how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way

When ya cut it, it will be different colors and stank. He would cure them for 17 days, then soak them in water before hanging them in his smokehouse. Mix thoroughly, taste, and add more salt if desired. How long do you smoke the ham and at what temp? This mixture is then sprinkled with more salt and left to sit for at least 10 days. You just can't get the same flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture any other way! Then it is boiled, steamed, and painstakingly hand-sliced by the best meat carvers in the business. And actually I have one ready to go to the slaughter house. I see this is four years old but I would love more info on how your grandpa did this outside in a tub. To dry cure, you put the meat in a container and surround it completely with salt. Step. Id like to hear any input on this type of curing that anyone can offer. It's just magic. Place in a container, cover and refrigerate for 48 hours. If you cure too long, the meat loses quality. Learning and consuming in a circular fashion, I am always interested in what is happening around the curing and smoking world. Mix all the dry ingredients. The author Keith Erlandson was involved in commercial cold smoking and tried to explain it to the common folk for use in a residential sense. An old-fashioned meat cure used in the late 1800's involved sugar, salt and saltpeter. Nitrates are used to prevent bacteria from forming. The technique involved completely saturating the meat in a dry salt cure. From what I have read, the belly was boiled often to remove the excess saltiness before it was eaten. I think so Mike, our ham doesnt have the skin either. Used for dry crying meat mainly, you apply salt to dry meat and let the curing commence. We like to hang it using bacon hooks. If you haven't got 40 minutes, it's better to season immediately before cooking. When I say true dry cure im talking about coating bellys with the salt,sugar and cure 1 mix and packing in a old fashioned salt box or on a salt bench where moisture is drawn out and away from the meat. I suppose chickens were butchered on demand, but beef? So, heres how to salt cure meat. Its for food safety. What should the internal temperature be when I am finished? Good luck and Id love to hear how it turn out for you guys. You can also add some flavorings (like celery seed and black pepper) at this point, if you want. It seems to work best for meat around 7oz/200g or less. 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. A spice grinder (coffee grinder), works really well to make a fine blended spice mix, for equilibrium curing, this helps also. Was that to store the ham after perserved. Contents. I think the difference is that over the long hours of low and slow smoking the meat has enough time to get smoke flavor. Vegetables such as runner beans and cabbage are also often preserved in this manner. In my experience meat can vary a lot in volume and density depending on how much fat or existing moisture has in it. How do you preserve meat with salt? I grew up raising hogs and curing hams and side meat (bacon) your recipe is the same as mine ( my moms ) . We dont cure for this purpose anymore, but rather to give the ham a great flavor and color. Where can I buy the book how to cure ham old fashion preservation. I dont think its necessary but I guess its personal preference. You can roll meat up in the bag to try and squeeze all the air out. 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) Dry curing: Salt and other ingredients are rubbed over the meat. Hi my name is james I like this cure ham recipe but I had to put it in large should I turn ham ? I real would like to read it. 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. Im Brian Danny Max, a chef and a writer at cookingtom.com. There are two joints, the H-bone (hip) and the hock. Its your friend for success in curing meats and adds a nice flavor. My mom used to make dried cured beef and venison all the time. In the future, remember to rinse cured meat or reduce curing time. 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). 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 . meat maximum or wet cure at a maximum of 700 ppm nitrates (9 CFR Cpt 3. After the meat is fully cured, rinse it off again and place it in a shallow container thats partially filled with cool water. If oven-roasting, preheat the oven to 175-200 degrees F. If using liquid smoke, baste the cured pork belly with a pastry brush to evenly coat all sides. To dry cure meat with salt, cover it entirely in salt for a full day. Id rather have cancer in 40 years than botulism today because I ate bad meat. Cooks prize crystals like these; their roughness makes it easy to pinch a perfect amount. As a chef and restaurant owner I have tried to recreate that flavor without the months log process and just cant get it. Put a layer of curing mix " - " deep on a tray to act as a bed for the ham. 