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Google "making Bacon without nitrates" I saw a few relevant results
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Dec 29, 2011 20:09
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Scott Justice posted:I have one pork belly in the fridge and I plan to buy two more. I got it at wholefoods and they don't carry products with nitrates. Would kosher salt be enough to cure the bacon? Any loop holes on how to only use kosher salt and still be safe? Would they sell curing salts at trader joes or any other places near union square? Hopefully someone will chime in here if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are any safety issues curing bacon without sodium nitrite; it's important for dry cured sausages but for whole muscles (bacon, corned beef) it's there for the flavor it imparts. You might need a bit more salt but you should be fine. What you'll be missing out on is the distinctive taste of bacon; what you'll have will taste a bit more like a cut of pork. It'll be safe to eat and still delicious, but it might not taste like bacon you're used to buying in super markets. If you want that distinct taste you might want to ask the folks at Whole Foods what they do use, it's probably celery powder, which has some amount of natural nitrites in it, and maybe they can hook you up with that. You can also just order some online.
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Dec 29, 2011 21:49
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Scott Justice posted:I have one pork belly in the fridge and I plan to buy two more. I got it at wholefoods and they don't carry products with nitrates. Would kosher salt be enough to cure the bacon? Any loop holes on how to only use kosher salt and still be safe? Would they sell curing salts at trader joes or any other places near union square? Are you in San Francisco? One of the stores in the Ferry Building sells it for about $4 for four ounces. I think it's Village Market? It's kind of hidden near the back, and they come in plain clear plastic baggies.
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Dec 30, 2011 04:44
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Try Williams-Sonoma http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/curing-salt/ calcio fucked around with this message at 09:36 on Dec 30, 2011 |
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Dec 30, 2011 09:33
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I live in Australia (Brisbane - a capital city) and absolutely nowhere that I've been to (delis, butchers, supermarkets) have ever heard of pink curing salt or know what the gently caress I'm talking about. Does anyone know of somewhere that I am able to order this stuff online and have it shipped to Australia? Also, "Kosher salt" - is that just a variation of sea salt / rock salt (IE: Maldon salt flakes etc?), or is it something else again?
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Dec 31, 2011 08:27
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Cathab posted:Also, "Kosher salt" - is that just a variation of sea salt / rock salt (IE: Maldon salt flakes etc?), or is it something else again? Kosher salt just means it has big flakes that stick well to the surface of meat etc. Maldon sea salt should be a direct replacement, it's what I use.
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Dec 31, 2011 10:48
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Cathab posted:I live in Australia (Brisbane - a capital city) and absolutely nowhere that I've been to (delis, butchers, supermarkets) have ever heard of pink curing salt or know what the gently caress I'm talking about. Does anyone know of somewhere that I am able to order this stuff online and have it shipped to Australia? Have you looked for Prague Powder #1?
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Dec 31, 2011 13:36
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Scott Justice posted:I have one pork belly in the fridge and I plan to buy two more. I got it at wholefoods and they don't carry products with nitrates. Would kosher salt be enough to cure the bacon? Any loop holes on how to only use kosher salt and still be safe? Would they sell curing salts at trader joes or any other places near union square? Bacteria cannot grow in a salty environment. The nitrites are primarily to preserve color. The bacon just won't be the red color you are used to.
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Jan 1, 2012 01:36
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It's bacon smoking day! Kinda hard keeping the temp consistent on a Weber when it's 27F and windy, but it's working pretty well. I just set up a webcam to watch the thermometers while I sit inside to avoid freezing   DSC_0537 by dedianmn, on Flickr
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Jan 1, 2012 19:33
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Wait, so given that Nitrate is linked to some types of cancer, why would anyone bother using it if it literally just preserves colour? That seems like a stupid risk to take?
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Jan 2, 2012 03:29
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There's a flavor addition too, and for dried products it acts as a preservative. I did three guanciale jowls with nitrates, one without. The one without turned green.
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Jan 2, 2012 03:43
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Also most things in life are linked to some sort of cancer.
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Jan 2, 2012 05:13
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Cathab posted:Wait, so given that Nitrate is linked to some types of cancer, why would anyone bother using it if it literally just preserves colour? That seems like a stupid risk to take? It's a preservative. Also, don't worry. It gives you the good kind of cancer, not the bad kind.
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Jan 2, 2012 09:40
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Uh, actually, the nitrate is in there because it prevents anaerobic bacteria like botulism from growing in your bacon as it cures.
