Charcuterie - Show us your work

lkapigian

alaskanassasin said:

Nice!!

alaskanassasin

Those are my neighbors but I’m thinking about it. Just bottle feed them pasture then auction. No keepers

lkapigian

alaskanassasin said:

Those are my neighbors but I’m thinking about it. Just bottle feed them pasture then auction. No keepers

We have dairy’s everywhere, getting raw milk is not an issue in these parts 

nolaegghead

Wish I knew a guy that didn’t live a thousand miles away….😭

nolaegghead

FYI - the sausage maker store has a 15% site-wide sale right now.

alaskanassasin

Im going to order this book https://www.elsevier.com/books/T/A/9780128095980  nope. $100!? thats on the way to a Tormek

lkapigian

alaskanassasin said:

Im going to order this book https://www.elsevier.com/books/T/A/9780128095980  nope. $100!? thats on the way to a Tormek

That’s pricey

lkapigian

alaskanassasin said:

Im going to order this book https://www.elsevier.com/books/T/A/9780128095980  nope. $100!? thats on the way to a Tormek

@alaskanassasin, 2-3% Pure salt , that's all the recipes you need LoL 

Langner91

They are sammich sized!  Referring to the calves.  My post is a little late.

alaskanassasin

Yep @Langner91 a few weeks old

Langner91

Since this is a charcuterie thread, they would be perfect for Kalberwurst!

poster

This week I had my first pork tenderloin that I cured and hung for 3 weeks as a test on a curing chamber I made. It was good, but not quite dry enough. I will let the second one go for a couple more weeks. One thing i noticed is that a piece i had left in the same baggie as some landjaeger picked up some of the smoke from it and it tasted great. If I do this again, when do I apply smoke? Before the hanging, or after?

lkapigian

poster said:

This week I had my first pork tenderloin that I cured and hung for 3 weeks as a test on a curing chamber I made. It was good, but not quite dry enough. I will let the second one go for a couple more weeks. One thing i noticed is that a piece i had left in the same baggie as some landjaeger picked up some of the smoke from it and it tasted great. If I do this again, when do I apply smoke? Before the hanging, or after?

@poster light smoke ( cold ) before hanging, I go 8 weeks +- on a full loin, tenderloin would probably be good 4-6 , all depends on diameter and humidity, while not necessary, I’ll vac seal my whole muscle to further equalize without drying out anymore …. 

poster

@lkapigian in the past you mentioned hanging a few fresh sausages in the fridge for a week. Now that I have a curing chamber and some fresh sausages coming up I would like to try this. What happens after only a week? Do I slice and eat raw? Or do the flavors just intensify before cooking? No curing time needed? 55 degrees and 70%humidity sound good? Sorry for all the questions 

lkapigian

poster said:

@lkapigian in the past you mentioned hanging a few fresh sausages in the fridge for a week. Now that I have a curing chamber and some fresh sausages coming up I would like to try this. What happens after only a week? Do I slice and eat raw? Or do the flavors just intensify before cooking? No curing time needed? 55 degrees and 70%humidity sound good? Sorry for all the questions 

@poster hang the fresh sausage at room temp over night, toss in the chamber, typically ready in 3 weeks with my 38-42 mm casings , trust me, you’ll love it ..I e done sheep casing , usually 2 weeks 

lkapigian

These are dried sausage @poster

lkapigian

Moved everything to the new chamber 

BigGreenKev

Thought you all might like a few picks of a small commercial setup by me. 

lkapigian

BigGreenKev said:

Thought you all might like a few picks of a small commercial setup by me. 

Awesome @BigGreenKev, you selling commercially ? Please expand on your setup, if commercially are you having to do a HACCP Plan ? Very impressive 

Mark_B_Good

johnmitchell said:

I got this Biltong/Jerky making drying container, basically a box that you hang your meat and has a fan on the top, pretty cool.Looking forward to making some Biltong 

You're going to love it. Here is my recipe, they turned out incredible. You can make biltong, or chili bites. Chili bites are thinner sticks, and dried out more (the experience is for them to be chewy, so the amazing flavors come out as you eat them).