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. As it turns out, theres a reason why salt is put on meat and it has to do with food preservation. 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. Good Morning! Mix water, tiny bit of baking soda, flour in a mixing bowl, use that ham grease to. There are three main ways that salt can be used for curing meat: Dry curing, injecting, and wet curing. Pink salt #1 is used on any meat thats will be cooked. Turn over and repeat on other side with remaining mix. In the age of the Internet and microwaves, we tend to expect ease and instant gratification to be a perpetual way of life. But, did you know that saltpeter is potassium nitrate? There are a handful of methods to cure meat with salt, Ive studied and tried many of them. Additionally, some of our hams will also go into the smoker. 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. Cut the meat, and the back fat, into 2" (5-6 cm) pieces, mix with the salt and Cure #1. Saturation or Saltbox = 5 grams/ 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds / 1kg of salt. You want the meat submerged in the brine, I also like to pre-measure how much brine I use. Now thats some stinky old salty ham. Back in the day there wasnt really any refrigeration. You can also ask around in rural areas to see if you can find someone raising their own hogs. Using the salt curing saturation method effectively preserves meat if done accurately. 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? Youll be using such small amounts of salt and spices with this method you really cant use the standard kitchen scales which have a variation of around 1 or 2 g. Check out some suggested scales here. Alternatively, you can slice the ham, soak the ham slices in cold water for up to an hour, then cook. Rub the spices all over the Copa muscle until the entire surface has a thin coating. You might have missed it above in my post, for me its Once in the refrigerator, its generally seen as a guide of 1 kg/ 2 pounds per day of curing approximately, some like to say 0.8-0.9 kg per day. Take the meat or fish youd like to preserve and rinse it in cold water. These tips will help guide you through the curing process to create a wide range of delicious, safe-to-consume proteins: 1. Contact: Bob (at) OffTheGridNews.com Phone: 815-902-6086 2200 Illinois Route 84 Thomson, Illinois 61285. There are basically two ways to salt-cure meat. Its traditionally used to cure a salmon fillet. Moral of the story: If you've got the time, salt your meat for at least 40 minutes and up to overnight before cooking. The nitrites protect against botulism, which is a risk in an anaerobic environment. Rinse pork belly and pat it dry. 2 whole bottles of balsamic vinegar 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. It also does use up quite a lot of salt and you end up with quite a lot of wastage, although salt is quite cheap its nice to have precise amount need for curing with equilibrium curing method. At the recommended dose, these are perfectly safe for consumption, so dont worry too much aboutit; just follow the rules. Can you please give me directions for salt/sugar curing then hanging hams to age. 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. Written by: Alisha Sloan Off-Grid Foods 335 Comments.WP-PrintIcon{margin-bottom:-3px}Print This Article. If you want to do it the commercially accurate way. Sugar. Its is out of the way also. The best way to cure any meat is to first remove all the unwanted fat. 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. 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. As for the pioneers or any other people in history doing cures without nitrites and instead only salt, they also had many cases of bottumlism in those days, something that the introduction of nitirites ended. Place the meat on the grill, cover, and smoke 2 to 3 hours until the internal temperature is 150 F. or above. Mix salt, red pepper, black pepper and brown sugar in a bowl and set aside, this is your curing mix. Do you have a recipe/process to sugar cure a ham? Is it ruined?! But over the last 15 years, I have also enjoyed many forms of cold-smoked meat as well. Dry cure using 3.5 oz. The result is meat that has a longer shelf life. These methods of preservation can be used alone or in conjunction with each other. ), 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. Sea salt or kosher salt are mainly the accepted ways and most guides and books. Salt Safety in Dry Curing. Rubbed on and immediately smoked or you can leave the dry rub which is a mix of salt and spices overnight to penetrate. Sodium nitrate can be found in all kinds of leafy green vegetables and can be added to your salt mixture in the form of celery juice, ground spinach or pink salt (curing salt #1, which is 7 percent sodium nitrate). I like to do this in a bowl rather than on a chopping board because you keep all the cure in the bowl and you make sure you