15# fresh side

[SmokinEdge]

Putting this piece in cure as usual, 1.5% salt, .25% cure #1 and .5% sugar along with white pepper and garlic. This piece measures 15” x 21” and weighs 15# un trimmed. Down for 12-14 days then smoke.

 

[TNJAKE]

Good looking belly. I'm in

 

[DougE]

Heck yessss, you know I'm in!

 

[DougE]

.5% sugar

This your new norm, on sugar or are you experimenting by going down from .75?

 

[SmokinEdge]

This your new norm, on sugar or are you experimenting by going down from .75?

We like both and do both but this is for my Pork producer friend and they are on some fandango diet where they are very limited for the first month then can add one thing the next. At first he wanted just straight salt, but I talked him out of that since that would just be salt pork. So .5% sugar it is, and frankly as long as you only eat a few slices at a time it’s no where near a Mountain Dew, lol. But it will taste “right” have to balance that salt just a little.

 

[TNJAKE]

Got a big ass beef belly I'm gonna put into cure next weekend maybe

 

[SmokinEdge]

Got a big ass beef belly I'm gonna put into cure next weekend maybeView attachment 643732

I’m all in on that! Will be delicious for sure. I’ll be watching.

 

[SmokinEdge]

TNJAKE ,
I have not done a beef belly in cure, but if I did, I’d be tempted to run the spice like pastrami, just me.

 

[TNJAKE]

TNJAKE ,
I have not done a beef belly in cure, but if I did, I’d be tempted to run the spice like pastrami, just me.

After my last beef bacon which was delicious. I was disappointed I didn't get that classic bacon look. This one is just shy of 13#. I gotta go for bacon so I can satisfy my previous disappointment lol

 

[SmokinEdge]

After my last beef bacon which was delicious. I was disappointed I didn't get that classic bacon look. This one is just shy of 13#. I gotta go for bacon so I can satisfy my previous disappointment lol

Completely understand.

I like to do bacon on a rack, naked, with a pan under to catch drippings. This is a slightly dried finish kinda like dry aging. Half of this belly is in a zip bag, the other half is naked on a rack.

 

[TNJAKE]

Completely understand.

I like to do bacon on a rack, naked, with a pan under to catch drippings. This is a slightly dried finish kinda like dry aging. Half of this belly is in a zip bag, the other half is naked on a rack.

I know that's gonna be delicious

 

[SmokinEdge]

I know that's gonna be delicious

Yes Sir, think bacon from your youth when we actually had butchers in the grocery. They rubbed those bellies down and left them on a shelf in the walk-in cooler to cure, juices all drained away just like old time southern bacon in the smokehouse. Then smoked. It’s a flavor from the way-back machine. Very good.

 

[pc farmer]

Beautiful belly.

 

[TNJAKE]

Yes Sir, think bacon from your youth when we actually had butchers in the grocery. They rubbed those bellies down and left them on a shelf in the walk-in cooler to cure, juices all drained away just like old time southern bacon in the smokehouse. Then smoked. It’s a flavor from the way-back machine. Very good.

I dry on a rack a few days after the bag and again between cold smokes and a few days after. Similar effect? Or does that straight uncovered cure end up way better? Do you apply your cure mix to the bottom of the belly when you do it like that?

 

[tbern]

Looks awesome, going to be good!!!

 

[indaswamp]

Yes indeed! That is a beautiful belly! I'll be watching. You cold smoking?

 

[SmokinEdge]

I dry on a rack a few days after the bag and again between cold smokes and a few days after. Similar effect? Or does that straight uncovered cure end up way better? Do you apply your cure mix to the bottom of the belly when you do it like that?

Not exactly the same. There is water extraction with dry curing, and in a bag that moisture ultimately gets reabsorbed, this kind of ex’s the whole point of dry curing. Dry curing originally was a partial drying process as well as salting, this made bacteria life difficult if not impossible, but this drying process also concentrated flavors of the meat and cure seasoning, giving a very distinct final flavor from the drying. Farther they then cold smoked, this is a process designed to further dry the meat ultimately making it shelf stable. The lowering of AW (available water) is the main player here, but all of this makes a very different product.
Today we dry cure in a vacuum bag or zip bag, this is contrary to the original methods and ways, and really produces a concentrated brine or wet cure.

I like to dry it out a bit in the cure process like the old ways. This makes a more original flavor profile, even though I really don’t need shelf stable, the flavor this way is old school, and I like it.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Yes indeed! That is a beautiful belly! I'll be watching. You cold smoking?

This is a Duroc/Berkshire cross belly from a sow. The fat is so butter flavored and delicious. I have 50# more of these to cure.

 

[indaswamp]

Bet that would make some awesome pancetta!

 

[indaswamp]

Not exactly the same. There is water extraction with dry curing, and in a bag that moisture ultimately gets reabsorbed, this kind of ex’s the whole point of dry curing. Dry curing originally was a partial drying process as well as salting, this made bacteria life difficult if not impossible, but this drying process also concentrated flavors of the meat and cure seasoning, giving a very distinct final flavor from the drying. Farther they then cold smoked, this is a process designed to further dry the meat ultimately making it shelf stable. The lowering of AW (available water) is the main player here, but all of this makes a very different product.
Today we dry cure in a vacuum bag or zip bag, this is contrary to the original methods and ways, and really produces a concentrated brine or wet cure.

I like to dry it out a bit in the cure process like the old ways. This makes a more original flavor profile, even though I really don’t need shelf stable, the flavor this way is old school, and I like it.

The method you describe is exactly how they cure Pancetta in Italy. After salting, the bellies either go into a large bin and stacked 3-4 bellies high, or onto slanted HDPE boards with grooves cut into it. The bellies are massaged and rearranged every couple days.