·       Biltong, use large (approx. 3 kg) eye of round with nice fat layer on one side

·       Chili Bites, use medium (approx. 2 kg) rump roast, or eye of round (with less fat)

·       Cut meat into steaks approximately 2 cm (3/4”) thick along the meat grain:

o   Chili Bites, trim fat. Cut steaks into strips, approx. 1 cm thick.

·       Mix equal parts brown vinegar and water. You will need 25 mL each, per kg of meat.

o   Chili Bites, option to add a few drops of hot sauce to the vinegar mix.

·       Wipe meat hooks with some vinegar mixture to sterilize.

·       Place steaks in tray, pour half the water/vinegar mixture over the meat. Rub in well.

·       Use Hunters Spice seasoning, or similar. You will need about 40 to 50 grams per kg of meat (approx. 3 tablespoons).

·       Sprinkle/rub in half of the seasoning to the meat. Flip over, apply remaining vinegar mix and sprinkle/rub remainder of seasoning, ensuring you also cover edges.

·       Leave meat in pan for 1h, and turn three times every 1h, then leave overnight.

·       In morning, flip meat over to wet the side facing up. Ensure both sides are wet and seasoned well, add more seasoning, if required. Do not pat dry meat.

o   Chili Bites, take 10 grams chili powder AND 10 grams chili flakes per kg of meat (approx. 2 tablespoon of each) and sprinkle on all parts of the meat strips, being careful not to come in contact with the juices in the pan (which will wash off chili). Rather do this on the side in a fresh pan or plate.

·       Place drip pan inside Biltong Box, to catch any drippings that come off meat.

·       Hang meat in Biltong Box, running fan to dry. Be sure meat doesn’t touch wood, other pieces or drip pan at bottom.

·       Check each day for mold. If found, wipe off with a paper towel dipped in vinegar.

·       After 3 to 4 days, Biltong should be ready for consumption.

Mark_B_Good

lkapigian said:

BUFFALOMOOSE said:

Bad description on my end. Yes it is the equilibrium cure method by 2 guys. 

Lol, looking forward to seeing the results 

2 week update on the Sopressa , a random link of Italian sausage, some more Pitina and whole muscle I have not touched in 2 months, never weighed them, don’t care lol

@lkapigian, we're going to do a test run of cured sausages. We don't have a fridge with humidity control, so we aren't doing the sopressata. Just the Italian sausage (I haven't measured but it's the standard casing, probably around 32 to 38 mm casing).

I'd love some guidance. From what I've read, we should hang overnight at room temperature, and then move them to the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

- What temperature should the fridge be set at?
- Will the sausages take closer to 2 weeks or 3 weeks?
- Fridge door slightly open, or can we keep it closed?
- Do we need a fan or for the sausages it's not necessary? 
- Finally, for the fresh sausages, we normally infuse our wine with garlic cloves overnight ... and use that. Would you say the garlic infused wine would be a good thing or a bad thing for the cured sausages?

Appreciate your help!

lkapigian

Mark_B_Good said:

lkapigian said:

BUFFALOMOOSE said:

Bad description on my end. Yes it is the equilibrium cure method by 2 guys. 

Lol, looking forward to seeing the results 

2 week update on the Sopressa , a random link of Italian sausage, some more Pitina and whole muscle I have not touched in 2 months, never weighed them, don’t care lol

@lkapigian, we're going to do a test run of cured sausages. We don't have a fridge with humidity control, so we aren't doing the sopressata. Just the Italian sausage (I haven't measured but it's the standard casing, probably around 32 to 38 mm casing).

I'd love some guidance. From what I've read, we should hang overnight at room temperature, and then move them to the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

- What temperature should the fridge be set at?
- Will the sausages take closer to 2 weeks or 3 weeks?
- Fridge door slightly open, or can we keep it closed?
- Do we need a fan or for the sausages it's not necessary? 
- Finally, for the fresh sausages, we normally infuse our wine with garlic cloves overnight ... and use that. Would you say the garlic infused wine would be a good thing or a bad thing for the cured sausages?

Appreciate your help!

