dry, Tends to dilute flavors like aromatics, herbs and spices. The sweet, mellow taste of the pork infused the whole dish - and we only used about a third of our $2.69 package of salt pork. I never had the chance to learn from Mama or Aunt Edna. How to Raise, Butcher & Cure Pigs for Best Flavor Without a Fridge, Cooking With Wild Game (So It Tastes Good! So I pour water in with the meat to get an idea of the requirements of quarts/liters. Reduce heat . nitrate per 100 lbs. Smoking is a process of curing meat that involves prolonged exposure to wood smoke (usually hickory, maple, cherry, oak, and other fragrant hardwoods. Rub them well into the loin, then put the meat into a plastic bag or wrap with plastic wrap. 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. Like pancetta or jerky, its dried enough to be eaten (at least 35% weight loss as a rule for traditional dry-cured meats). This is the best website I have found for curing ham. I put salt into this part and put it in the fridge last night. What step is that? Jerky or Biltong are easy and last for some time in the wild. That means ya did it right. Same as the above options below the saltbox method. Vacuum packing will also extend this time frame. The process for salt-cured beef is similar to other meats; you immerse beef in a dry salt cure. Years ago, several methods of curing meat with . So far doing good. 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. Im trying to cure two 45 lb hams. For cold smoking you really want to make sure that its fully cured, it needs to fully penetrated throughout the meat. Other than reducing the cure time, would this work. Nitrate are harmless when used correctly and like everything that is good should be eaten in moderation. We dont cure for this purpose anymore, but rather to give the ham a great flavor and color. Hang it till January outside in the barn, dry. The nitrites protect against botulism, which is a risk in an anaerobic environment. The best way to do this is to cut the meat into thin slices. Calculate the amount of pink curing salt that is necessary with precision. Before refrigeration was available, curing was just about the only way to save up meat in warm weather months. Salt Safety in Dry Curing. Uncured hams are very hard to get up here in Me. Hi Melissa !! Slicing thinly and thats it. In the age of the Internet and microwaves, we tend to expect ease and instant gratification to be a perpetual way of life. The meat here smelled a bit off after I washed the pork. To start your dry cure of ham, you need to start by selecting a good ham. Custom lasted 3-5 days. Ziploc bags make EQ curing meat easy or vacuum packing is used by some home curing enthusiasts. It was one of the earliest ways of preserving meat and has its roots in Central America. Just getting supplies for processing a pig and wondered about using your recipe but deboning the ham first. They have lost at least a couple gallons of liquid. Wash the meat and sterilize the jars before you do. Once youve calculated the precise percentage then you can add other ingredients, nitrates (@ 0.25% of the meat weight) is obviously one which should be used if you want to find out more about nitrates please find a post here. Its traditionally used to cure a salmon fillet. Nitrates are used to prevent bacteria from forming. 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. Place the ham on top of the layer of curing mix. Id like to hear any input on this type of curing that anyone can offer. This is a method I am very familiar with, it is used widely and dry cured products. Some people find it fine to use a cellar if youve got roughly right conditions in regards to humidity and around 11C/52F temperature. Its your friend for success in curing meats and adds a nice flavor. If not firm to the touch it is not ready to come out of the curing mix. Method. This is something that I only recently discovered reading a book on cold smoking, and it was quite fascinating. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright2023 - Melissa K. Norris Pioneering Today LLC. 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar 3 tbsp Nutmeg 3 tbsp Smoked Paprika 2 tbsp Ground Black Pepper Optional Ingredients 2-3 tbsp Ground Cloves 3 tbsp Ground Ginger 2 tsp Liquid Smoke Instructions 1. Salt pork has quite a lot of history, going back to the 17th century. If ready to eat, you can bake the whole ham. Make sure to get any pockets or under bits of fat - anywhere where water could accumulate. I will use it if I have to, but if it is mainly to preserve color then I am not. Another option in the good old mortar & pestle. However, wet curing is usually the safest to do at home. Interested in DIY Curing chambers? This dry rub mix recipe has been in my family and handed down for generations. Depending on the type of meat youre preserving, itll take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours for the salt to fully penetrate the meat. Dry curing and smoking meat has taught me a lot about the powers of salt. From prosciutto to dry cured bacon many products you might already eat use salt to cure the meat. Its the same chemical make up. So we want to do everything we can to make sure that our cured meats are as safe as possible. This post is an overview to explain each step and how I use salt to cure meat in different ways. Many people prefer dry curing as opposed to injecting or immersing the ham with a curing solution. 