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Jan 2, 2012 13:35
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Neat fact - sodium nitrate is also naturally present in a bunch of fruits and veggies, especially leafy greens. Might as well deny Mother Nature the kill and go out eating delicious bacon!
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Jan 2, 2012 13:50
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Deathwing posted:Neat fact - sodium nitrate is also naturally present in a bunch of fruits and veggies, especially leafy greens. Might as well deny Mother Nature the kill and go out eating delicious bacon! I believe the most common substitute is celery seed. Myself, I just use pink salt and ration my bacon consumption.
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Jan 2, 2012 20:57
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Went back and looked it up to stop all the back and forth. To summarize Ruhlman: First, Sodium nitrite is whats in pink salt. It has three purposes: 1) Kills bacteria, in particular botulism. 2) Preserves color 3) Adds a piquant flavor Nitrates are generally only relevant in long-cured dry sausages, and in the US are sold as DQ Curing Salt #2 or Insta Cure #2. They are basically a time release version of nitrites. Dry cured sausages require some kind of curing salt. As for the danger of cancer, it is possible but not any more dangerous than eating spinach.
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Jan 2, 2012 23:20
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EDverything gives you cancer.
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Jan 2, 2012 23:59
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I got a BGE as a gift this holiday season and while I'm tickled with the concept of grilling with it I get a serious  when I think about smoking with it. Living in Seattle gives me access to some awesome salmon. The bacon pictures in this thread have me going already. Problem is, I've never cured or smoked anything in my life. Other than the Ruhlman book (which is being delivered to my kindle while I type this) are there resources I should be reading?
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Jan 3, 2012 08:44
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Pfhreak posted:I got a BGE as a gift this holiday season and while I'm tickled with the concept of grilling with it I get a serious I'm a bge cultist, live up in Everett but we could always shoot the poo poo if you're up for it. I've gotten pretty good with smoking, grilling and making pizzas on my bge.
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Jan 3, 2012 09:31
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Cathab posted:I live in Australia (Brisbane - a capital city) and absolutely nowhere that I've been to (delis, butchers, supermarkets) have ever heard of pink curing salt or know what the gently caress I'm talking about. Does anyone know of somewhere that I am able to order this stuff online and have it shipped to Australia? http://www.mistygully.com.au/catalog/index.php?cPath=57_41&osCsid=5ec30844349ad39d25f8c1265a27a26c That's who I plan on using.
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Jan 4, 2012 07:31
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I am going to try making some bacon with the recipe in the original post, the butcher wants to know if I want skin-on or skin-off pork belly. Google tells me either works but the skin-on helps protect it during the cooking process. For anyone who has made some bacon, is it hard to remove the skin or better to just get skin-off belly? edit: Upon rereading the thread, I think I will go with Skin-on pork belly Kid fucked around with this message at 22:00 on Jan 5, 2012 |
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Jan 5, 2012 20:36
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So after reading this thread I've now got a copy of Ruhlman's book sitting on my kindle and 10lbs of pork belly in basic cure sitting in my fridge. A couple questions: 1. I have a kegerator I use for dispensing beer. I usually keep it set around 45-55 degrees, and have about 50% relative humidity inside. Would this be close enough to the magic 60^/60% that I could use it as a curing box? 2. I just used the basic dry cure from the Ruhlman book. I'm thinking most of the pork belly will be straight up bacon, but is it too late to converting some into pseudo-pancetta? Seems like the main difference between the two is hanging the pancetta instead of smoking/baking it. Opinions on spices? I've got some tellicherry pepper corns and crushed red pepper coming from butcher-packer, I was thinking maybe black pepper on the bacon and a mixture of red/black for the pancetta.
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Jan 5, 2012 22:27
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Verloc posted:So after reading this thread I've now got a copy of Ruhlman's book sitting on my kindle and 10lbs of pork belly in basic cure sitting in my fridge. A couple questions: It should be fine. Its really the same if you are going to do slab pancetta. I like to do rosemary and black peppercorns on my pancetta, it tastes great with the pork. I have done some spicer rubs. I did a habanero ginger one but it was way to spicy for most people. I loved it. The world is your oyster man, if it would taste good in a sauce on pork it will taste good in a cure is my thought on things.
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Jan 5, 2012 23:22
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What sorts of things can you use in a cure? I mean, aromatics make sense, but can you add alcohol to a cure for a beer, whisky, or other unique flavor? Do you have to avoid things that are too acidic?
