Attempting First Cold Smoke

[Culinary Otter]

Hey SMF,

I'm looking at starting my first cold smoke in the near future, and I just want to make sure I understand the process before I have 20# of pork sitting around and have to make an emergency "is this meat still good post".

I've gone through the last decade of threads in this sub-forum and still have some questions

I want to make smoked pork chops out of a whole loin primal/bone-in loin roast. My plan is to French it (for aesthetic purposes only), cure it via a 10% injection, then cold smoke, cut into chops, package and freeze. SV and sear when I want to cook a batch. Here's how I see it shaking down, just want to make sure I have it all correct and get clarification on a few things:

After cutting the primal into portions that will fit into my fridge and frenching the rack:

- create an injection cure using (numbers are per 1000g of meat):

- 2.5g cure #1​

- 18g salt (taking into account the sodium in the cure, this ballparks me at just above 2% salt, and my palate leans to the salty side so I'm okay with that)​

- 7.5g brown sugar (I'd like to incorporate the molasses flavor, don't want to make it as sweet as ham tho)​

- 100ml water/broth​

​

(For my own clarification, this is always roughly the same correct? You just adjust the salt/sugar to what you're curing? 1-2% salt? 0-1% sugar? Give or take?)​

​

- injecting this into the primal using a 1x1 grid, insert the needle all the way in, inject while pulling the needle out
- inject the full 10% curing solution
- be sure to target extra near the bones and joints
- place in a ziplock bag in the fridge

*here's where it gets fuzzy for me and I find conflicting information*

Do I need any curing solution on the surface? If I can't get all 10% in, do I put the excess in the bag when I bag up the loin?

- leave it in the fridge for 14 days (I assume the estimated 1/4" per day is still valid with injection? If so, I figure I'm well above the timeframe required - if I do a 1" grid it should be a 4 day minimum?)

- dry overnight in refridge
- cold smoke

*more confusion*

I have no idea how long to cold smoke it for. I'm thinking two days of 6 hours each? Is there actually a method to this madness? I see dry cure recipes that range from 4 hours a day for 2 days, to 12 hours a day for a month.

Temps here next week fluctuate between +5C and -12C, hoping that stays for the next month. If it doesn't I have a seed mat I plan on putting in the Yoder if I need to to keep the temps up, using dust, and if I need to get a welding a mat.

Thanks for looking, sorry for the newbie questions that I'm sure have been addressed already.

 

[zwiller]

I think you have a good plan and agree with what you're doing. That said, I would breakdown into some big ole chops personally.

4 day cure would work with the 1" grid but I always go a week due to my schedule.

You will NOT be able to get the full 10% in there so yep, throw the excess in the bag for surface area.

Cold smoke duration is highly debatable. I would say 12hrs, 6 and 6 per is pretty close to what I would do. That said, you are talking to a guy that thinks that you need like 40hrs on bacon.

 

[Culinary Otter]

Awesome, thanks for the validation

To clarify: separated (and probably dry brined) makes more sense for sure. Problem is my hubris and wanting to also do this "for the gram"

As for the time, I plan on leaving it for 1-2 weeks, more curious about the math.

Thanks for clarifying the excess solution. That was my biggest concern.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Zwiller has you covered. One thing I’ll add is to take account for the bone weight if you think there is enough there. And not add that weight into the equation.

 

[Culinary Otter]

Zwiller has you covered. One thing I’ll add is to take account for the bone weight if you think there is enough there. And not add that weight into the equation.

Argh that was the other question! When it's bone in how does one calculate that?

Also I assume no NaE in an injection?

 

[SmokinEdge]

Argh that was the other question! When it's bone in how does one calculate that?

Also I assume no NaE in an injection?

It’s more of an allowance for the bone. How many bones in each piece? And how long are they?
As to NaE, yes I use it in all my injection curing.

 

[Culinary Otter]

It’s more of an allowance for the bone. How many bones in each piece? And how long are they?
As to NaE, yes I use it in all my injection curing.

Haven't purchased the primal yet - will report back when I do.

 

[Culinary Otter]

Here it is (think I bought the wrong end )
~ 6.96 lbs
3.15 kg

12 bones

 

[Culinary Otter]

It’s more of an allowance for the bone. How many bones in each piece?

Still wasn't sure how to handle this, but figured with the size I could include them and be below 200ppm nitrites and not be too salty. I kind of went on the lower end of my palate for everything else to compensate.

In retrospect I should have sacrificed a chop and weighed the bone.

Frenched and ready to inject. (Go easy on me - first time Frenching a rack)

If I'm *lucky* I injected 5% before it started leaking out everywhere.

Sealed and ready to wait:

Second roast:
Not Frenching as they're all smaller, want to save some meat.

See you in a couple weeks!

 

[DRKsmoking]

You did good if you ask me in the bone cutting,
In for the show. Love the look of a good frenched pork roast .

I have Frenched them before , cured then smoked. ( not cold )I cured mine and then Frenched
Next time I would French first .
Here is one I did following Kevin's way foamheart . RIP



David

 

[Culinary Otter]

Well after challenges with the weather and the smoker, here's the (almost) end result.

Cooking them up in the SV on my days off this weekend.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Still wasn't sure how to handle this, but figured with the size I could include them and be below 200ppm nitrites and not be too salty. I kind of went on the lower end of my palate for everything else to compensate.

In retrospect I should have sacrificed a chop and weighed the bone.

View attachment 686718
View attachment 686719
Frenched and ready to inject. (Go easy on me - first time Frenching a rack)

If I'm *lucky* I injected 5% before it started leaking out everywhere.

Sealed and ready to wait:
View attachment 686721

Second roast:
Not Frenching as they're all smaller, want to save some meat.

View attachment 686722

See you in a couple weeks!

You did fine. But remember that bone weight is figured into the gross weight, so salt, cure, sugar and whatever else will lend to the higher side on the meat itself. Not a deal breaker, but something to think about in the future. You sure have a nice start.

 

[Culinary Otter]

You did fine. But remember that bone weight is figured into the gross weight, so salt, cure, sugar and whatever else will lend to the higher side on the meat itself. Not a deal breaker, but something to think about in the future. You sure have a nice start.

Thanks! I didn't have a frame of reference for this one so going to weigh the bones after I cook these to get a ballpark for next time.

 

[SmokinEdge]

No worries. Just something to think about. Generally 10-20% weight reduction. But I’m a dial In a recipe guy. So this might matter to you or not.

 

[Culinary Otter]

Generally 10-20% weight reduction. But I’m a dial In a recipe guy. So this might matter to you or not.

Does for sure I'm the same way. The 10-20% is good to know, thanks.