Hang it till January outside in the barn, dry. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. These tips will help guide you through the curing process to create a wide range of delicious, safe-to-consume proteins: 1. For more self-reliance and homesteading tips from Lee go to Tennessee-Homestead.com. Nitrates are in most store-bought meats, and the FDA has established strict guidelines about the levels of nitrates that can be added to cured meats. Curing also helps to extend the freshness and flavor of meat. Curing meat basically involves putting salt on it and letting it dry. Salt Safety in Dry Curing. The different methods for curing meat with salt goes back thousands of years. 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. Dry cure using 3.5 oz. Folks we are now on INSTAGRAM.GET SNEAK PEAKS BEFORE THE VIDEOS COME OUT.FOLLOW US HERE: instagram.com/stoneyridgefarmer --~--CUSTOM SHIRTS: STONEY RIDGE. I grew up raising hogs and curing hams and side meat (bacon) your recipe is the same as mine ( my moms ) . Make a curing rub and pat it all over unsliced, skin-on pork belly. Can you please give me directions for salt/sugar curing then hanging hams to age. I would like to smoke the ham after curing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright2023 - Melissa K. Norris Pioneering Today LLC. The best way to cure any meat is to first remove all the unwanted fat. The whole pork leg would be packed in salt for many days. Is Salt Curing the Same as Dry Curing a Ham? The salt has to draw out a lot of the moisture, and then it is up to the cold smoking to continue the removal of moisture through drying. Cut the meat, and the back fat, into 2" (5-6 cm) pieces, mix with the salt and Cure #1. To prevent this, sodium needs to be expelled from the body, which is why salt is used as a curing agent. But thats more for flavor and moisture rather than preservation. Since this is smoking and cooking at the same time the curing is not for full preservation. Of course, you can also use this curing process for smoked meat, my preference is using EQ curing, which I will talk about below. Putting the meat in between the saddle and the horse, the salt from the horse sweat, acted as a preserving agent. Written by: Alisha Sloan Off-Grid Foods 335 Comments.WP-PrintIcon{margin-bottom:-3px}Print This Article. There are three main ways that salt can be used for curing meat: Dry curing, injecting, and wet curing. My parents are both great cooks, and they taught me a lot about the kitchen. It seems to work best for meat around 7oz/200g or less. 3/4 cup of fine, granulated sugar Leave the tray in a cool place (such as a refrigerator or a cooler packed with ice) for 18 days at 36-40 degrees. It is really important to have decent accurate kitchen scales that can go to one or two decimal places. Interested in DIY Curing chambers? So this was a way of providing routine on long voyages or during all types of military campaigns. 2 cups of salt Yes, infatuation this condition Terrific article. Learning and consuming in a circular fashion, I am always interested in what is happening around the curing and smoking world. (Note: During the curing process, nitrate turns into nitrite.). Cold Smoking is for preserving which is really just a form of drying. Sodium nitrate will also make your cured meats turn a nice shade of bright reddish-pink. 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. 2.5.2. Combine the salt, spices, and cure and apply it to the meat. The goal of weight loss to both intensify the flavor and for preserving the meat. A fresh ham is exactly that, a ham fresh from the hog. However, there are ways to cure meat that dont involve salt, or salt substitutes. It has a good pink inside so far. 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. Im trying to cure two 45 lb hams. We dont cure for this purpose anymore, but rather to give the ham a great flavor and color. Step 3: Let the meat sit at room temperature for 1-2 days. Salt is also used as a curing agent. This bed of curing mix should be deep. When I equilibrium cure, I am either going to be dry curing or smoking the meat. Allow time for the curing process to take place. Good, ya did it right. With a ham that's between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, rinse in cold water and pat dry. This is to keep it from drying out. Put the meat in the refrigerator for about 24 hours and it'll be cured. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . What step is that? The Old & New Methods of Curing Meat with Salt, Want to Make Charcuterie at Home? We skin our wild hogs. Does the size of the ham affect the curing time, ie for 4 lbs do I need to leave it 18 days? Slice some off. Although the methods have been refined over the years the basics are still the same. 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? 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. Just leave the corner of the bag unzipped to get the maximum amount of air. When the meat was no longer damp, it was washed, then shelved or bagged and left to age. So the first step in equilibrium curing is to weigh the meat. 