can really get all of it on to the meat. Does anyone else get giddy over these kinds of things? As opposed to salt brining before cold smoking or drying meat. I am a follower of JESUS as well. Salt pork and beef were traditional preserved this way. From what Ive read in commercial smoking books, 20 brine are common for overnight or longer curing. Cure in a refrigerator or a chilly environment. Less salty water (brine) is used to lock in moisture (as mentioned what I do with hot smoking meat). Happy New Year. Area your meat in a cool place after that (between 36-40 degrees Fahrenheit). I have my pink salt separate. When the meat was no longer damp, it was washed, then shelved or bagged and left to age. There are quite a few ways that dry salt curing is used. 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. Nitrite. But, today I will discuss with you the first part of the process, how to cure pork with a salt dry rub. Rub it in all over the flesh, cover it with saran wrap and stick it in the fridge. If you're okay with that, you don't need to do a thing! The main purpose of the smokehouse was not to produce . : Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas from my house to Yours! Being able to preserve food with old-fashioned techniques, like salt curing pork, is a skill I find as fascinating as I do yummy. Feel free to mix in other ingredients such as herbs and spices. Good post on curing ham I am going to be starting the cure for two prosciuttos soon . Pour over the contents of the crock. Youll need salt, a curing agent, and a humid environment to ensure the process is successful. Do I cure it in the fridge for the 18 days and then hang it up in the barn??? At such times Whole Family was involved to their elbows and knees as we said. Smoking is a process of curing meat that involves prolonged exposure to wood smoke (usually hickory, maple, cherry, oak, and other fragrant hardwoods. Step 1: Chop the brisket and chuck roast. They were far too expensive for one household to own, so many shared the same one. I can remember my parents using cheese cloths to wrap the ham in to. The pioneers didnt have nitrates and nitrites back when either, yet they were able to store ham by salt curing! Let it sit for 24 hours. Hi, awesome article! 1/2 cup of granulated sugar Step 4: Time to Cook. I am trying this recipe but my container is filling with water as it is drawn out of the meat you never say what to do then if I drain it out then I lose the mix. To prevent this, sodium needs to be expelled from the body, which is why salt is used as a curing agent. For cold smoking you really want to make sure that its fully cured, it needs to fully penetrated throughout the meat. If you are freezing then firmness does not matter. Next, place the brisket in a Dutch oven with enough water to cover. However, salt can be used to cure some meats. In the Napoleon wars and Civil war of America, pork salt was part of standard military rations. Old Smokehouses were impressive structures that served both as meat smokers and as storage facilities. You need 2.5% percent of the weight of the meat to salt ratio, if the meat is 100 grams then you need 2.5 grams of salt to the meat. My name is Kent , hello. Add in carrots, celery and the remaining pickling spices and bring to a boil over high heat. 2. Otherwise, you could spoil the ham. Allow time for the curing process to take place. Generously rub the flesh side of the pork belly with the mixture. Keep the meat refrigerated for a week to 12 days. 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 I'm impatient, I'll stick it in the fridge, or even FASTER: put the pot in the sink and fill the sink with cold water and ice till it's even with the liquid level in the pot. 1. It was one of the earliest ways of preserving meat and has its roots in Central America. I always wondered if I was correct in my memory, now I know I was. It means the cure is closer to the meat, oxygen doesnt help the curing process either. Step 3: Let the meat sit at room temperature for 1-2 days. The more than 100 delectable and utterly appealing recipes in this book use these probiotic-rich ingredients to make incredibly tasty breakfasts, brunches . Many times families will raise extra hogs to sell in order to offset the cost of raising them. Dissolve the remaining salt in 5 gallons of water. Before reliable refrigeration, people would salt cure meat the old fashioned way because it was the best way to preserve pork. I assume its ok to cure a ham that has had the skim 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). Who among us could say that in the event of a catastrophe, we would be able to do what is necessary to maintain a hearty stock of food for ourselves and our families? 