Aglet
July 23rd, 2013, 11:35 PM
Every Thursday I cure 400 to 500lb of bacon for work. And every day at my 2nd job I make anywhere from 40 to 200lb of the stuff. About a month ago I decided to start experimenting with it on my own, and I think I have a protocol which is worth sharing.
DISCLAIMERS:
-Messing up your curing salt mix can kill you. Too little pink salt and this wonderful bacteria called botulinum will start producing botulinum toxins, which cause the condition botulism. Botulinum toxins have an average lethal dose of about 2ng:1kg. That means 0.00000012 grams of the stuff could kill me(I weigh 150lb). It's estimated that 1g has the potential to kill over 1,500,000 people(That's the population of San Antonio TX).
On the other hand, too much pink salt could poison you, cause heart problems, etc.. Please either buy premade curing salt, or if you decide to make your own be careful and follow the proper weight procedure.
-Always be careful with knives. Before using a knife, be sure to get a comfortable grip, sharpen it, and smooth out it's edges with a steel. A sharp knife does more work for you, which means you are less likely to cut yourself
-Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
-Use common sense. If the cured meat isn't right, or if you aren't comfortable with it, don't eat it.
Fun Fact: Botulinum Toxins is often shortened to "Botox" in the cosmetic and medical industry.
Odds are you won't be butchering an entire pig for the pig's belly. Check with a local butcher or maybe even your supermarket for a pork belly cut. If you can get skinless, do so. If not, you'll have to remove the skin yourself. To do this you want to use a chef's knife or a butcher's scimitar. Make the first cut about 1mm below the skin around the edge of the meat. You'll then have to run the knife under the skin, removing said skin in one piece and leaving as much fat as possible. This is easier said than done, and will take some practice before you can get a clean skin every time. Cut the slabs of meat into sizes small enough to fit in plastic ziplock bags(1-2 gallon bags should be perfect). The meat is now ready to be seasoned.
I'm not allowed to make curing salt at work. Instead the executive chef makes a huge batch about every month. The measurements are all done by weight, and are extremely accurate. Generally it's about 2 parts Kosher salt to 1 part sugar(Brown or white, doesn't matter), and 1/16th parts pink salt(Sodium nitrite). Or about 2 pints of salt, 1 pint of sugar and 2 tablespoons of pinksalt. The specifics of the pink salt we use is unknown to me, I get to take home some of the excess at the end of the month though.. Anywho, I'd recommend buying premade curing salt. Morton is a good place to start.
So, at this point you have meat slabs and curing salt. Put on a pair of latex free gloves, so that the curing salt doesn't turn your hands into leather, and copiously rub the curing salt into the slabs of meat. Rub all sides and be liberal with the salt. Put each slab of meat into it's own plastic bag. Throw a little extra salt onto each side of the meat after you've put it in. Make sure the meat is as flat as possible, this will help it cure evenly.
I throw 2 sprigs of rosemary, 7 juniper berries and 2 cloves of garlic into the bags. Everything should be whole/uncrushed. Seal the bags well, be sure to clear the "zipper" of salt. Press out all the air before sealing the final bit.
The last thing you want to do is store the meat for curing. Put the bags into a pan or box of some sort(200-hotel pans are ideal) and put weights on top of the bags of meat(I use plastic wrapped bricks)..
Finally, let the meat cure for 7 days. After it's cured, remove it from the bags, remove any stray berries, sprigs or cloves, cut into thick strips and cook to your preference.
Good luck, and remember that recipes are guidelines. Feel free to deviate and post your results.
:yummy:
For what it's worth, I bake my bacon on a broiler pan in the oven at 350*F.
DISCLAIMERS:
-Messing up your curing salt mix can kill you. Too little pink salt and this wonderful bacteria called botulinum will start producing botulinum toxins, which cause the condition botulism. Botulinum toxins have an average lethal dose of about 2ng:1kg. That means 0.00000012 grams of the stuff could kill me(I weigh 150lb). It's estimated that 1g has the potential to kill over 1,500,000 people(That's the population of San Antonio TX).
On the other hand, too much pink salt could poison you, cause heart problems, etc.. Please either buy premade curing salt, or if you decide to make your own be careful and follow the proper weight procedure.
-Always be careful with knives. Before using a knife, be sure to get a comfortable grip, sharpen it, and smooth out it's edges with a steel. A sharp knife does more work for you, which means you are less likely to cut yourself
-Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
-Use common sense. If the cured meat isn't right, or if you aren't comfortable with it, don't eat it.
Fun Fact: Botulinum Toxins is often shortened to "Botox" in the cosmetic and medical industry.
Odds are you won't be butchering an entire pig for the pig's belly. Check with a local butcher or maybe even your supermarket for a pork belly cut. If you can get skinless, do so. If not, you'll have to remove the skin yourself. To do this you want to use a chef's knife or a butcher's scimitar. Make the first cut about 1mm below the skin around the edge of the meat. You'll then have to run the knife under the skin, removing said skin in one piece and leaving as much fat as possible. This is easier said than done, and will take some practice before you can get a clean skin every time. Cut the slabs of meat into sizes small enough to fit in plastic ziplock bags(1-2 gallon bags should be perfect). The meat is now ready to be seasoned.
I'm not allowed to make curing salt at work. Instead the executive chef makes a huge batch about every month. The measurements are all done by weight, and are extremely accurate. Generally it's about 2 parts Kosher salt to 1 part sugar(Brown or white, doesn't matter), and 1/16th parts pink salt(Sodium nitrite). Or about 2 pints of salt, 1 pint of sugar and 2 tablespoons of pinksalt. The specifics of the pink salt we use is unknown to me, I get to take home some of the excess at the end of the month though.. Anywho, I'd recommend buying premade curing salt. Morton is a good place to start.
So, at this point you have meat slabs and curing salt. Put on a pair of latex free gloves, so that the curing salt doesn't turn your hands into leather, and copiously rub the curing salt into the slabs of meat. Rub all sides and be liberal with the salt. Put each slab of meat into it's own plastic bag. Throw a little extra salt onto each side of the meat after you've put it in. Make sure the meat is as flat as possible, this will help it cure evenly.
I throw 2 sprigs of rosemary, 7 juniper berries and 2 cloves of garlic into the bags. Everything should be whole/uncrushed. Seal the bags well, be sure to clear the "zipper" of salt. Press out all the air before sealing the final bit.
The last thing you want to do is store the meat for curing. Put the bags into a pan or box of some sort(200-hotel pans are ideal) and put weights on top of the bags of meat(I use plastic wrapped bricks)..
Finally, let the meat cure for 7 days. After it's cured, remove it from the bags, remove any stray berries, sprigs or cloves, cut into thick strips and cook to your preference.
Good luck, and remember that recipes are guidelines. Feel free to deviate and post your results.
:yummy:
For what it's worth, I bake my bacon on a broiler pan in the oven at 350*F.