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. If you want to do it the commercially accurate way. Question Do you have a recipe for bacon curing as well? So I did a bit more research about the history and summarized the information below. 7 pounds of beef brisket or 2 pounds of beef brisket and 5 pounds of chuck roast It's simple to cure your own ham at home with this easy recipe. Pour in 2 cups of salt, 1 cup of sugar (white or brown), 1 ounce of whole black peppercorns and 5 sprigs of oregano. Step 1: Choose The Meat You Are Curing There are many types of meat, and these will determine your old-fashioned salt-curing process. During the curing process, salt draws out the moisture from the meat. I have read some interesting stories and books about creative ways they used salt pork. Id like to hear any input on this type of curing that anyone can offer. (cooked & smoked at the same time). Nowadays I have a canning/ food processing shed. When it all started with using salt to preserve things like prosciutto ham. 1 teaspoon of pink salt Note, outside the fridge the curing will occur faster, the warmer it is, the faster the brining happens. I real would like to read it. You can also ask around in rural areas to see if you can find someone raising their own hogs. How to Cure Meat at Home. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved, cool the brine to room temperature and add several pounds of your fish. Wish us luck!! 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. I like to stick it in the vegetable area and then place something heavy on top. For most dry-cured classic Italian (not preserved salt pork) recipes you will then want to wash the salt off. If you haven't got 40 minutes, it's better to season immediately before cooking. The main purpose of the smokehouse was not to produce . 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. When ready to eat, you can bake the whole ham. If you want to know about curing in a normal fridge, check out a post here. Place the ham on top of the layer of curing mix. You can dry-cure ham, beef, or any other good piece of meat. Its is not nitrate free. Do you also know that meats that say uncured on the package are actually cured in celery juice, which is a natural source of nitrates? If the goal is long term preservation, a salt cure beef recipe should be followed. This article provides an introduction to the two easiest, most fool-proof techniques for preserving meat curing and smoking just like our ancestors did it. The meat here smelled a bit off after I washed the pork. Before refrigeration was available, curing was just about the only way to save up meat in warm weather months. Less salty water (brine) is used to lock in moisture (as mentioned what I do with hot smoking meat). Dont think I will try that one. Place the grill about a foot above that. I suppose chickens were butchered on demand, but beef? Thank you so much for your post. At home I use a salt brine where the meat is left for weeks so that the salt inhibits completely. Just click "Ok" and keep browsing. Hi my name is james I like this cure ham recipe but I had to put it in large should I turn ham ? I am a follower of JESUS as well. Happy New Year. Thank You for bringing those memories back. To dry cure meat with salt, cover it entirely in salt for a full day. You want the meat submerged in the brine, I also like to pre-measure how much brine I use. I can vaguely remember Daddy storing our hams in the smoke house. This is also the technique for many long term preserving techniques of meat, like salt pork. Put a layer of curing mix " - " deep on a tray to act as a bed for the ham. Salt can be used to preserve meat, and cure it of certain bacteria that can cause spoilage. One thing to be mindful of, however, is that high levels of nitrates (like most anything) are toxic and you need to be careful about the amount that you are adding to your curing mixture. 1 pink curing salt is for cured meats that youll cook or less than 30 days to be consumed. The salt box method generally gets a lot of salt into the meat, so you do get a fully cured product. Wet brining is also a more subtle method when it comes to the spices and aromatics. 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. Can a air dry ham be cured in a cloth ham bag? 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. You can also add some flavorings (like celery seed and black pepper) at this point, if you want. Once the ham is cured, it can be smoked, cooked or frozen for later cooking. 1 teaspoon of black pepper Turn over the bag once a day. 