Using a chamber vac to cure

[OKHNYC]

Has anyone used a chamber vacuum to cure a pork belly for bacon? Does it cut down on the curing time? Do you need to overhaul the belly everyday? Thanks in advance!

[ComfortablyNumb]

I do, biggest advantage is it does not leak. I still turn them over, and I can’t say it cuts down on time as I’m not usually ready on time and go long.

[hubmacfan]

I just wish I could afford a chamber vac.

[Troutman]

I wouldn't fall on my sword over this, but I don't think vacuum packing promotes a shorter cure time. There is a process of salt and curing salt penetrating the meat that work more on a molecular level that occurs regardless of a mechanical vacuum. But again I have no real proof of that unless I did some experimentation. As Numbr says above it is a great way to keep things neat and tidy. I just throw mine in a large zip lock bag then into a pan to catch any leakage.

[mgaretz]

I agree with Troutman - it doesn’t cut down on the cure time, but makes it neat and tidy, takes up less fridge space. I still turn the package.

[jecucolo]

Let us know how it turns out.

[Anton32828]

i had to look up "Chamber Vacuum," lol. Looks like a fun toy.

I haven't cured pork belly, but I tried all kinds of ways to cure pork shoulder strips for tasso last year. I used ziplock bags with almost all the air space squeezed out (just a very small bubble left in the package), so it approximates a vac-seal package.

My experience was that cure time is the dominant variable. It takes a given amount of time for cure to penetrate the meat. If you don't let the meat sit in cure long enough, you can have a center that is not cured & looks like cooked pork rather than ham.

The next dominant variable is cure strength in PPM of Prague Powder. I over-cured one batch using Ruhlman's dry cure method (not recommended!) & it had a noticeably darker color than wet cured method.

This site has a wonderful cure calculator at this link. Read all of it: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...g-meats-safely

I aim for 150 - 200 ppm in my tasso.
Flipping the meat is necessary because plastic bags will tend to cling to one side of the meat, thus preventing diffusion of the salt solution.

Good luck! Bacon is on my "to do" list, as soon as I make time to order pork belly from my grocer.

[Murdy]

I worked in a couple meat places (both sausage and fresh). Both companies used vacuum sealing in production. One marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts in a rolling vacuum chamber -- only took about 20 minutes (IIRC) and they were very flavorful. The other did bellies for bacon in a large rotating drum that I'm pretty sure was a vacuum chamber. I'm not sure whether and how this affected the curing process, or if it was done for another purpose.

[Huskee]

Remember the vacuum is going to pull juices out of meat not force them into it. You certainly can cure using one, but there'll be a little advantage time-wise.

[Spinaker]

Always follow the time provided by the calculator. That will not change, regardless of what container you choose to cure in.

[Backroadmeats]

There is a process using a vacuum tumbler that you can accelerate curing times greatly but I won't get into that.. I don't think it cures faster in a chamber sealer but I do believe it cures more evenly. I dry brine my stuff in a bag in the chamber sealer too.. I don't flip them as I feel the brine is pinned in around the meat anyway .. never had an incomplete cure so it must work

[PaulstheRibList]

I love, love, love our big Chamber Vac. Did I mention how much I love it?

I bought the biggest one they sell at Webstaurant (VP545). I'll do a post on it.

The tight packs make it so clean and easy to store things, and a curing brine is perfect for the chamber vac setup. I can't wait to make Pastrami using it.

[Bighorn Dave]

I love, love, love our big Chamber Vac. Did I mention how much I love it?

I bought the biggest one they sell at Webstaurant (VP545). I'll do a post on it.

The tight packs make it so clean and easy to store things, and a curing brine is perfect for the chamber vac setup. I can't wait to make Pastrami using it.

Holy smokes, you got the big dog of chamber sealers. I have the VP215 and have absolutely no regrets in the investment. Now another thing to try, curing meats.