Charcuterie - Show us your work

alaskanassasin

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-ITC-308-Temperature-Controller-Humidity/dp/B01N56KEU6/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3FT1AQUWCIOVH&dchild=1&keywords=inkbird temperature controller&qid=1616002254&sprefix=inkbird ,aps,163&sr=8-6

 

 I have a freezer that never quit running so I bought a Inkbird thermostat controller @botch you just plug it into the wall and the freezer in line, set the temp, hang the probe on a shelf and it kicks your freezer on and off.

 You can use them for heat or whatever, people use them for terrariums, converting freezers to keezers, brooders for birds, the options are endless.

 Apparently they make one for moisture too, pretty cool.

Check this article out if you want a peek into the shenanigans

https://elevatedwild.com/elevatedwildblog/diy-curing-chamber

lkapigian

Botch said:

Um, what's an "ink bird"?  

Temp/Humidity controller Brand 

BUFFALOMOOSE

2 guys and a cooler have a great website for charcuterie.  All you need is a working refrigerator to get started. I did 2 pork tenderloins, a pork loin and 2 pork shoulders that I took the coppa muscle out.  The coppas are still curing. 





Dont ask how I was able to hang those in the frig.  It's top secret. 

Botch

Ah, thanks guys.  I've been following this thread but must've missed any mention of the "Inkbird".  

lkapigian

BUFFALOMOOSE said:

2 guys and a cooler have a great website for charcuterie.  All you need is a working refrigerator to get started. I did 2 pork tenderloins, a pork loin and 2 pork shoulders that I took the coppa muscle out.  The coppas are still curing. 





Dont ask how I was able to hang those in the frig.  It's top secret. 

Boom!

CTMike

Botch said:

Um, what's an "ink bird"?  

Inkbird is a company that makes controllers - for charcuterie use they make temperature and humidity controllers to cycle the fridge on and off, same with humidifier/dehumidifier. 

lkapigian

Stuffed and hung, I’ll check in 8 weeks, was unable to achieve the @BUFFALOMOOSE inverted hang, so loss of points there LoL

BUFFALOMOOSE

@lkapigian.  I will PM you my secret if you can answer my questions. LOL. When i took the tenderloins out of the cure there were inconsistancies in the coloration and it looked like some parts of it didn't cure.  If you zoom in the pictures you can see it. Obviously I will see it to the end but what is your experience?  Also capucola is my favorite deli meat. You said that yours was cured for 30 days. So it looks like that is your sweet spot. Would gladly cure it for 30 days. I assume the 30 instead of the 7 days(assuming 3 inch thickness) is worth it. Thanks for your advice.

lkapigian

BUFFALOMOOSE said:

@lkapigian.  I will PM you my secret if you can answer my questions. LOL. When i took the tenderloins out of the cure there were inconsistancies in the coloration and it looked like some parts of it didn't cure.  If you zoom in the pictures you can see it. Obviously I will see it to the end but what is your experience?  Also capucola is my favorite deli meat. You said that yours was cured for 30 days. So it looks like that is your sweet spot. Would gladly cure it for 30 days. I assume the 30 instead of the 7 days(assuming 3 inch thickness) is worth it. Thanks for your advice.

@BUFFALOMOOSEim sure it will be fine , I EQ cure at least 3 weeks for whole muscle, 1 week is fine for bacon but I think it’s but short for a loin ( tenderloin may be ok but not loin) at the end of the day , it will continue to cure even while drying as the salt is still there , I don’t bother rinsing all that good seasoning off from the EQ cure .. looking forward to seeing your results, be patient and let them ride

looking at it, that color on yours just looks like fat which is normal 

BUFFALOMOOSE

Thanks Larry.  I will be patient.

nolaegghead

Botch said:

Um, what's an "ink bird"?  

Company that makes cheap PID temperature and humidity controllers, in context, one of their controllers.

Elijah

@ikapigian what ph meter do you have and would you recommend it? 

lkapigian

Elijah said:

@ikapigian what ph meter do you have and would you recommend it? 

@Elijah , I have the Apera PH60S and it works great, plan on new probes every couple years.....Truth be told, I don't obsess about  PH anymore, I am pretty comfortable going by feel sight smell.  I do spot check. 