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Jan 6, 2012 00:18
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For dry cures, messing with the fluid content of the meat is the name of the game. Adding much free water to the equation would mess stuff up, I think. Stuff like molasses is OK because it's hygroscopic. Another thing that would concern me about alcohol would be a pickling effect, possibly some undesirable protein breakdown, and a hunk of meat the reeks of alcohol when you're done. I'd stick to (relatively) dry aromatics. What you could do would be to paint the outside of your bacon with whiskey or something before cooking/smoking, maybe baste it occasionally during the process.
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Jan 6, 2012 00:50
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I like turtles posted:What you could do would be to paint the outside of your bacon with whiskey or something before cooking/smoking, maybe baste it occasionally during the process. Or use oak as part of your smoking wood. Since whiskey is aged in oak, you'll get some of the same flavours but it won't quite be the same.
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Jan 6, 2012 01:22
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I have seen whiskey cured bacon but it didn't seem all that impressive. You would probably have better luck soaking a spice (peppercorns?) in whiskey and then using that in the cure, but I have not tried it. Finally got a damned meat slicer today, smoked off like thirty pounds of pork belly I had curing. For consistency I don't use more than basic cure + pepper but might get some of my own pork belly and play around. I get it from my meat guy (Sysco lol) for $1.80 a pound so not much holding me back...
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Jan 6, 2012 05:48
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Would the process for curing a ham be about the same as the one for curing bacon? I don't have access to fresh pork belly at the moment(or Ruhlman's book), but I do have a couple of hams kicking around in my freezer that I've been meaning to cure for a few months.
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Jan 7, 2012 01:23
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Just reserved 25lbs of pork belly at my local meat market... Should be trimmed and ready to pick up on Monday.
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Jan 7, 2012 18:54
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Meaty Ore posted:Would the process for curing a ham be about the same as the one for curing bacon? I don't have access to fresh pork belly at the moment(or Ruhlman's book), but I do have a couple of hams kicking around in my freezer that I've been meaning to cure for a few months. Its pretty different. You rub kosher salt all over it, let it cure for 1 day per pound. Then you rinse thoroughly, coat it in a layer of lard, sprinkle pepper on the lard, and wrap it in cheesecloth. Then you put it somewhere cool and dry for ~6 months...theres a rind you have to take off at the end, as well.
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Jan 7, 2012 19:46
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I just got 50lbs of pork belly. I also just ordered pink salt and got Charcuterie on iBooks. gently caress yeah let's do this!
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Jan 8, 2012 01:37
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dear god people.... I am wanting so badly to try this. I am ordering that book next week when I get paid. The thought of making my own bacon/corned beef/assorted cured meats is just too much to bear. Those pics you all have posted so far are so delicious looking... ugh I cant stand it any longer. I've already begun searching out pork belly <etc> prices in advance. My poor husband has had to listen to me going on about what you all have made...he is cursing your names as I type :P
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Jan 8, 2012 04:35
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Amethyste posted:My poor husband has had to listen to me going on about what you all have made...he is cursing your names as I type :P Any man complaining about his wife desire to make bacon does not deserve her  I am off the the Pacific Ocean Market (local Asian grocery store) for some pork belly. I make pancetta from the previous version of this thread, now it's time for Ruhlman's bacon.
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Jan 9, 2012 20:35
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After reading your posts about bacon I was intregued. The mention of port soaked currants in what my books call "potted meats" made me hungry. I now have a summer project. I have always wanted to make this stuff but figured it was a bigger project than I would want to take on but no longer! Thanks very much! Now to track down supplies...
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Jan 12, 2012 03:51
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I had a dream about making rillettes  I'm not sure what this means. Other than that I need to make them, of course.
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Jan 12, 2012 05:06
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Following the cure for bacon from here http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/home-cured-bacon-2/ Does it matter if I remove the sugar? I don't want to make sweet cure bacon and unless the sugar is necessary would prefer to completely remove it
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Jan 12, 2012 10:25
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If I had to guess the sugar would possibly do 3 things. 1)Add flavor, 2)Aid in crispiness via caramelization during cooking, 3)Aid in retaining water inside the tissue during brining since it is hydrophillic. Removing it might be okay but I would think just reducing the amount sugar would be better. Jose posted:Following the cure for bacon from here http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/home-cured-bacon-2/
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Jan 12, 2012 14:08
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I think his book had another recipe for a version without sugar, ill take a look at it tonight and report back.
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Jan 12, 2012 16:40
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You need to add more than whats in the cure to make iit actually sweet, in my experience. But i smoke mine too, which might mask it. It wont come out as sweet as maple cured stuff though.
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Jan 12, 2012 18:11
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