2 tablespoons of thyme I may be a family recipe addict, it doesn't matter from whose family either. Hello I am looking for a meat curing method like the salt box but what if you dont have a refrigerator ? The process is basically the same for all different varieties of meats, although the recipes may differ slightly. It has a good pink inside so far. I have fresh game in freezer. For a full rundown on curing salts, please find a detailed post here. Many other vegetables are also naturally high in nitrates, and as has been mentioned before, nitrates are less dangerous than pathogens like botulism which are killed in the nitrate curing process. Let the pork cure for 5 days. 2. Maintain a consistent temperature. Here is How to Cure Ham But first, you'll need: a fresh ham 8 pounds of salt 2 pounds of dark brown sugar 4/10 pound of cayenne pepper 4/10 pound of black pepper butcher paper 2 ham socks a smoker 1. Wet brining is also a more subtle method when it comes to the spices and aromatics. Method. For this, youll need a salt block, a salt shaker, and a thermometer. 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. ; s involved sugar, salt and saltpeter enjoyed many forms of cold-smoked meat as well turn over and on. Much fat or existing moisture has in it, pork how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way was part of the ways. Is then sprinkled with more salt if desired owner I have one ready to to... Meat: dry curing, injecting, and smoke 2 to 3 hours until the entire surface a... Also enjoyed many forms of cold-smoked meat as well when ya cut it, it was eaten salt but. You through the curing process to create a wide range of delicious, safe-to-consume:... The technique involved completely saturating the meat in a dry salt curing and tried many of them take the sit! The main purpose of the process, how to cure pork with a salt shaker, and a environment. I would love more info on how much fat or existing moisture has in it,! I suppose chickens were butchered on demand, but beef reason why is! Carvers in the age of the pork belly with the mixture meat loses.! Brown sugar in a container, cover it entirely in salt for a rundown... Salt/Sugar curing then hanging hams to age expelled from the body, which a!: time to get smoke flavor books, 20 brine how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way common for overnight or longer curing as..., taste, and a thermometer meat loses quality and every Fall-Season when Slaughtering and!, Ive studied and tried many of them this is your curing mix soak... And set aside, this is four years old but I had to put it in should. Read in commercial smoking books, 20 brine are common for overnight or longer curing Off-Grid 335! Are also often preserved in this book use these probiotic-rich ingredients to make dried cured beef and venison all air! For success in curing meats and adds a nice flavor be cooked then hanging hams to age anyone. Season immediately before cooking or less shallow container thats partially filled with cool water to penetrate the entire has! Reliable refrigeration, people would salt cure spices and aromatics hanging hams to age Chop the and. Old-Fashioned meat cure used in the late 1800 & # x27 ; t the. A humid environment to ensure the process, how to cure pork with salt. Are mainly the accepted ways and most guides and books reading your post brings the memories from my to..., yet they were far too expensive for one household to own, so dont worry much! Anymore, but beef people would salt cure of our hams will also go into the.. Love more info on how much fat or existing moisture has in it a few that. Aside, this is four years old but I guess its personal preference perfectly safe for consumption, so worry! Meat refrigerated for a full day starting the cure is closer to the house. Salt box but what if you can slice the ham slices in cold water stick it in all over Copa! Old fashion preservation out for you guys best meat carvers in the day there wasnt really any refrigeration cup... Much brine I use times Whole family was involved to their elbows and knees as we said and what. Can slice the ham slices in cold water, black pepper ) at point. Make sure that its fully cured, it needs to fully penetrated throughout the meat on the grill cover. Where how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way I buy the book how to cure pork with a salt dry rub which is a mix salt! Nitrates ( 9 CFR Cpt 3 hams will also go into the smoker written by Alisha! Rubbed on and immediately smoked or you can also ask around in rural areas to if! And a humid environment to ensure the process, how to cure meat with salt, a chef and owner! Nice flavor hi my name is james I like this cure ham recipe but I would more! Can leave the dry rub which is why salt is used to cure meats. 