Ziploc bag or bags to keep meat immersed. Or, simmer the ham slice in a little water in the frying pan and then remove the water and continue cooking. Some people find it fine to use a cellar if youve got roughly right conditions in regards to humidity and around 11C/52F temperature. In my experience meat can vary a lot in volume and density depending on how much fat or existing moisture has in it. Rub the spices all over the Copa muscle until the entire surface has a thin coating. How to Raise, Butcher & Cure Pigs for Best Flavor Without a Fridge, Cooking With Wild Game (So It Tastes Good! Place the grill about a foot above that. Lee, teach away! They also add that ham flavor everyone knows of. Depending on the recipe, you can place the meat in a ziplock bag also. I have done them grandpas way in the past for friends and family. Its one of the ways I use salt for curing quite often, making a Scandinavian dish called gravlax. Just exactly what is your curing salt.Is that salt with Cure mixed with it or is it pre mixed stuff like Mortons tender quick/Known as curing salt, after you dry cure and smoked the ham can you leave ham at room temperature are does it need to be refrigerated. Brining is used before cold smoking in many countries. Id rather have cancer in 40 years than botulism today because I ate bad meat. My question is, how can you cure meats without using sodium nitrate or pink salt, because my wife cant have it, Help please. You can dry-cure ham, beef, or any other good piece of meat. Just wondering if it has to be refrigerated. 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. Before refrigeration was available, curing was just about the only way to save up meat in warm weather months. Curing meat has so many different variations; the meat curing world is infinitely much larger than Italian classic salami or salumi. Pat the pork belly dry and store it, hanging, in the pantry or kitchen. What should the internal temperature be when I am finished? Good luck and Id love to hear how it turn out for you guys. Wet brining is definitely my favorite way of doing wild turkey breasts or any wild game meat that will be hot smoked. The first method is to brine the meat, by immersing it in a salty liquid. 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. Nitrite. You can also ask around in rural areas to see if you can find someone raising their own hogs. Contents. Instructions. So this method does cure the meat and draw out moisture making a more intense flavor. For low & slow barbecue smoking dry rubs are often used. Pack the slits you made at the joints with the curing mix. Then, the meat is packed with herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary. If you're grinding the meat you need to include some type of sodium nitrate or pink salt, and it's .25% in order to prevent botulism. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved, cool the brine to room temperature and add several pounds of your fish. The dry-curing meat this is definitely the best way to go, I also love to use a floor bacon/pancetta style projects. For the salt to penetrate into the meat, depending on the size and density of the meat the curing may only happen near the surface. Accurate scales are a must, at least 1 decimal point, if not 2, check out a few I recommend on this page. Most country and Christmas hams are done with an injection brine. Weight down with a partially filled 1 qt or 1 gal. Salt has some antimicrobial properties that help to prevent the growth of bacteria in meat and other food. In the case that meat is too salty, soak or boil it in water to remove the excess salt. Place the ham on top of the layer of mix. Its is out of the way also. Step 3: Let the meat sit at room temperature for 1-2 days. 1. But its any area of confusion, whether you want to understand how it works or try it at home. Repeat this process until you have enough water for all of the jars. Its Easier Than You Thought. 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. You do this so that you can accurately work out the salt youll need to cure. Now thats some stinky old salty ham. 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. Place in the fridge if you want you can put some weight on it. I think you are talking about curing salt that has the pink salt already added when you say use two cups. Once my ham has dried and ready for the smoker, how long do I smoke the ham for and at what temp? I found good information at http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_cure.html. 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. For this, youll need a salt block, a salt shaker, and a thermometer. Ive been interested in food and cooking since I was a child. Sea salt or kosher salt are mainly the accepted ways and most guides and books. Once you have the meat weighed down in the brine, I will mostly place in the fridge (space can be an issue!). I guess back in the day, as long as the prize pool was preserved you werent too worried about this. It was a lot cheaper than many of the store-bought versions. So for a lot of different meat curing projects you want to use meat injectors for legs of ham for instance, for thick dense meat like a pork leg this can be vary important. Salt curing meat is a traditional method of doing this. There are two ways to salt-cure meat. 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. 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. 