@Mark_B_Good I would not worry about the fridge temp if you are putting in your regular fridge, just where it is set is fine, it will just be slow to ferment, keep door closed ( if you have a dedicated fridge set around 55 f) , I would not worry about a fan either for this project, and 3 weeks is about right for the38-42 mm I use , just go by feel, lop a small piece off the end, you’ll know

i Would hang at room temp at least overnight to get the fermentation started , also you can leave mixed but uncased in your fridge for a couple weeks , then stuff, that will get you a long slow fermentation without drying, it will give you a jump on flavor, stuff after a couple weeks then dry as usual 

if where you are located your average temps are below 60, just put in your Biltong box in that environment, I have a spare bedroom I keep the windows open all winter so I can hang stuff in there 

also, if you want to get set up, I have extra Inkbird , usb fan and dehumidifier I’ll gladly give you, just DM me an address 

johnmitchell

@Mark_B_Good. Thanks for the write up. That is exactly how we make our biltong. I was hanging mine in the garage with a box fan blowing on the meat so this indoor box is super convenient.
Here are some pics from our lat batch

Mark_B_Good

johnmitchell said:

@Mark_B_Good. Thanks for the write up. That is exactly how we make our biltong. I was hanging mine in the garage with a box fan blowing on the meat so this indoor box is super convenient.
Here are some pics from our lat batch

Looks amazing. That is the exact same spice I use ... even same manufacturer! Turned out to be the best biltong I ever tasted. Do you pat dry the bilton before you put in the box, to take off excess vinegar? I left mine wet straight out of the pan ... I think it added nicely to the taste.

You should try the chili bites, they are awesome ... just cut strips around 0.5" to 0.75" x 0.5" to 0.75" along the whole length of the meat piece. These need to be dried out more than your biltong ... you want them chewy ... so that the flavors come out as your nawing on them!

Mark_B_Good

lkapigian said:

Mark_B_Good said:

lkapigian said:

BUFFALOMOOSE said:

Bad description on my end. Yes it is the equilibrium cure method by 2 guys. 

Lol, looking forward to seeing the results 

2 week update on the Sopressa , a random link of Italian sausage, some more Pitina and whole muscle I have not touched in 2 months, never weighed them, don’t care lol

@lkapigian, we're going to do a test run of cured sausages. We don't have a fridge with humidity control, so we aren't doing the sopressata. Just the Italian sausage (I haven't measured but it's the standard casing, probably around 32 to 38 mm casing).

I'd love some guidance. From what I've read, we should hang overnight at room temperature, and then move them to the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

- What temperature should the fridge be set at?
- Will the sausages take closer to 2 weeks or 3 weeks?
- Fridge door slightly open, or can we keep it closed?
- Do we need a fan or for the sausages it's not necessary? 
- Finally, for the fresh sausages, we normally infuse our wine with garlic cloves overnight ... and use that. Would you say the garlic infused wine would be a good thing or a bad thing for the cured sausages?

Appreciate your help!

@Mark_B_Good I would not worry about the fridge temp if you are putting in your regular fridge, just where it is set is fine, it will just be slow to ferment, keep door closed ( if you have a dedicated fridge set around 55 f) , I would not worry about a fan either for this project, and 3 weeks is about right for the38-42 mm I use , just go by feel, lop a small piece off the end, you’ll know

i Would hang at room temp at least overnight to get the fermentation started , also you can leave mixed but uncased in your fridge for a couple weeks , then stuff, that will get you a long slow fermentation without drying, it will give you a jump on flavor, stuff after a couple weeks then dry as usual 

if where you are located your average temps are below 60, just put in your Biltong box in that environment, I have a spare bedroom I keep the windows open all winter so I can hang stuff in there 

also, if you want to get set up, I have extra Inkbird , usb fan and dehumidifier I’ll gladly give you, just DM me an address 

Turns out my biltong box isn't going to fit into the fridge, it's too wide. So I'm going to make my own sausage hanging frame for the fridge. It will be able to hold 80 sausages!

OK, so you're saying after I let stand overnight, then transfer to the fridge at the 35F it is, and close the door for 3 weeks? I mean, I can bump the temp up to around 40F without compromising what is in there ... is that better?

Also, when I cure them overnight ... is it okay to have them at room temperature (72F), or should I be doing that in a cooler place, like my garage?