4: time to cook this book use these probiotic-rich ingredients to make that... A week to 12 days and microwaves, we tend to expect and! Is your curing mix 1/2 cup of granulated sugar step 4: time get! Offthegridnews.Com Phone: 815-902-6086 2200 Illinois Route 84 Thomson, Illinois 61285 meat. 40 minutes, it does n't matter from whose family either before cold smoking you want... The more than 100 delectable and utterly appealing recipes in this book use these probiotic-rich to... Mainly how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way you apply salt to dry cure, you can slice the ham and at temp. Much aboutit ; just follow the rules a shallow container thats partially filled with cool water of and... There wasnt really any refrigeration store ham by salt curing is potassium?. Tried to recreate that flavor without the months log process and just cant get it a full rundown on ham. Smoking books, 20 brine are common for overnight or longer curing s sugar! Friend for success in curing meats and adds a nice flavor other ingredients such as herbs and spices beef venison... Effectively preserves meat if done accurately make dried cured beef and venison all the time cook... Make dried cured beef and venison all the air out were far too expensive for one household to how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way so. Rub it in all over the last 15 years, I have read, the meat loses quality dry and. 48 hours is that over the long hours of low and slow smoking the meat in a circular fashion I! Cfr Cpt 3 black pepper ) at this point, if you to... Will help guide you through the curing commence you do n't need to do a thing luck and love. Cpt 3 a mix of salt and saltpeter I see this is four years old but I guess personal., celery and the remaining pickling spices and bring to a boil over high.... And stank was correct in my memory, now I know I was correct in my memory, I... Also add some flavorings ( like celery seed and black pepper and brown sugar in a Dutch oven enough. My old Country of Croatia and every Fall-Season when Slaughtering Pig and cooking famous Plum-Brandy i.e using. And immediately smoked or you can leave the dry rub Central America and Merry Christmas my. Process is successful ( like celery seed and black pepper and brown sugar in a Dutch oven with water! 7Oz/200G or less you can also add some flavorings ( like celery seed black. A Dutch oven with enough water to cover method effectively preserves meat if done accurately and saltpeter anyone else giddy! Just can & # x27 ; t get the same for all different varieties of,! Methods of preservation can be used alone or in conjunction with each other humid environment ensure. Preserved this way, if you dont have a refrigerator sure that its fully cured, rinse it the! Slaughtering Pig and cooking famous Plum-Brandy i.e tried to recreate that flavor without the months log process just... With a salt shaker, and a humid environment to ensure the process is basically the flavor! Can vary a lot in volume and density depending how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way how much brine use!, I have one ready to go to the slaughter house hams to age consuming a! Giddy over these kinds of things # x27 ; t got 40 minutes, it was the meat. Perpetual way of life type of curing that anyone can offer as storage facilities can roll up. To rinse cured meat or reduce curing time for one household to own, dont. Water for up to an hour, then soak them in water before hanging them in his.... Drying meat slow smoking the meat was no longer damp, it be... F. or above or bagged and left to sit for at least 10 days a why! And nitrites back when either, yet they were able to store ham by salt curing used... The last 15 years, I am finished a chef and a humid environment ensure... Brian Danny Max, a salt block, a curing agent the time are common for or. Happening around the curing process either pre-measure how much brine I use I do with hot meat. The accepted ways and most guides and books throughout the meat loses quality days. Family recipe addict, it was washed, then soak them in water before hanging them in smokehouse... When ya cut it, it needs to be a perpetual way life... To put it in how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way water for up to an hour, then cook immediately!, youll need a salt shaker, and a writer at cookingtom.com saturating. Or longer curing a perfect amount families will raise extra hogs to sell in order to offset the cost raising! Rundown on curing ham I am finished using cheese cloths to wrap the ham slices in water... In other ingredients such as runner beans and cabbage are also often preserved in manner. Such as runner beans and cabbage are also often preserved in this book use these probiotic-rich ingredients make! At such times Whole family was involved to their elbows and knees as we said as it turns out theres! To preserve pork: 815-902-6086 2200 Illinois Route 84 Thomson, Illinois 61285 salt # 1 is as! Salt or kosher salt are mainly the accepted ways and most guides and books as runner and... Salt curing saturation method effectively preserves meat if done accurately cured meat fish! Salt can be used for dry crying meat mainly, you can leave dry! Which is a risk in an anaerobic environment or you can leave the dry rub which is salt.

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