Low sodium ham and bacon

[bc taster]

Problem: Wife is now on a low to no sodium diet but she wants some ham and bacon. (congestive heart failure)
Question: Can a fresh ham or pork belly be smoked without all the salt curing? I don't want to waste time and good meat so I've searched the forum for a good answer but most threads refer to cured meat. Is "curing" really brine or salt cure or just a general term for preserving (even with just smoke). I've already modified my rib rub and bbq sauce recipes. We had some baby backs that contained almost no sodium and they were REALLY GOOD. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Bill

 

[pumpkinseed]

Curing involves salt.  

But, does it need to be cured?  How does she feel about the flavor of smoked pork bellies and fresh (not cured) hams?  The seasoning can make quite a difference so the lack of salt isn't so noticable.

My sweetie needs low sodium, keep it under 2,000 mg per day due to two transplants and a few chronic conditions.  So not as low as your wife needs.

Most of what I cook is pretty low sodium so you get used to the taste pretty quickly.  I use a salt free rub and if I do cure anything rinsing well makes a noticeable difference.  I'm a big fan of Penzey's spices and like their Bavarian rub.

 

[bc taster]

Thanks Pumpkinseed

So I can just smoke a raw unsalted ham and pork belly the same as a butt or ribs?  Any special tips or tricks for these cuts of meat?  I am experimenting with herbs and spices.  Mrs Dash helps a lot.  Surprising how quickly we adjusted to a no salt diet.  We're finding out that some foods we didn't care for before now taste pretty good. Thanks again for your advice.

Bill

 

[crankybuzzard]

Keep in mind that the pork belly will not taste like bacon and the uncured ham will not taste like ham.  The curing agents are what gives both of them their unique flavor.

For the uncured ham, smoke it like you would a pork butt.  As for the belly, smoke it like you would ribs or other meats.

 

[pumpkinseed]

Like CrankyBazzard says, the taste won't be the same.  But you may find you like it.  Enjoy it for what it is, not for what you're trying to replace. 

Try a few ways of seasoning it, still do the honey glaze on the pork and smoking it and such..  

And you get to keep taste testing.  Gee, darn.

As I mentioned, we're low sodium rather than no.  So we can have in moderation and occasionally.  Which is a reason I've started making my own sausage.  If I keep it to 1tsp or less per pound a 4oz serving of meat has ~ 550mg sodium.

Sweetie couldn't eat any aged meats or cheeses for a while because of an antibiotic.  That was more of a problem because even the naturally occurring nitrites were a concern.  

 

[bc taster]

Thanks for the advice guys.  We had a meeting with her CHF coach today.  She has moved from NO to LOW sodium. 1200 mg per day.

I'm going to try smoking  some belly soon.  If nothing else, I will have some awesome pork fat to season beans and other things.  Maybe I'll grill some nice steaks for Easter instead of ham.   Thanks again and have a safe and Happy Easter.

BILL

 

[pumpkinseed]

I've done 'baked' beans in the smoker.  It takes a long time at 250* but are very tasty.  And you can make them way lower sodium than the canned.

Bringing them to a boil on the stove before putting them in will give them a boost. 

If you're doing a pork butt, the timing will work out pretty well.  Put that on the shelf above and let the drippings go in the beans.  Make sure to keep the water level in the beans high enough and stir every few hours.  I put in the bone from a previous bone-in pulled pork roast or some smoked pork hocks.

I have a Lodge cast iron chicken fryer.  It is about halfway in height between a frypan and a dutch oven.  And cast iron doesn't show the smoke residue like pyrex (not saying that I did that....)

 

[donr]

When I make cook corned beef, or smoke it for pastrami, I will soak it for about 24 hours in ice water, changing the water several times.  It pulls out a good bit of salt.  I don't know how much.  I have never tried it with bacon or ham.

I know some people will use a low salt version of Pop's Brine to cure meats.  But I can't remember how much salt they use.

They make some salt substitutes.  Most are Potassium Chloride, which can present its own problems for certain health problems.

Don

 

[bc taster]

Well I finally smoked some pork belly.  I had 2 about 6" x 6" each.  I'm not sure if it was worth the effort.  They smoked about 4 hours at 235 with the rind side up.  After they rested about an hour I wrapped them in plastic wrap and put them into the frig for a week to mellow some.  I slice some today.  They did get a nice smoke ring on the lean meat parts but not the fat.  Into a hot skillet went the slices.  Within seconds, POP, SNAP, and SIZZLE.  Turned them over once.  They cooked about 3 minutes, then onto a paper towel.  The texture of the lean parts was firm and the fat was like dry popcorn.  The only flavor was the smoke.  I think from now on I'll stick with the low sodium bacon I found at the store.  At least it tasted like bacon.  On the bright side.  I cut a few strips of the rind, sprinkled on some cayenne and put them in the hot grease from the bacon. They puffed up nice and crispy.  

I learned some good lessens. Don't mess with perfection by trying to change how bacon is made and homemade fried pork rinds are REALLY GOOD.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice.  

Bill