One note, I quit using starter cultures some time back, so you PH drop is much slower than with starter cultures, as long as it is in the right direction, it will get there 

lkapigian

Chamber is healthy …only 2 weeks and heading down the right path …not obsessing over weight of these, just letting them ride

nolaegghead

You're my hero!

lkapigian

Started some Spanish Chorizo today , fermenting at room temp for a day or so

lkapigian

lkapigian said:

Started some Spanish Chorizo today , fermenting at room temp for a day or so

How this stuff changes in a day #justdoit

lkapigian

lkapigian

Added some Pitina to the mix ….Spanish Chorizo in Polenta instead of Casing 

FarmingPhD

Bacon down for a soak.

lkapigian

FarmingPhD said:

Bacon down for a soak.

Looks awesome! FWIW, no need to soak an equilibrium cure , just a quick rinse if even that, it won’t be over salty unless you really went heavy in the salt 

looks incredible!!!

FarmingPhD

lkapigian said:

FarmingPhD said:

Bacon down for a soak.

Looks awesome! FWIW, no need to soak an equilibrium cure , just a quick rinse if even that, it won’t be over salty unless you really went heavy in the salt 

looks incredible!!!

I followed the base I got from maybe here, 2.5%salt, 0.25% #1, and then whatever is your fancy for pepper, sugar, and other spices.  Is that heavy on the salt?  It is usually a bit salty y for my wife’s taste so I’ve resorted to a rinse and 6-10 hour soak on the last one that I thought was lacking in salt flavor.

lkapigian

FarmingPhD said:

lkapigian said:

FarmingPhD said:

Bacon down for a soak.

Looks awesome! FWIW, no need to soak an equilibrium cure , just a quick rinse if even that, it won’t be over salty unless you really went heavy in the salt 

looks incredible!!!

I followed the base I got from maybe here, 2.5%salt, 0.25% #1, and then whatever is your fancy for pepper, sugar, and other spices.  Is that heavy on the salt?  It is usually a bit salty y for my wife’s taste so I’ve resorted to a rinse and 6-10 hour soak on the last one that I thought was lacking in salt flavor.

That’s a perfect amount, yup , personal preference on the salt flavor…I’ll slice a little pice off and taste it first ( yes raw lol ) 

max 3% , I’m usually 2.5-2.75 all in for cured meat 1.5-1.75% all in for sausage 

if you have never done it, give this a try , take some of that and let it air dry in a chamber or fridge for a week or two basically pancetta Tessa at that point, much deeper flavor 

great work right there none the less ! 

alaskanassasin

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/end-pink-ham-france-cut-use-nitrite-cured-meats-2022-02-04/

lkapigian

alaskanassasin said:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/end-pink-ham-france-cut-use-nitrite-cured-meats-2022-02-04/

I imagine they will go the way of the US and use celery cure for the nitrite/nitrate and call it natural lol… I’ve been backing out the cure in my cured meats, not out of fear, but just to see the variance using just salt …. I’d say the only product that it really changes is bacon as we know it

Elijah

lkapigian said:

alaskanassasin said:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/end-pink-ham-france-cut-use-nitrite-cured-meats-2022-02-04/

I imagine they will go the way of the US and use celery cure for the nitrite/nitrate and call it natural lol… I’ve been backing out the cure in my cured meats, not out of fear, but just to see the variance using just salt …. I’d say the only product that it really changes is bacon as we know it

In what way? The coloring?

lkapigian

Elijah said:

lkapigian said:

alaskanassasin said:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/end-pink-ham-france-cut-use-nitrite-cured-meats-2022-02-04/

I imagine they will go the way of the US and use celery cure for the nitrite/nitrate and call it natural lol… I’ve been backing out the cure in my cured meats, not out of fear, but just to see the variance using just salt …. I’d say the only product that it really changes is bacon as we know it

In what way? The coloring?

@alaskanassasin , @Elijah  yes and it does impart a familiar “ cured bacony” flavor albeit slight …

lkapigian

Pitina-Spanish Chorizo -the salamis will be excellent when done , this is just a few weeks in , small test sample 

nolaegghead

If you want to read a huge load of marketing bullsh!t, check this out.

https://www.tenderbelly.com/blogs/foodie/what-is-uncured-ham-really

The paragraph "What is uncured ham?" is where they fail to mention their "natural" cures of celery/beet extract are the SAME F*CKING CHEMICAL as the nitrites that are added in their scary "cured" example.

FarmingPhD

Bacons out of the cure and hot smoked on Saturday with apple. Slicing and packing for the freezer and smells fantastic.