Bresaola - My First Work With Cure #2

[jarjarchef]

Great win....

 

[linguica]

Xutfuzzy; your Bresaola is top shelf gourmet. Please don't take my question as an insult to the quality product you have made.

Just a Veterans Day question...Is that related to what the WW2 soldiers referred to as S-O-S.........Poop on a shingle

 

[fpnmf]

Xutfuzzy; your Bresaola is top shelf gourmet. Please don't take my question as an insult to the quality product you have made.

Just a Veterans Day question...Is that related to what the WW2 soldiers referred to as S-O-S.........Poop on a shingle

SOS is made this way..   http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/74622/s-o-s-smoked-dried-beef

 

[dls1]

That's some nice looking bresaola, xutfuzzy. I've made it in the past, as well as it's pork sibling speck, but it's been quite a while. I guess I need to revisit the subject.

I'm curious about one thing - You're ingredients, aside from the beef, consisted of kosher salt and cure #2, followed later with black pepper. Most recipes I'm familiar with also include sugar, fresh or dry herbs such as rosemary and thyme, granulated garlic, and always, ground juniper berries. Did the recipe you followed not include these items, or did you choose to omit you're first time out?

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Bresaola makes excellent SOS!



~Martin

 

[xutfuzzy]

That's some nice looking bresaola, xutfuzzy. I've made it in the past, as well as it's pork sibling speck, but it's been quite a while. I guess I need to revisit the subject.

I'm curious about one thing - You're ingredients, aside from the beef, consisted of kosher salt and cure #2, followed later with black pepper. Most recipes I'm familiar with also include sugar, fresh or dry herbs such as rosemary and thyme, granulated garlic, and always, ground juniper berries. Did the recipe you followed not include these items, or did you choose to omit you're first time out?

In my research on bresaola, I did find everything that you mentioned.  As this was my first attempt at something a little longer term, I just followed the recipe from that book as it was something I trusted.  So far, everything that I have made from that book has been awesome, so I just stuck with that.  Now that I am more comfortable, I will attempt the more flavored versions that I have found. 

 

[herms]

I know you kinda talked about the temp and humidity but just for my clarity this was just a normal fridge not something you use for cured meats?  You just set it as warm as it could go and didn't worry about the humidity as you didnt open it very much?  Just curious if there is much of a chance of spoilage or if the salt cure and insta #2 removed most of that threat. 

Also thanks for the great how to and the pics looks amazing.

Wade H

 

[xutfuzzy]

I know you kinda talked about the temp and humidity but just for my clarity this was just a normal fridge not something you use for cured meats?  You just set it as warm as it could go and didn't worry about the humidity as you didnt open it very much?  Just curious if there is much of a chance of spoilage or if the salt cure and insta #2 removed most of that threat. 

Also thanks for the great how to and the pics looks amazing.

Wade H

I used a regular fridge, as that is what the instructions in the book said to do  This was my second fridge that is used only for storing smoked cheese that is resting, the occasional pork belly  that is curing into bacon, and some beer.  The book says to put in it a fridge that isn't opened very much, and set it for "around 40 degrees."  The author stated that this is the only long-cured meat he does as he doesn't have the space/time to do much of anything else in that department.  My fridge, on the warmest setting, hovered around 38 degrees (I hung a fridge thermometer to keep track).

After some research, I now have the goal of buying a fridge and converting it into a curing chamber (there are some great threads about this if you use the search box for "curing chamber") so that I can have more control over the humidity.  Then I can get into other cured meats.

As far as the spoilage, my guess is that the cure #2 took care of that, but I will defer to the experts here on that matter.