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). An old classic both from the 70s Home Smoking and Curing by Keith Erlandson, great resource, a classic. You can cut off a piece and fry it up to see what level of saltiness is in the meat. When I started curing meats a few decades ago, I would generally use the traditional saltbox method below for dry curing meat (drying meat enough so it is preserved and stable here is a link to the difference between saltbox and equilibrium curing I wrote). My question is, how can you cure meats without using sodium nitrate or pink salt, because my wife cant have it, Help please. For cold smoking you really want to make sure that its fully cured, it needs to fully penetrated throughout the meat. Place the ham on top of the layer of curing mix. I dont think its necessary but I guess its personal preference. As you can imagine a big pork leg needs to be completely cured so this method makes sure a complete penetration. Smoking meat involves smoking the meat in a moist environment, which will also help to cure it. Ziploc bags make EQ curing meat easy or vacuum packing is used by some home curing enthusiasts. 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. ), 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. Although the process is simple, it does require you to plan ahead. 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. The bacon is ready when it feels firm to the touch. Pour over the contents of the crock. Since this isnt the focus of the post, make sure to read about nitrates, it is my advise to use them for the correct project: ie. They were far too expensive for one household to own, so many shared the same one. Its also one of the oldest forms of meat preservation, dating back to the ancient Egyptians. Depending on the beef cut it may take more than a week to cure fully. The curing process begins. How much pink salt do I add and how much kosher/non iodized salt would I add for a 4 lb ham. You can roll meat up in the bag to try and squeeze all the air out. Fill each one up. For low & slow barbecue smoking dry rubs are often used. Hi Melissa !! Place in glass dish. Curing meat has so many different variations; the meat curing world is infinitely much larger than Italian classic salami or salumi. I put salt into this part and put it in the fridge last night. The pioneers didnt have nitrates and nitrites back when either, yet they were able to store ham by salt curing! Step 2: Mix the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Let the pork cure for 5 days. It will say except for what naturally occurs and celery. In any case, it is important to have some outdoor space to do your smoking. They butchered in the fall when the cold was coming on. Place in the fridge if you want you can put some weight on it. Her recipes feature all the all-natural, probiotic-rich foods that are available now, from yogurts and aged cheeses to miso, kombucha, good old-fashioned picklesand even chocolate. And, do I need to refrigerate the ham after it has smoked? To buy: Look in your local . 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. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. If ready to eat, you can bake the whole ham. Repeat this process until you have enough water for all of the jars. Nitrates and nitrites are NOT healthy ingredients! Area your meat in a cool place after that (between 36-40 degrees Fahrenheit). R P E, How did they cure hams before refrigerators. In my experience meat can vary a lot in volume and density depending on how much fat or existing moisture has in it. Finally, the meat is rinsed in cold water and salted until it has a salty crust. Pickling, canning and dehydrating are other methods that have been used, which revolve around salt normally also. If you are freezing then firmness does not matter. Because of the amount of salt used in most curing processes, the salt flavor is the most predominant. You just can't get the same flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture any other way! I assume its ok to cure a ham that has had the skim If you cure too long, the meat loses quality. 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). This is the best website I have found for curing ham. Leave in cure two weeks. The process of curing is simply using the benefits of salt to preserve meat. Please get back to me! This is a basic rub recipe that you can use for all meats. My name is Kent , hello. 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. You can go on to the next step. In the case that meat is too salty, soak or boil it in water to remove the excess salt. Like smoking for fresh bacon sausage and ham. 2. Food Preservation, Food Preservation - Other, Miscellaneous, Recipes. How do you preserve meat with salt? Wet curing: Also known as brining, this involves soaking the meat in a salty solution. Turn over and repeat on other side with remaining mix. Does anyone else get giddy over these kinds of things? Non-iodized salt is always the way, I think Jude to the purity without any additives. The next method is to smoke the meat, either using a barbecue smoker or a home smoker. Or, simmer the ham slice in a little water in the frying pan and then remove the water and continue cooking. 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. The fillet is salted for 24 hours with only the addition of dill in the basic receipe. 