Aussie Ora Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 No pics yet but a question I started curing a belly last Saturday it's been a week now the others that I have done have gone 7 days then smoked and turned out great but I am working the day I was planning on smoking can you take it to 14 days or should I try and smoke it after work.was thinking of draining it and starting off again Outback Kamado Bar and Grill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pequod Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 (edited) Number of days is a minimum time to make sure it's safely cured. According to Meathead, you can go up to 25% longer. After that you should remove from the cure, rinse, and wrap in plastic in the fridge until you can smoke it. http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/curing_meats.html Edited March 25, 2017 by HalfSmoke 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Exactly as HalfSmoke suggested, rinse, wrap and let it rest until next weekend. It will keep remember it is now cured. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 It really depends what you are using to cure is with, salt,sugar sodium nitrate or celery juice powder or extract. When we cure bacon, or most anything, we use percentages for an equilibrium cure (EQ). 2 to 2.25percent salt, 0.25% cure#1 (sodium nitrite), and whatever amount of sugar you prefer. In theory, since it's a constant 2.25 to 2.5 % salts you have virtually no time limits. Also for a thinner whole muscle like belly, the rule of thumb is 1 day per kilogram. I vacuum pack most meats under cure, but with bellies I cover in a large pan,plastic or s.steel. NEVER aluminum. I find under EQ I can "get there" in 3 to 4 days. YMMV.Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 If you can keep it in the fridge after rinsing, put it on a rack UNCOVERED until you smoke it. It's been cured, and preseved. This also will promote a Pellicle, that is very important, for smoke to adhere to the surface of the meat. Otherwise you can get a bitter taste on the surface. And remember, less is more when it comes to smoke...a thin blue wisp is the goal!Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 In my first comment I said sodium nitrate, I meant nitrite.Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Good stuff, @primeats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 A few bellies I cold smokedSent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 With all the rain in our forecast for this weekend, I pulled mine out of the dry brine yesterday (5 days) and put in on the KK for 2.5 hours with the cold smoker. Was windy as the front moved in, so I kept having to relight the wood chips in the smoker, but managed to get some decent smoke going for most of the time. Rested overnight in a zipbag in the fridge. Just went into the freezer for about an hour to firm up for slicing. Will try and post some pics of the final product. BTW - this is my 1st attempt at bacon, so we'll see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Tony, I have never cold smoked my bacon, have always done the hot smoke route. What made you decide on the cold smoking method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Ora Posted March 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Cheers everyone I used a sodium nitrite cure I got from my butcher will rince it off today and leave in the fidge .until next weekendOutback Kamado Bar and Grill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 @MacKenzie - just sounded like a good use for the cold smoker. The meat is cured and you're going to cook it before eating anyway, so no harm to cold smoke it. It took longer to chill up for slicing than I had planned, so I just left it in the freezer overnight. Got it out this morning and sliced it up. The belly pieces from CostCo were very lean, but were not very thick (about 1 1/2"), so it was a PITA to slice even frozen, soI didn't get very even slices. But, here a pic anyway! While it doesn't look all that nice, it did fry up pretty tasty! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 Tony, that really is the leanest bacon I've seen.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 @tony b - +1^ That's some wonderful looking bacon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Ora Posted March 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 Yum bacon droolOutback Kamado Bar and Grill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 Thanks, all! Yeah, MacKenzie, that's what I thought, too, when I saw it in the meat section at CostCo. Unfortunately, when i got home and broke it down for putting it in the freezer, I found out that instead of 6 nice thick hunks of belly, it was 12! I only did one pack this time and have another pack of 6 pieces still in the fridge for later. Those I might not slice, but just cube up into lardon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Ora Posted March 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 If you can keep it in the fridge after rinsing, put it on a rack UNCOVERED until you smoke it. It's been cured, and preseved. This also will promote a Pellicle, that is very important, for smoke to adhere to the surface of the meat. Otherwise you can get a bitter taste on the surface. And remember, less is more when it comes to smoke...a thin blue wisp is the goal! Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk I've been working pretty full on and keep it in my mini bar freezer fridge in the games room going to rinse it off tonight Tuesday leaving it uncovered in the fridge to Saturday or Sunday will that be OK or should I wrap it in cling wrap. Getting home late and having to do everything else I keep forgetting lol Outback Kamado Bar and Grill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 It should be fine, Aussie. I have never left mind that long between the washout and the smoking. I can hardly wait overnight but you really do need to let it sit uncovered before smoking. Go for it Aussie and let up know what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
