How should I finish this shoulder bacon?

JacksDad · December 2016

Hi all,

I picked up a couple of pork shoulders at Costco a while back. They have been in the fridge about 15 days with Ruhlmans cure, with extra black pepper.

Took them out tonight, rinsed them off, and gonna let them soak in cold water overnight, to remove some saltiness:

First question: what kind if cure did I really do here? Started out as a dry cure - just packed them in a bunch of the Ruhlmans rub. I measured the ratios precisely, but not the actual amount of cure- just used enough to thoroughly cost them. Ruhlmans says this is okay to do. But within a few days, after the salt started leaching the water out, they were basically marinating/brining in their own juices plus the excess dry rub. I presume it's the ratio of salt to pink salt to sugar that is more important, but if I'm wrong, somebody please tell me!

Second question: how should I finish this off? Would like to smoke it, then cool in fridge and slice for breakfast meat (like regular pork belly bacon). Any better techniques? What IT should I aim for with the smoke? 150?. I got an amaz-n-smoker from the wife, but don't have the pellets yet, so can't do a cold smoke this time.

Any other tips/advice appreciated!

JacksDad

Lit · December 2016

You should drop one off over here. I really need to try this. I usually do a hot smoke on my bacon try to keep it as low as possible for as long as possible. Under 200 for a couple hours is more than enough.

blind99 · December 2016

Yeah, send me one too. What kind of cure? I'd call it saltbox method. Liquid leaching out is normal.

It should give you more than enough salt and nitrite. I think the rinse is a good idea. Then cut a hunk off and fry it and see how you like it. If still too salty you can rinse again.

If you hot smoke you can go at a low temp and go to 150 oer 160. Higher temp and you can slice it off and throw it right on a sandwich

JacksDad · December 2016

Okay thanks. It's soaking overnight in ice water. Will check how salty it is in the morning, then put it on low and slow for an IT of 150 or so. Will give my new FB200 a chance to shine, while I run errands all day!

The heat and smoke are really just for flavor, then, right? I don't have enough experience to know how the texture and flavor change with varying amounts of each... But for $20 worth of Costco meat, it's sure darn fun to learn!

blind99 · December 2016

Smoke is for flavor. (And for antibacterial properties, if we weren't refrigerating, but most of us aren't making bacon to preserve it)

The heat part- taking it up to the 150s/160 it's getting cooked, theoretically saving you from dying of some pathogen you didn't count on when your amateur self cured and cold smoked at home. Meatheads site and others say don't cold smoke at home. I'm not sure about ruhlmans book but you have it - does he cold smoke bacon?

after reading more, I decided I could cold smoke safely. It turns out bacon like you'd get in the store - uncooked. I've never done shoulder bacon so feel free to disregard anything I've said.

Also don't look at Nola's latest thread you may go blind. Jesus.

Florida Grillin Girl · December 2016

After a 15 day cure, I would change out the water several times before you smoke it or you will be looking at some really salty finished product.

JacksDad · December 2016

Florida Grillin Girl said:

After a 15 day cure, I would change out the water several times before you smoke it or you will be looking at some really salty finished product.

Thanks. I rinsed and soaked them for an hour, then into the fridge overnight for at least 12 hours tonight. Will see how salty it is in the morning... The first time I made bacon, I didn't soak it, and it was almost unbearably salty, so I don't want to make that mistake again...

bgebrent · December 2016

You soaked them long enough. Smoke em and enjoy.

JohnH12 · December 2016

I just got his book and was wondering about his method of dredging the meat in his basic cure recipe. Seems a lot more simple than trying to rub the stuff in.
I also picked up an A-Maze-N pellet smoke box and want to try cold smoking a batch of belly or shoulder. I live in Florida so I have to time it so it's a cold day (if we get one).
Your pics look great. I would suggest a test fry before the smoke to test for the saltiness.
I'll be looking for your end result.

JustineCaseyFeldown · December 2016

JohnH12 said:

I just got his book and was wondering about his method of dredging the meat in his basic cure recipe. Seems a lot more simple than trying to rub the stuff in.
I also picked up an A-Maze-N pellet smoke box and want to try cold smoking a batch of belly or shoulder. I live in Florida so I have to time it so it's a cold day (if we get one).
Your pics look great. I would suggest a test fry before the smoke to test for the saltiness.
I'll be looking for your end result.

dreedging is ideal. less salty generally.

most people make the cures exactly to the amounts proscribed, but very few people have exactly the same size meat that ruhlman uses for each example. which means often there is more cure than you need. that, and perhaps leaving it too long, can make it salty.

many also simply clip off a corner of the cured meat to try it first, and that is the most exposed (to salt) portion you could possibly eat.

dredging works, works well.

have never had it too salty.

and yes, you did a dry cure. it is supposed to draw out water from the meat. it will draw some back into the meat, which is what effect the cure.

some liquid will be left in the bag. this firms the meat and makes it drier than meat cured in a pickle (brine cure). this is why home dry cured bacon is much different in texture than store bought, which is injected directly with brine and cures overnight in the package on its way to you at the store. you remove water with dry curing. they add it.

the name regards whether the cure itself is dry or wet (brine), not whether the meat is dry or not.