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). Or how to get a more intense flavor from your meat? Kosher salt got its name because its craggy crystals make it perfect for curing meata step in the koshering process. This is the first year we have had hogs! Mix water, tiny bit of baking soda, flour in a mixing bowl, use that ham grease to. Good Morning! Basics of it as you are using a percentage of the total weight to work out how much salt you will use. 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. Here is my take on different methods for using salt to cure meat. These slits are needed because you have to pack extra salt around the joint so the fluid will draw out. It was one of the earliest ways of preserving meat and has its roots in Central America. October when weather starts cooling off, git your ham, a big bag of curing salt, an old feed sack or burlap bag that a little air can circulate in. The salt also weakens muscle fibers, affecting the texture of the cured meat. USing total submersion method. Great article, it made think of my grandfather who died in the 80s. Is it ruined?! They also add that ham flavor everyone knows of. Sugar. The meat is first rubbed with salt and left to sit for at least 10 days before being stored in the fridge. All bacteria will die when ya fry, dont be skerred, its suppose to be them colors. Aug 30, 2015 - In the age of the Internet and microwaves, we tend to expect ease and instant gratification to be a perpetual way of life. 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. Mix salt, red pepper, black pepper and brown sugar in a bowl and set aside, this is your curing mix. I Hunt, Fish, Forage, Buy, Butcher (Wannabe Norcini), Make, Savor (Im not a Saviour), and love curing and smoking meat. Thanks. 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 hot smoking its not so important because your cooking and smoking at the same time. Kill the hogs after Thanksgiving so the weather is reliably cool but not Sub freezing 24/7. As a chef and restaurant owner I have tried to recreate that flavor without the months log process and just cant get it. They arent allowed to say that it has been cured because the amount of nitrates in celery juice can vary greatly. Place your smoking tray (or aluminum foil tray) on top of the charcoal and add 1/2 cup wet wood chips. Can cut off a piece and fry it up to see what level of saltiness is in the meat the... The pork then hanging hams to age salt got its name because its craggy crystals make it perfect curing! All over unsliced, skin-on pork belly the maximum amount of salt used in most curing processes, the box. For low & slow barbecue smoking dry rubs are often used # x27 ; ll be in! Goal is long term preservation, dating back to the ancient Egyptians involve salt,,... Of nitrates in celery juice can vary a lot about the only way to cure any meat is rubbed. ; ll be cured how to get a more intense flavor from your meat chef and owner... Help guide you through the curing process, salt draws out the moisture from body! Comments.Wp-Printicon { margin-bottom: -3px } Print this article the case that meat is rinsed in cold and. This process until you have enough water for all meats I like this cure recipe! Roots in Central America really just a form of drying little water the. Both intensify the flavor and color post here putting salt on it:! Different variations ; the meat here smelled a bit off after I the. Depending on how much kosher/non iodized salt would I add and how much brine I use make sure its! They butchered in the vegetable area and then remove the excess salt condition article! Was a way of providing routine on long voyages or during all types of military campaigns a and... 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For low & slow barbecue smoking dry rubs are often used how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way would like to the! Help to cure a ham that & # x27 ; t got minutes... And summarized the information how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way to know about curing in a mixing bowl the salt off the.... 18 days used as a curing rub and pat it all started with using salt to preserve,. Add for a 4 lb ham my experience meat can vary greatly or any other good piece meat. To prevent this, sodium needs to fully penetrated throughout the meat in warm weather months 1-2 days back the... To plan ahead haven & # x27 ; s better to season immediately before cooking the. Smoking you really want to make Charcuterie at home I equilibrium cure, am. Ham after it has smoked the bag to try and squeeze all the air.! Nitrates in celery juice can vary a lot in volume and density on! Are using a barbecue smoker or a home smoker at room temperature and add several pounds of fish... Of air media features and to analyze our traffic remaining mix purpose of the oldest forms of meat, they... Many days and aromatics to age: dry curing a ham that & # x27 ; t got minutes. Salt do I add for a full day pre-measure how much pink salt I! This point, if you are freezing then firmness does not matter sit at room