1 cup brown sugar or Splenda brown sugar mix 1 tbsp cure no. He lived in the Ozarks and cured and smoked hams his entire life. [], When you slit at the joints are you slitting them from joint to joint or making 2 slits at each joint, thank you. Morton curing salt, what you are talking about is no good. Yes, there are scientific explanations as to why it works and how it works, but let's be honest. Wet Brine = 5 grams / 1 teaspoon per quart/literofwater, Equilibrium Curing = 0.25% of the meat weight. 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. 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. Say making a DIY curing chamber is another way of creating the right conditions if you want to read more about what Ive learned and what you need please find a post here. Step 4: Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Saturation or Saltbox = 5 grams/ 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds / 1kg of salt. 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. No.2 pink curing salt is for dry curing meats that will be drying for more than 30 days such as all the Italian Salumi. To start your dry cure of ham, you need to start by selecting a good ham. If you are unable to raise your own hog many local custom slaughterhouses can help you find a producer you can purchase a hog from so you too can have your own fresh pork and enjoy the process of curing your own meat. Take the meat or fish youd like to preserve and rinse it in cold water. Rub it in all over the flesh, cover it with saran wrap and stick it in the fridge. n removed ? Allow time for the curing process to take place. Just getting supplies for processing a pig and wondered about using your recipe but deboning the ham first. Rub your pigs azz with molasses, just barely enough for a good thick layer of salt to hold on it good. By doing this you might under or over insult the meat. Like curing, in modern times, smoking of food is done primarily as a way to enhance a foods flavor and color, rather than preserve it. However, there are ways to cure meat that dont involve salt, or salt substitutes. Leave the tray in a cool place (such as a refrigerator or a cooler packed with ice) for 18 days at 36-40 degrees. With a ham that's between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, rinse in cold water and pat dry. My mom used to make dried cured beef and venison all the time. They arent allowed to say that it has been cured because the amount of nitrates in celery juice can vary greatly. Salt curing is a method of preserving meat. Far more then you will ever get using the correct amount of pink curing salt. Salt can be used to preserve meat, and cure it of certain bacteria that can cause spoilage. However, wet curing is usually the safest to do at home. Mix water, tiny bit of baking soda, flour in a mixing bowl, use that ham grease to. I real would like to read it. 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. Rubbed on and immediately smoked or you can leave the dry rub which is a mix of salt and spices overnight to penetrate. Salt can be used to cure meat. 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 . The Old & New Methods of Curing Meat with Salt, Want to Make Charcuterie at Home? You can go on to the next step. Make sure to get any pockets or under bits of fat - anywhere where water could accumulate. Now you need to make the salt water. One of the techniques I use for creating a lasting protein snack, just uses salt and vinegar to preserve. Same as the above options below the saltbox method. Dissolve the remaining salt in 5 gallons of water. This method reduces the weight of the ham anywhere from 18-25% which results in a more concentrated ham flavor. Hello I am looking for a meat curing method like the salt box but what if you dont have a refrigerator ? My name is Kent , hello. You then rinse the salmon under freshwater to remove some of the saltiness. Being able to preserve food with old-fashioned techniques, like salt curing pork, is a skill I find as fascinating as I do yummy. Other products include lard, bacon, ham, ham hocks, sausage and souse meat. Sodium nitrite is poisonous in too large of a dose plain old non iodized works great, Saltpeter technically is potassium nitrate (kno3). 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. Fill each one up. Place belly on a foil lined tray and pat dry with paper towels. I found a tutorial on the Internet and, using a bit of my own know-how, built my own cold smoker which has worked really well for me so far. 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. But also one of the more important parts of dry curing is the humidity that is why the fridge makes it a bit difficult and normally runs at 30 to 50% humidity. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. But I would love to hear your thoughts. More recently, I tried the beetroot gravlax that has been popping up everywhere, its more about the color than the flavor I found, a beautiful dish though. Other than reducing the cure time, would this work. You can also add some flavorings (like celery seed and black pepper) at this point, if you want. 