Appreciate your help!

lkapigian

@Mark_B_Good , 72 Is OK overnight/24 hours then transfer , if you are going to have that much, you will definitely want to add a dehumidifier in there and a fan to keep things moving, if only doing a couple links I would not worry about it....I would raise it to 40 if possible

Couple things on dry curing

Humidity affects the drying time, Temperature affects fermentation,so colder temps will slow down fermentation, since you are running low, I would pack your sausage mixture in a bowl for a few weeks then stuff and hang, this way you will get a jump on the fermentation , if you will get a much deeper flavor 

If your garage is 60 or below, put your biltong box there 

Mark_B_Good

lkapigian said:

@Mark_B_Good , 72 Is OK overnight/24 hours then transfer , if you are going to have that much, you will definitely want to add a dehumidifier in there and a fan to keep things moving, if only doing a couple links I would not worry about it....I would raise it to 40 if possible

Couple things on dry curing

Humidity affects the drying time, Temperature affects fermentation,so colder temps will slow down fermentation, since you are running low, I would pack your sausage mixture in a bowl for a few weeks then stuff and hang, this way you will get a jump on the fermentation , if you will get a much deeper flavor 

If your garage is 60 or below, put your biltong box there 

OK thanks.  The sausage rack will be able to hold 80 sausages, but we're probably only going to put in 20 x 5" sausages at a time (5 strings of 4 sausages each).

As for the garage, my thinking was going there ... but I cannot moderate the temperature ... all depends on the outside temp ... may fluctuate between 50F and 65F ... colder I'm not bothered with ... I just don't know what to do if it's warmer ... unless I then just move them into the fridge, IF it gets too warm. From what I read, you don't want them going above 60F?

lkapigian

Mark_B_Good said:

lkapigian said:

@Mark_B_Good , 72 Is OK overnight/24 hours then transfer , if you are going to have that much, you will definitely want to add a dehumidifier in there and a fan to keep things moving, if only doing a couple links I would not worry about it....I would raise it to 40 if possible

Couple things on dry curing

Humidity affects the drying time, Temperature affects fermentation,so colder temps will slow down fermentation, since you are running low, I would pack your sausage mixture in a bowl for a few weeks then stuff and hang, this way you will get a jump on the fermentation , if you will get a much deeper flavor 

If your garage is 60 or below, put your biltong box there 

OK thanks.  The sausage rack will be able to hold 80 sausages, but we're probably only going to put in 20 x 5" sausages at a time (5 strings of 4 sausages each).

As for the garage, my thinking was going there ... but I cannot moderate the temperature ... all depends on the outside temp ... may fluctuate between 50F and 65F ... colder I'm not bothered with ... I just don't know what to do if it's warmer ... unless I then just move them into the fridge, IF it gets too warm. From what I read, you don't want them going above 60F?

I wouldn’t go above 60 for a ground product , whole muscle would be fine after the cure , definitely consider some sort of separate dehumidifier, 20 links will really drive it up

Mark_B_Good

lkapigian said:

Mark_B_Good said:

lkapigian said:

@Mark_B_Good , 72 Is OK overnight/24 hours then transfer , if you are going to have that much, you will definitely want to add a dehumidifier in there and a fan to keep things moving, if only doing a couple links I would not worry about it....I would raise it to 40 if possible

Couple things on dry curing

Humidity affects the drying time, Temperature affects fermentation,so colder temps will slow down fermentation, since you are running low, I would pack your sausage mixture in a bowl for a few weeks then stuff and hang, this way you will get a jump on the fermentation , if you will get a much deeper flavor 

If your garage is 60 or below, put your biltong box there 

OK thanks.  The sausage rack will be able to hold 80 sausages, but we're probably only going to put in 20 x 5" sausages at a time (5 strings of 4 sausages each).

As for the garage, my thinking was going there ... but I cannot moderate the temperature ... all depends on the outside temp ... may fluctuate between 50F and 65F ... colder I'm not bothered with ... I just don't know what to do if it's warmer ... unless I then just move them into the fridge, IF it gets too warm. From what I read, you don't want them going above 60F?

I wouldn’t go above 60 for a ground product , whole muscle would be fine after the cure , definitely consider some sort of separate dehumidifier, 20 links will really drive it up

So how many sausages do you think I'll get away with, without having to use a dehumidifier in the fridge?

lkapigian

@Mark_B_Good , that really varies , since you are running such a cold temp ( warm air holds more moisture) it may be a non issue , I would get a couple hygrometers to keep an eye on things.