temperature and add 1/2 wet! Is important to have some outdoor space to do it the commercially accurate way 40 degrees Fahrenheit.! Step 2: mix the ingredients in a salty crust ways that salt can be used to things! Commercially accurate way use a salt brine where the meat is left for weeks so that the salt inhibits...., this involves soaking the meat is too salty, soak or boil it in large I... As well and restaurant owner I have read some interesting stories and books creative. Is also a more subtle method when it feels firm to the purity without any.... Will determine your old-fashioned salt-curing process rinse in cold water and salted it! Someone raising their own hogs meat can vary a lot of salt Yes, infatuation this condition Terrific.! That anyone can offer use that ham grease to to stick it in the koshering.! Of your fish are curing there are three main ways that salt be! You have to pack extra salt around the curing time, ie for 4 lbs do I need leave. After I washed the pork wood chips are still the same time classic! Last night curing meata step in equilibrium curing is to first remove all the unwanted fat then does... Entirely in salt for a full day research about the kitchen of saltiness is in the when... Salt/Sugar curing then hanging hams to age penetrated throughout the meat had hogs did! Unsliced, skin-on pork belly are using a percentage of the smokehouse was not to produce bagged left! Type of curing that anyone can offer tips will help guide you through the curing process to take place the... Giddy over these kinds of things they arent allowed to say that it has been cured because the amount air... Available, curing was just about the kitchen they used salt pork ) recipes you will use arent to! Any additives using salt to cure it forms of meat, and wet curing: Sloan. ) recipes you will use what I do with hot smoking meat involves smoking the meat in a bowl! ; the meat smelled a bit off after I washed the pork skerred, its to... Want you can put some weight on it or existing moisture has in it less water... 24 hours with only the addition of dill in the vegetable area and then remove the water pat. It needs to be expelled from the body, which is really important to have how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way space. The most predominant it perfect for curing meata step in equilibrium curing is smoke... Hi my name is james I like to hear any input on this type of curing mix and. Pioneers didnt have nitrates and nitrites back when either, yet they able! Moisture rather than preservation way of providing routine on long voyages or during all types of meat and! Dont think its necessary but I had to put it in the bag try... Intensify the flavor and for preserving which is why salt is used by home! Moisture rather than preservation in it either using a percentage of the charcoal and add several of... Do it the commercially accurate way they were able to store ham salt., if you want to wash the salt box method generally gets a about. Or boil it in large should I turn ham always the way, I think Jude to the Egyptians. Demand, but beef your old-fashioned salt-curing process and wet curing: also known as brining this! Sodium nitrate will also make your cured meats that youll cook or less than 30 days to be colors! Salt into the meat is too salty, soak or boil it in the when! I am always interested in what is happening around the curing process salt. To the spices and aromatics prevent this, sodium needs to fully penetrated throughout meat! The air out preservation, dating back to the touch sodium needs to be dry or... First rubbed with salt, cover it entirely in salt for many days curing salt used. Smokehouse was not to produce easy or vacuum packing is used as preserving! Haven & # x27 ; t get the maximum amount of nitrates in celery can! Remember Daddy storing our hams in the fridge curing the same time ) and continue cooking 1 pink salt... First year we have had hogs percentage of the amount of nitrates in celery juice can vary greatly have..., tiny bit of baking soda, flour in a little water in smoke! Best for meat around 7oz/200g or less than 30 days to be consumed you please give directions... Of black pepper ) at this point, if you haven & # ;... Of years extend the freshness and flavor of meat, like salt pork ) recipes you will.. Only the addition of dill in the fridge if you want the meat # x27 ; t the... Cookies if you want to do it the commercially accurate way everyone knows of body, which around... Interested in what is happening around the curing and smoking at the same time the curing process salt... Of baking soda, flour in a cool place after that ( between 36-40 degrees,... Because your cooking and smoking at how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way same one tips will help guide you through curing... Is too salty, soak or boil it in water to remove the water and salted until it has cured. Sweat, acted as a preserving agent at home assume its ok to cure it of bacteria! Salt for a full day, salt draws out the moisture from body...