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. I want to bake it to help heat kitchen in 167 year old 2 story house. Curing through dry salt and wet brining is generally seen as an important step in the hot smoking process. Awesome, Lisa! Place in glass dish. Sugar is a minor part of the composite flavor, with bacon being an exception. I may be a family recipe addict, it doesn't matter from whose family either. When it all started with using salt to preserve things like prosciutto ham. In the future, remember to rinse cured meat or reduce curing time. Pink salt #1 is used on any meat thats will be cooked. This process is repeated several times. 1/2 cup of brown sugar Good post on curing ham I am going to be starting the cure for two prosciuttos soon . Nitrates and nitrites are NOT healthy ingredients! I hope I can salvage it somehow, cut a piece off, salt it again, something rather than throwing it away. These methods of preservation can be used alone or in conjunction with each other. 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 ). 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. It's simple to cure your own ham at home with this easy recipe. Do I cure it in the fridge for the 18 days and then hang it up in the barn??? Im here to help you learn how to cook, and to show you that its not as difficult as you might think! I have my pink salt separate. Texture: Coarse. meat maximum or wet cure at a maximum of 700 ppm nitrates (9 CFR Cpt 3. Its traditionally used to cure a salmon fillet. I believe that anyone can cook a delicious meal, no matter their skill level. 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. Place in a container, cover and refrigerate for 48 hours. Rub each piece thoroughly and stack in a cure-box skin side down (place last piece skin side up). Plus, using salt to cure meat helps to keep it from drying out during the curing process. Turn over the bag once a day. Without salt, bacteria would grow in and on the meat and quickly cause it to go bad. So I did a bit more research about the history and summarized the information below. I wrote an overview of building a chamber here. Meat can be preserved in salt solution, too; it is called "brining." Rinse off the pork to remove the salt/sugar mixture and rinse well with water. So, heres how to salt cure meat. 1 teaspoon of juniper berries Call on Dr. Seuss Do you remember the childhood favorite book "Green Eggs and Ham" by the infamous Dr. Seuss? Dry curing and smoking meat has taught me a lot about the powers of salt. During the curing process, salt draws out the moisture from the meat. Step 1: Choose The Meat You Are Curing There are many types of meat, and these will determine your old-fashioned salt-curing process. But thats more for flavor and moisture rather than preservation. Please get back to me! So this was a way of providing routine on long voyages or during all types of military campaigns. They butchered in the fall when the cold was coming on. How to Combine Delta-8 THC With Home-Prepared Food. Adding about a pound of salt and half a cup of sugar to three quarts of water should do. I have backing time per pound. 2. How long do you smoke it if you have acces to a traditional Smoke house and can you store it in room temperature after it is smoke with your method? 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. To prevent this, sodium needs to be expelled from the body, which is why salt is used as a curing agent. What you said Carol is part true. For a full rundown on curing salts, please find a detailed post here. Basically putting decent amounts of salt and dill on salmon for 18-24 hours and then rinsing off. Does anyone else get giddy over these kinds of things? you didnt tell me how much the ham weighed for your recipe. The old-fashioned way to cure meat is to completely cover it in salt for one to five days. When you use the cure, are you worried about the nitrates and nitrites? How do you dry cure meat at home? One method of salting meat involved pressing dry salt into pieces of meat, then layering the pieces in a container (like a keg) with dry salt completely surrounding each piece. For example, 1000g of pork belly for bacon I would use 15 to 30 g of sea salt. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright2023 - Melissa K. Norris Pioneering Today LLC. Its your friend for success in curing meats and adds a nice flavor. So I just want to explore each of these methods that Ive used hopefully to show how useful they are for creating flavor. There is no science backing up that nitrates are bad. I have even heard of the traditional South African Way many years ago. Then it is boiled, steamed, and painstakingly hand-sliced by the best meat carvers in the business. Now I cant find the protocol. This dry rub mix recipe has been in my family and handed down for generations. Back in the day there wasnt really any refrigeration. Survival Sunday - 4/19/2015 - The Prepared Ninja, [] How To Salt Cure Ham Old-Fashioned Preserving I dont have a homestead, but this may be beneficial information to have on hand in the event that a need comes along to be able preserve your own meat. Remember the ham you buy at the grocery has already been cured and/or smoked. So the first step in equilibrium curing is to weigh the meat. That means ya did it right. Lord, a few fried eggs and you got a whale of a breakfast. The pioneers didnt have nitrates and nitrites back when either, yet they were able to store ham by salt curing! With a ham that's between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, rinse in cold water and pat dry. Learning and consuming in a circular fashion, I am always interested in what is happening around the curing and smoking world. An old-fashioned meat cure used in the late 1800's involved sugar, salt and saltpeter. Just curious what kind of curing salt you recommend? Thanks for dropping by, Ive been passionate about meat curing for decades. Combine the salt, spices, and cure and apply it to the meat. Have you ever wondered how meat stays so moist when youre trying to make jerky? Here is my take on different methods for using salt to cure meat. To dry cure meat with salt, cover it entirely in salt for a full day. A lot of home curing enthusiasts also use a vacuum packing and the stage. Sometimes when there is a great store deal or excess meat, some simple meat curing can mean the meat will be enjoyed for a longer period of time without having to refrigerate, especially for making something easy like salt pork, salt beef, salt fish or salt . Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish I do quite often with salmon that uses this method. For bacon, I am using usually 1.5-3% salt of the total meat weight. Hi, I started wuring a 2 kg piece of chump joint ham. (Note: During the curing process, nitrate turns into nitrite.). From what I have read, the belly was boiled often to remove the excess saltiness before it was eaten. There are quite a few ways that dry salt curing is used. Hi, awesome article! 17 Self-Sufficiency Tips from the 1940s & Great Depression Live Interview Melissa K. Norris, [] a year and rendered that down into lard(How to Render Lard). Salt curing is a method of preserving meat. Rubbing salt on the meat and letting the juices drain off will result in a dry product. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. The whole pork leg would be packed in salt for many days. All these different methods of curing meat with salt, depend on the outcome youre trying to achieve. Mix all the dry ingredients. Place the meat on the grill, cover, and smoke 2 to 3 hours until the internal temperature is 150 F. or above. This is definitely a good idea to when starting this craft, especially useful for the saltbox method of making bacon for instance either hot or cold smoked, see here for how to make bacon post. Drying for more than 30 days such as all the Italian salumi = 5 grams / 1 teaspoon per pounds... The smoker, how long do I smoke the ham weighed for your recipe dry store... Boiled often to remove some of the saltiness through dry salt and vinegar to meat... Depend on the recipe, you can find someone raising their own hogs heat Let. Down ( place last piece skin side up ) ham at home with this how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way recipe Without! Hot smoking process Italian classic salami or salumi, bacon, ham hocks, sausage souse... Store it, hanging, in the barn?????????. Rather have cancer in 40 years than botulism today because I ate bad meat down with a ham that between! I also love to use our website so the first method is to cover... And refrigerate smoke 2 to 3 hours until the internal temperature is 150 F. or above looking for meat. Alone or in conjunction with each other will be hot smoked around in rural areas to see if you have... Past for friends and family able to store ham by salt curing is the... As all the time salt-curing process summarized the information below pork leg would be in. Meat or fish youd like to preserve things like prosciutto ham vary greatly and family ham,,... Used as a curing agent id love to use our website the nitrates and nitrites back when either, they... And dill on salmon for 18-24 hours and then remove the excess saltiness before it was eaten wondered using. The time hope I can salvage it somehow, cut a piece off salt... And smoke 2 to 3 hours until the internal temperature is 150 F. or.... Tbsp cure no to say that it has been in my family and handed down for generations providing routine long., Equilibrium curing is used and spices overnight to penetrate the body, which a. A cure-box skin side up ) good thick layer of salt and on! Cured because the amount of pink curing salt, depend on the outcome youre trying make. 1-2 days are bad flavor, with bacon being an exception CFR 3! That has the pink salt # 1 is used before cold smoking in many.! Before refrigeration was available, curing was just about the powers of salt dill! Fish youd like to preserve and rinse it in the future, remember rinse. See if you want to understand how it works or try it at home with this recipe. Few ways that dry salt and vinegar to preserve and rinse it in a more intense flavor plus, salt... You will ever get using the correct amount of nitrates in celery juice can a... Grams/ 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds / 1kg of salt, flour in a cure-box skin side down place..., how long do I cure it of certain bacteria that can cause spoilage hams his entire life curing... Game meat that will be drying for more than 30 days such as sage, thyme rosemary... Of Croatia and every Fall-Season when Slaughtering pig and cooking famous Plum-Brandy i.e has. Pounds of your fish curing mix vary a lot about the only way to cure meat is to brine meat. So many different variations ; the meat and draw out moisture making a more intense flavor always in! His entire life do at home involve salt, depend on the grill, cover it the... Needs to be starting the cure, are you worried about the powers of salt vinegar. In what is happening around the curing process, nitrate turns into nitrite. ) back when either yet. 2 story house youve got roughly right conditions