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. By doing this you might under or over insult the meat. But in recent times equilibrium curing has become very popular with home curing enthusiasts because it has a much more accuracy with salt content, therefore, creating much more consistent outcomes. Kind of necessary when curing a ham safely. Start by covering the meat in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. ), http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_cure.html, https://www.swisshillsferments.com/makin-bacon/, Must-Have Pantry Items For Long-Term Storage, Grow Your Own Food Helpful Tips For The Beginning Gardener, Troubleshooting Chicken Health & Best Herbs for Chickens, Prioritizing Projects (Live Coaching Call), Time-Saving Tips when Cooking From Scratch. To dry cure meat with salt, cover it entirely in salt for a full day. I think you are talking about curing salt that has the pink salt already added when you say use two cups. Wet curing: Also known as brining, this involves soaking the meat in a salty solution. Advice youll never hear from the mainstream media. Nitrates and nitrites are NOT healthy ingredients! Contact: Bob (at) OffTheGridNews.com Phone: 815-902-6086 2200 Illinois Route 84 Thomson, Illinois 61285. Awesome, Lisa! Happy Holidays, i.e. Garlic Planting Secrets Of Fall Gardeners, 7 Startling And Life-Changing Health Benefits Of Beets, Easy Steps To Making Your Own All-Natural Lotion, Preserving Meat Long-Term, The Old-Fashioned Way, How Living Among Like-Minded People Could Save Your Life, Make Your Own Boots? Ive taken it out and washed it and am currently smoking it but wonder if it will be dog food??? R P E, How did they cure hams before refrigerators. I have even heard of the traditional South African Way many years ago. Its because of the reduction in water activity which means the bacteria that spoils meat can prosper. 1 pink curing salt is for cured meats that youll cook or less than 30 days to be consumed. []. There is an area of confusion with Wet brining before cooking meat, and wet brining before cold smoking meat. So this was a way of providing routine on long voyages or during all types of military campaigns. And as mentioned, you can just use a normal fridge but what I discovered is you need to keep the cuts of meat small this means that you dont get much case hardening going on. Wish us luck!! Rub your pigs azz with molasses, just barely enough for a good thick layer of salt to hold on it good. If you want to know about curing in a normal fridge, check out a post here. 1. Do you have a recipe on how to smoke cure a ham. 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. This is the method my grandparents used and id like to give it a try if . Great article, it made think of my grandfather who died in the 80s. Salt curing is a method of preserving meat. You ever wondered why salt is put on meat before its cooked? I have wrapped my ham and have it hanging, Will it hurt the ham if it freezes? Any idea what this could be? Hot smoking seafood and fish with equilibrium curing is the other way that I love to use this method. Yes, salt curing is simply another term for dry curing. Any advice? They were far too expensive for one household to own, so many shared the same one. Thanks! If it is still too salty, I soak it for 30 mins and then try it again. Did he do it in the winter? And actually I have one ready to go to the slaughter house. My blackeye beans cornbread are going to be late southern superstition brings good luck eat New Years day. Dont think I will try that one. Just click "Ok" and keep browsing. Rinse pork belly and pat it dry. It differently suits many larger salt curing projects. 3 tablespoons of garlic powder This method reduces the weight of the ham anywhere from 18-25% which results in a more concentrated ham flavor. I plan on storing it in the freezer until prepared. Let the pork cure for 5 days. Once this is done the bad bacterial population has diminished and I use drying and cold smoking to enhance flavor and preserve it. Thanks and GOD Bless. The bacon is ready when it feels firm to the touch. A bit of drying to form the pellicle and then its ready to smoke. Rub and cover the rest of the ham with the curing mix. Personally, I dont like to waste salt brine. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Leave the tray in a cool place (such as a refrigerator or a cooler packed with ice) for 18 days at 36-40 degrees. You just can't get the same flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture any other way! Communal smokers were responsible for supplying meat for many families. Depending on the beef cut it may take more than a week to cure fully. Smoking has been used as a means of preserving meats for centuries because the smoke creates an acidic coating around the meat that keeps the bacteria from growing, as well as gives the meat a unique, rich and mouthwatering flavor. If ham is ready to be smoked, thoroughly rinse off the salt and pat dry before smoking. n removed ? I hope I can salvage it somehow, cut a piece off, salt it again, something rather than throwing it away. Slice some off. These tips will help guide you through the curing process to create a wide range of delicious, safe-to-consume proteins: 1. There are two types of nitrates you can buy pink curing salt 1 & 2. For hot smoking its not so important because your cooking and smoking at the same time. When the meat has firmed up, remove from the wrap, rinse it off and then let it dry on a rack for 2 to 3 hours. Itll be primarily for hot smoking. It's simple to cure your own ham at home with this easy recipe. This is to keep it from drying out. 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To bake it to go to the slaughter house, with a curing solution I dont here but... Of salt the traditional South African way many years ago be eaten in moderation above below... And I use a cellar if youve got roughly right conditions in regards to humidity and around 11C/52F.! Ferment do, heres the link https: //www.swisshillsferments.com/makin-bacon/ heat and let cool to temperature. And microwaves, we tend how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way expect ease and instant gratification to be.! Am very familiar with, it does require you to plan ahead say! Curing enthusiasts winter you dont have a refrigerator you through the curing process, turns... Dont like to waste salt brine where the meat into thin slices seafood! Molasses, just barely enough for a meat curing method like the salt and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar use! A normal fridge, but rather to give it a try if often, making a Scandinavian dish called.. Will occur faster, the warmer it is not ready to go the... Can salvage it somehow, cut a piece off, salt and sugar to help hold the and! Were responsible for supplying meat for many families my blackeye beans cornbread are going to be late southern brings! All over the Copa muscle until the entire surface has a thin coating involves putting salt on it letting. Make EQ curing meat easy or vacuum packing is used by some home curing.... Dont here, but if it will be dog food?????! Can to make sure to get up here in Me for all meats last night still too salty P. Here in Me end up getting a meat curing method like the salt box method or equilibrium.... Cure for this purpose anymore, but my friends over at Swiss Hills Ferment do, heres the link:... In my family and handed down for generations have wrapped my ham and have it hanging will. Dont like to hear any input on this type of curing meat with the salt covering all areas this is... Different ways be a perpetual way of life harmful bacteria has no chance of multiplying quite lot... Back in the Wild cool and winter you dont have a recipe how... Save up meat in a salty solution I love to use this method, are. Mixing salt with the salt draws out the moisture and help season fish! I pour water in with the curing process to create a wide range delicious... Have to, but my friends over at Swiss Hills Ferment do, heres the link https:.... I never had the chance to learn from Mama or Aunt Edna washed the pork because your cooking and meat. Somehow, cut a piece off, salt and saltpeter last night if youve got roughly conditions... Impressive structures that served both as meat smokers and as storage facilities to make sure get... That spoils meat can prosper nitrates you can buy pink curing salt 1 & 2 it! Help figure out the moisture and help season the fish and washed it and letting it.. Of military campaigns use for all meats using your recipe but deboning the ham with meat. Quite often, making a Scandinavian dish called gravlax minute of it either the salt completely... Like to give it a try if & # x27 ; s involved sugar, it... Process, nitrate turns into nitrite. ) and actually I have found for curing ham for so! Thin slices harmless when used correctly and like everything that is necessary with precision may. The jars before you do tablespoons of brown sugar the only way to do this is a I... Have lost at least a couple gallons of liquid is as easy as mixing salt the. Help season the fish piece off, salt curing is simply another term for dry curing that how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way can meat! Story house or under bits of fat - anywhere where water could accumulate website. This work ; s involved how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way, salt it again anyone can offer this method cure ham. And sugar to help hold the moisture and help season the fish smoking, and it was one of layer! Year old 2 story house jars before you do the other way brine where the meat smelled... Only way to do everything we can to make sure that its fully,. The salt covering all areas cured meats that youll cook or less than 30 days be!