Cured ~ Cold Smoked ~ Aged & Dried Bacon Questions

[thirdeye]

A buddy of mine on a bacon adventure is looking at a technique for slabs of bacon that seems worthwhile, but it's different than any belly bacon I've made.  In a nutshell the process is called "European style" and calls for:

1. A standard dry cure around 10 days, then a rinse, then a couple of hours of rest to set the pellicle.

2. Cold smoke for 8 hours, then remove and hang for 16 hours in a basement, garage or other slightly cool spot. (a non-refrigerated rest set's off my food safety alarm, but read on)

3. Cold smoke for another 8 hours, then another 16 hours of rest.

4. Repeat the cold smoking one more time.

5. Then hang (age) the slab for a couple of weeks to dry age, and reduce the moisture content. (much like beef primals are dry aged is special rooms before cutting steaks from them)

A photo I saw of a dry aged slab had a wonderful exterior color, and the slices were redder than the usual pink color I get on mine.  The flavor is supposed to more pronounced as well. I'm thinking the difference is something along the lines of country ham, and city ham. Has anyone ever had bacon like this, or better yet... made it?

[reinhard1]

I haven't Thirdeye, but my only question is what type of cure is used.  Tenderquick may be to weak of a cure for this and maybe even cure#1.  I would think maybe with all of this repeat cold smoking and hanging cure #2 would be more appropriate?   Just my two cents there having not done this before.  good luck.

[thirdeye]

Funny, Questioning whether it's better to use Prague #2 was my first question to my friend.

Edit - The cure is a Tenderquick based curing agent.

 

Edited February 5, 2016 by thirdeye

[reinhard1]

You know Thirdeye, when I was overseas during the Vietnam conflict, I seen folks simply use salt and hang fish and meat to dry in very warm temps for days.  Fly's would be all over that stuff.  They have done this for many years so maybe their body has gotten used to this or something.  Being in the meat industry for so long has me being very careful with food and although this may be fine for this guy and work great, I would look into using no. 2 myself.  I can see that his method would more than likely enhance the flavor and that great smoke flavor would be awesome.  I can also say that it's unfair for me to judge his method being that I haven't tried it as well.  I think I would be more comfortable using cure 1 at minimum with a wet brine with this one since it has a higher percentage of sodium nitrite and no.2 even higher.  No. 2 is really designed for long term cold smoking.  Are you going to give it a shot?  I do like this method it's just the cure to use is the question for me.  good luck.

[thirdeye]

reinhard, check your PM

[delcecchi]

Isn't salt alone adequate for safety in solid cuts of meat, like bacon and country ham? Especially since they are cooked in most cases?  

[reinhard1]

Bacon and hams are cured with Cure #1 for the most part except down south where dry curing is still used [Cure#2 for that].  Del, salt alone is good for short term brines for fish as an example [along with sugar which is a common combo].  Salt alone does not stop the groth of Clostridium Botulinum which can make you very sick as we all know or worse.  I keep my natural hog casings in salt and it keeps for months, but I would not use plain salt alone to cold smoke my sausage or Canadian bacon.  That requires actual cures, dry or wet cures.  Hope this makes sense.  good luck.

[MossyMO64]

14 hours ago, delcecchi said:

Isn't salt alone adequate for safety in solid cuts of meat, like bacon and country ham? Especially since they are cooked in most cases?  

No

[delcecchi]

better stay away from high class italian food then.  And dry aged beef doesn't even get salt...

Anyway that's what got me wondering. 

http://www.prosciuttodiparma.com/en_UK/prosciutto/how

HOW IT IS MADE

Making a Parma Ham is a long and painstaking process; all producers of Prosciutto di Parma share one goal: To cure a leg of pork with pure sea salt in order to keep the meat as sweet-tasting and as supple as possible. The hams are made from the rear haunches of the pig; The curing is controlled carefully so that the ham absorbs only enough salt to preserve it. By the end, a trimmed ham will have lost more than a quarter of its weight through moisture loss, helping to concentrate the flavour. The meat becomes tender and the distinctive aroma and flavour of Parma Ham emerge.

 

v

Salting

The legs are first salted by a highly trained maestro salatore, or salt master: the pigskin is covered with humid sea salt, while the muscular parts are covered with dry salt. The leg is then refrigerated at a temperature ranging from 1°C to 4°C, with a humidity level of approximately 80% for about a week and gets a second thin coating of salt which is left on another 15 to 18 days. depending on weight. Salt is the only preservative used in the processing method, no chemical elements are allowed. And here is another big difference from other generic prosciuttos, normally containing nitrites and nitrates.

 

 

Edited February 6, 2016 by delcecchi

[thirdeye]

That Italian ham recipe has cold temperatures on it's side.  The bacon procedure my buddy is looking at calls for the bacon to hang at temperatures much higher than that.

[reinhard1]

Del, there are these methods out there.  As I said in my first post on this subject, about seeing folks "preserve" a variety of things.  The famous southern dry cured hams are cured as you mentioned.  Don't know if they still make those, but there is no way I would buy one.  Years ago we sold those in the meat department.  There was a lot of mold on them.  That's the first thing you see.  They were very expensive [shrinkage], and tasted terrible.  Very salty, basicly that is all I tasted.  Mold is not safe in that case like some molds on cheese[ blue cheese seems to be made with a safe mold].  Even cutting mold off on these meats doesn't help because mold has roots and often not everything is taken off.    Even making y our  own kraut [fermenting] could get you sick if you dont take care of it during the fermenting process with the build up on the surface that has to be skimmed off periodically.  What is described there uses a lot of salt.  The salt takes moisture out of meat during the process and more salt is needed during the process.  This is done by folks that know what they are doing and like very salty meats.  However it still doesn't prevent Clostridium Botulinum which can be harmful to your health.  

This is why most folks use Cure#2 for curing sausage that can hang in temps higher than safe levels out of refrigeration. I have a LG combination freezer, refrigerator, fermentation unit.  This is designed for just what you are describing in your post.  It can maintain a fermenting temp [around 80deg] with air flow for example at a constant level.  I will use this for making kraut and kimchi but as far as drying meats as described in your post, I'll leave it to those that do that.  It can also be used for making real dry salami which will take a few months of hanging time.  On my bucket list.  Using just salt has it's uses as I stated before but not for making smoked sausage.  good luck.

[delcecchi]

Absolutely need cure for sausage. I am not totally convinced for whole chunks.