Differences between Ruhlmans bacon recipes

yzzi

I realized this morning that if I wanted bacon for Thanksgiving then I better get that belly in my fridge in some cure, so this morning I was looking at Ruhlmans recipe in charcuterie and realized that it's a 3 day cure instead of the 7 day cure listed on one of his blog articles (http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/home-cured-bacon-2). I noticed the Salt content is much higher per pound in the 3 day cure so I'm guessing that's it. I ended up doing the 3 day cure with some spice additions so we'll see, but has anyone seen much of a difference between the two end results?

shtgunal3

I've never seen a three day bacon cure. I looked through my Charcuterie book and didn't see it either. What page is it on? All I've seen is 7 days. I just rinsed a 3 lber off this morning and back into the fridge on a rack.

yzzi

shtgunal3 said:

I've never seen a three day bacon cure. I looked through my Charcuterie book and didn't see it either. What page is it on? All I've seen is 7 days. I just rinsed a 3 lber off this morning and back into the fridge on a rack.

Page 300 of this version of the book (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607743434/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0393058298&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1DG2AA2KNZV6NZFRJWCQ). I'd post a picture of it, but I'm sure I'll be breaking some sort of copyright law on that one.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

shtgunal3 said:

I've never seen a three day bacon cure. I looked through my Charcuterie book and didn't see it either. What page is it on? All I've seen is 7 days. I just rinsed a 3 lber off this morning and back into the fridge on a rack.

same here. I've only seen 7. I think Canadian bacon is 3 days but belly has always been 7 in every Ruhlman Recipe I've read.

yzzi

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

shtgunal3 said:

I've never seen a three day bacon cure. I looked through my Charcuterie book and didn't see it either. What page is it on? All I've seen is 7 days. I just rinsed a 3 lber off this morning and back into the fridge on a rack.

same here. I've only seen 7. I think Canadian bacon is 3 days but belly has always been 7 in every Ruhlman Recipe I've read.

Same here, that's the first time I ever saw a 3 day cure (but I'm new to this). I ended up doing the recipe from the book and it seemed like a lot more salt and sugar compared to his blog posted recipe. I actually just sent him an email. Fat chance of getting a response, let alone within 3 days.

DMW

That book isn't Ruhlman's. His is titled "Charcuterie", not "In the Charcuterie".

yzzi

DMW said:

That book isn't Ruhlman's. His is titled "Charcuterie", not "In the Charcuterie".

Crap, I just realized this as you posted it. Hahaha. I feel like a complete idiot. The book was a gift, and I never looked at the author until just now. I better follow up "never mind, I'm an idiot" to the email I just sent him. No wonder I was confused.

fishlessman

googling it for 3 days and all i found was one recipe for german bacon and one wet brined recipe for canadian bacon, all the other recipes were 7 to 9 days

yzzi

Yeah, the salt content (not the pink salt) is really high compared to Ruhlman's blog. It's 1.5 ounces per pound in my book (3 day cure) compared to Ruhlman's .4 ounces per pound. 

For pink salt the ratio for the 3 day cure is .375 teaspoons per pound, and Ruhlman's 7 day cure is .4 teaspoons per pound.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

yzzi said:

Yeah, the salt content (not the pink salt) is really high compared to Ruhlman's blog. It's 1.5 ounces per pound in my book (3 day cure) compared to Ruhlman's .4 ounces per pound. 

For pink salt the ratio for the 3 day cure is .375 teaspoons per pound, and Ruhlman's 7 day cure is .4 teaspoons per pound.

which ever you decide on, just make sure the belly is firm before you pull it. sometimes Ruhlman is 6 days, sometimes 8. I'm sure the 3 day may have some fluctuations as well. The Fatted Calf is a great charcuterie house out of San Francisco (if it's the same Fatted Calf in the book you posted). I stop there every time I'm in SF. I'm skeptical of the 3 day dry cure but they do great stuff there (again, if it's the same folks)

yzzi

Yeah, I think it's the same fatted calf. I recall the book referencing how they do things in the store but that never clicked with me that it wasn't Ruhlman's.

SeahawksEGGHead

7 day involves #1 curing salt.  Double check your 3 day recipe, make sure it doesn't call for #2 curing salt.  There's a difference.

yzzi

So I got a response from Michael Ruhlman just now: "glad you got it sorted, i always cure it for a week."

Wasn't thinking that was going to happen. Pretty cool. His book is in the mail and due to arrive tomorrow, so I'm pretty excited about that. "In the charcuterie" is a pretty good book too, fyi.

shtgunal3

That's pretty cool yzzi

yzzi

Fyi, I followed the 3 day recipe with the high salt content and sure enough, 3 days later and it is nice and firm. I'm giving it a 30 water bath before letting it sit in the fridge overnight. I'll hot smoke it tomorrow.

minniemoh

@yzzi - how did your bacon turn out?

yzzi

It turned out pretty good. Three days later, lo and behold, the belly was firm as Ruhlman's 7 day cure. I went heavy on cinnamon which I like. I also did a hot smoke for the first time, and it turned out well, but there wasn't nearly as much smoke flavor than when I do a cold smoke. I'd do the cure again but I'm sticking with cold smoking from now on.

Canugghead

Too lazy to check the book now ... I vaguely recall the 3 day cure for Canadian bacon is wet with higher salt content, whereas the 7 day has less salt and dry.  I've done the dry one only.