JohnH12 · December 2016

To me the basic cure mix in Ruhlman's book and dredging seems more simple that measuring exact grams like I used to do. I just wasn't sure how it would work.
I use these multipliers for exact dry cure quantities in the past:
Weight of meat in grams
x .0025 for the cure #1
x .03 for salt
x .0125 for sugar

JacksDad · December 2016

Dang life got in the way, wasn't able to smoke the cured shoulders today. Took them out of the soak after 24 hours. Followed advice, cut off a corner to taste it:

Wasn't sure what to expect, but this is good. Reminds me of pork roll ("taylor ham" for the northern NJ folks). Still has a fair bit of saltiness even after the soak. But I took them out if the water, air drying in the fridge. Hopefully tomorrow will be able to do the smoking, and add a layer of flavor. Maybe I'll slice half and freeze, and smoke the other half, so I can directly compare in the future.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

More pics to follow!

Jacksdad

DMW · December 2016

JacksDad said:

Dang life got in the way, wasn't able to smoke the cured shoulders today. Took them out of the soak after 24 hours. Followed advice, cut off a corner to taste it:

Wasn't sure what to expect, but this is good. Reminds me of pork roll ("taylor ham" for the northern NJ folks). Still has a fair bit of saltiness even after the soak. But I took them out if the water, air drying in the fridge. Hopefully tomorrow will be able to do the smoking, and add a layer of flavor. Maybe I'll slice half and freeze, and smoke the other half, so I can directly compare in the future.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

More pics to follow!

Jacksdad

The corner you cut off to test is probably the saltiest of the shoulder. The inner slices will be less salty.

JacksDad · December 2016

Finally smoking them, with my new favorite toy (FB200):

Then I guess back into the fridge to cool off, then slice and vacuum seal them this afternoon...

JacksDad · January 2017

The final results are below. Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

This started as two Costco pork shoulders, which I halved so they would cure okay. "Dry" cure for 15 days in the fridge. I sliced one just as is, but hot smoked the other three pieces on the egg with Rockwood and cherry wood chunks (what I had on hand) to 150 IT.

I liked the hot smoked much better than the unsmoked. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the hot smoked cured pork shoulder is basically ham, right? Sure looked and tasted like it!

Gonna distribute vac sealed packs to friends and family today. Thanks again everyone, happy new year!

All four pieces together, the unsmoked piece up front:

Slicing them up: I'm dying to buy a deli slicer!

Fried a few pieces for quality control! The wrinkly ones are the unsmoked, the flat pieces are smoked:

On a fresh bagel with cream cheese:

Final result: enough breakfast meat for months!

Thanks for lookin'!

JacksDad

JacksDad · January 2017

Ate some of this for breakfast... Delicious! My Costco finally started stocking regular pork bellies again, so I've got two going in to cure later today...

20stone · January 2017

Thats a great looking cook.

Two options to consider for next time:

You can vacuum seal the meat and cure in a bag. This makes it easier to ensure constant contact with the cure, and you can rotate it around more easily

You might try a cold smoke on one next time, just to see the difference

That was an awesome looking sandwich, too

JacksDad · January 2017

20stone said:

Thats a great looking cook.

Two options to consider for next time:
You can vacuum seal the meat and cure in a bag. This makes it easier to ensure constant contact with the cure, and you can rotate it around more easily
You might try a cold smoke on one next time, just to see the difference
That was an awesome looking sandwich, too

Thanks!

I have a foodsaver, but didn't buy bags big enough for a pork shoulder. I will look for some...

I got an amaz-n-smoker from the wife for Christmas. Will definitely try cold smoking next time. This was my first cured pork shoulder, I've gotten so many great ideas I want to try from all the experts on this forum...

JustineCaseyFeldown · January 2017

>Correct me if I'm wrong, but the hot smoked cured pork shoulder is basically ham, right?

starts to become irrelevant.

you can use the exact same cure on belly and make bacon, as you would on a ham (cut) to make ham.

"Ham" and "bacon" really tend to refer more to the cut more than the cure. but it's not exactly that clear cut either.

JacksDad · January 2017

JustineCaseyFeldown said:

>Correct me if I'm wrong, but the hot smoked cured pork shoulder is basically ham, right?

starts to become irrelevant.

you can use the exact same cure on belly and make bacon, as you would on a ham (cut) to make ham.

"Ham" and "bacon" really tend to refer more to the cut more than the cure. but it's not exactly that clear cut either.

What if I had cured "anus"? Seems to be a ton of experts on that particular cut of meat around here...

How should I finish this shoulder bacon?

Comments

Categories