New Chapter About To Start - curing and smoking meat

[ecowper]

I ordered a pound of Prague Powder #1 (Instacure #1) yesterday. It will be here tomorrow. After a quick trip to Dallas, I'm heading to Costco to get a pork belly and a HOF. Time for my own bacon and pastrami. And then I'll figure out what else I want to cure. Ham, probably. Corned beef is obvious (precursor to pastrami). What else? Anybody else do this routinely?

[Jerod Broussard]

I have more pork loin in the fridge curing right now for canadian bacon. I so need to get pork belly. All they got in this town is pork brisket.

[ecowper]

Canadian bacon .... The Canadians are so confused. :-)

[ecowper]

I have more pork loin in the fridge curing right now for canadian bacon. I so need to get pork belly. All they got in this town is pork brisket.

That's what you get for living in BFE Texas buddy. Can't you get your butcher or Costco to order you a pork belly? Hell, I'll buy one at Costco, pack it in dry ice and overnight it to you.

[Jerod Broussard]

I'm going to check a local grocer to do some my next vacation.

[lonnie mac]

I ordered a pound of Prague Powder #1 (Instacure #1) yesterday. It will be here tomorrow. After a quick trip to Dallas, I'm heading to Costco to get a pork belly and a HOF. Time for my own bacon and pastrami. And then I'll figure out what else I want to cure. Ham, probably. Corned beef is obvious (precursor to pastrami). What else? Anybody else do this routinely?

Ha, I actually received my Instacure #1 yesterday in my package from Sausagemaker. I'm diving right in as well! I have always wanted to try my hand at all this stuff so now I am right there with ya brotha. First on the list is a good smoked sausage. Can't wait until next weekend! Just used my LEM grinder for the first time doing steakhouse burgers. Grinding up some pork next.

[ecowper]

Good to know

[LangInGibsonia]

I especially like the traditional kielbasa recipe. Follow their instructions for smoking then shocking then blooming the sausage.

[ecowper]

I love good Kielbasa! Thanks much

[ecowper]

That sounds awesome Lonnie Mac! I'm about to get the sausage attachment for my Kitchenaid so I can start on sausage as well. We can learn together!

[ecowper]

I've got a KA Pro 600 ... Grinder attachment is on order now. And I'm searching on Amazon for the LEM stuffer. thanks man

[LangInGibsonia]

Check Cabela's, Bass Pro, Gander Mtn. Et al. too.

[cadmentr]

I have the Sausage attachment for my Kitchenaid, and I LOVE it. I make sausage all the time.

[Thunder77]

I have 4 cures going on right now. 3 pounds of Canadian bacon, and three batches of pork belly. One each of Meathead's 3 bacon recipes. Day 4 of the cure. 😎😎👍👍

[ecowper]

Very interested in thoughts, lessons learned, etc

[Jerod Broussard]

Definitely read Meathead's articles on curing on the main site thoroughly.

Never use tap water. Definitely desalinate where recommended.

[Dr ROK]

I use tap water all the time, but our water is ground water not surface water. No chlorination needed.

[Strat50]

Okay folks, here is a place to learn the right, and safe way for curing and preserving almost any food.http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_salsa.html

Here you can learn many curing, canning, and preserving methods. There are great books and charcuterie too for this purpose, but the above url will help you decide what is safe and not safe.

[Dr ROK]

Great resource Strat50.

[Thunder77]

One of the things I learned is to not use stainless steel as a curing vessel. It didn't ruin the meat, but it was grayish brown on the outside, and didn't taste as good as some other batches I made. Doc Blonder said that it was probably an electrochemical reaction between the metal and a pocket of stale cure. I use a good food grade plastic container now.

[Jerod Broussard]

I like my one and a half gallon Ziploc bags. 5 pound Beast of a pork loin.

[Thunder77]

I'm using the ziploc bags for my belly bacon right now. My Canadian bacon I have in my food grade plastic tub.

[scottranda]

I used zip lock bags for my endeavor. I doubled them up, but the first bag didn't breach anyway.

[cadmentr]

Bought my food grade plastic tub tonight at Walmart. Have the cure going in the pot on the stove, and will put the pork loin in as soon as the liquid cools. As a Canadian, I love my pea meal back bacon, and this will be my first. Any problems adding in some Maple syrup to the cure? And how much?

[Thunder77]

I used the stainless steel because at the time it was the largest vessel I had, and is said to be non-reactive. But it does seem to react a little bit!

[ecowper]

Yeah, I will use either ziploc bags or food grade plastic tubs.

[Danjohnston949]

Don't Quit Now Gents! I have a Pork Belly in the Freezer, some Prague Powder #1 in the Drawer! BUT I can't get to My Garage Refridgerator!
Too Damned Many Model T Parts in the Way! My other Obsession and I can't get it out of the Garage?
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

[Dr ROK]

Alton Brown uses a large orange water cooler and replaces some of the water in the cure with ice.

[Strat50]

I have access, and have acquired, a ton of food grade plastic buckets. I use 'em for many things, but I always have a few in my pantry for brining, etc. Very valuable on our homestead these are. We use buckets and even trash barrels at work for brining and such. They are way less messy than hotel pans, and are much easier to carry around and stack up in the walk-in. We smoke our own halibut for our smoked halibut fett, and we usually brine in plastic. Dry or wet, it doesn't matter, as you can do both easily.