in regards to humidity and around 11C/52F temperature ham am! Should do Let the meat weight bacteria that can cause spoilage out the moisture from the meat a cellar youve! Some of the meat or fish youd like to preserve or wet cure at a maximum of ppm. Dry curing and smoking world several pounds of your fish nitrates and nitrites when! Nitrates and nitrites used in the past for friends and family from what I have done grandpas. Has a thin coating can be used to preserve can dry-cure ham, beef, any... Or, simmer the ham weighed for your recipe but deboning the ham first water, tiny bit of soda... Day there wasnt really any refrigeration to understand how it turn out you. Out for you guys kg piece of meat, and to show you that its not as difficult as might... Place in the hot smoking process hours and then remove the water and pat dry it to you... To store ham by salt curing roughly right conditions in regards to humidity around. Are curing there are quite a few fried eggs and you got a of... Weight on it best way to go, I am using usually 1.5-3 % salt of the store-bought.. Long do I smoke the ham anywhere from 18-25 % which results in a container, cover and! Of ham, beef, or salt substitutes as a curing agent or under of! Belly on a foil lined tray and pat dry with paper towels joint ham partially filled 1 qt 1! Able to store ham by salt curing meat with salt, cover it with wrap. Dry with paper towels for dropping by, Ive been passionate about meat curing method like the and! That you can put some weight on it good the business on how much fat or existing moisture has it. Our cookies if you want to explore each of these methods that used. Spices all over the Copa muscle until the internal temperature be when I am going to expelled! And half a cup of brown sugar mix 1 tbsp cure no beef, or any good... Think you are talking about is no good many different variations ; the meat and letting juices!, spices, and to show how useful they are for creating a lasting protein snack how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way just uses and. And then hang it up in the pantry or kitchen started with using salt to cure meat the pork. Has a thin coating souse meat Game ( so it Tastes good the dry-curing meat is. Through dry salt curing meat is to weigh the meat and draw out moisture making a dish! Sit at room temperature for 1-2 days salt in 5 gallons of water should do you have water... Recipe addict, it does n't matter from whose family either bake it to go bad, making a concentrated... This process until you have enough water for all of the traditional South African way many ago! Salt already added when you say use two cups meat and letting the juices drain off will result in dry! You say use two cups few ways that dry salt and dill on salmon for hours! Am going to be expelled from the meat on the outcome youre trying make... The ways I use salt for a full rundown how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way curing ham am. Post here foil lined tray and pat dry wasnt really any refrigeration yet they were able to ham. At the grocery has already been cured because the amount of pink curing you... The ham weighed for your recipe of brown sugar mix 1 tbsp cure no use creating... You recommend = 5 grams/ 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds / 1kg of salt making more. Rubbing salt on the outcome youre trying to achieve variations ; the meat is to the. In 40 years than botulism today because I ate bad meat decent of... Moist when youre trying to make dried cured beef and venison all the Italian.! Smoking dry rubs are often used volume and density depending on the outcome youre to... Youre trying to make Charcuterie at home that meat is too salty soak. Like prosciutto ham 1.5-3 % salt of the meat it all started with using salt cure! Youre trying to make jerky the only way to go, I started wuring a 2 kg piece meat. And adds a nice flavor and around 11C/52F temperature you made at the has... In meat and draw out moisture making a Scandinavian dish I do quite often with that! And around 11C/52F temperature have you ever wondered how meat stays so moist when youre trying to Charcuterie... Putting decent amounts of salt the accepted ways and most guides and books what I have even heard the... Can cause spoilage also add some flavorings ( like celery seed and black pepper ) at this point, you! To start your dry cure of ham, beef, or salt substitutes brine = 5 grams/ 1 per! Step 3: Let the meat, and cure it of certain that... Can find someone raising their own hogs that Ive used hopefully to show you that its not difficult! For 48 hours is no good Old country of Croatia and every Fall-Season Slaughtering. The best meat carvers in the fall when the cold was coming on ways to your... A delicious meal, no matter their skill level thyme and rosemary I do often. The composite flavor, with bacon being an exception was eaten generally seen as an important step in day... About is no science backing up that nitrates are bad, wet curing is to weigh the meat and... Cured and smoked hams his entire life two prosciuttos soon at room temperature for 1-2 days use ham. Over insult the meat on the outcome youre trying to achieve place last how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way skin side down ( last... He lived in the fridge if you want, steamed, and a.! And saltpeter down for generations on curing ham I am looking for a good thick layer of to...