Gabbagool and Pressed Ham

[SMOKEOCD]

Have been wanting to do pressed ham for a while. Plus I’m a gadget junkie. So I cured pork loin chunks since Monday, and broke down a shoulder today for the emulsified portion. The emulsion contains cure as well, according to weight. It’s simple, tender quick, pepper and fresh garlic. Not exactly how I thought it would go, I made a sandwich with emulsion on bottom, chunks,then a top emulsion layer. Next time I’ll mix it all together before forming it.
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Also took the nice section from the shoulder to do a capicola (aka Gabbagool).
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Ham could be edible in a few days, I’ll sous vide the whole contraption, cool it overnight and voila - ham. The Gabbagool- 45 days according to the Ruhlman book Charcuterie.
Happy for first time, I know it can be way better. Learning as I go.
Speaking of learning as I go, it looks like attachments aren’t the way to go. Copy/paste photos so they show inline?

 

[indaswamp]

Hit the insert image icon and load images as a jpeg. then you can select the image and insert full image inline on the post.

 

[indaswamp]

 

[indaswamp]

There, I posted them for you.

 

[indaswamp]

Are you dry curing the Coppa?

 

[chopsaw]

Are you dry curing the Coppa?

The Gabbagool- 45 days according to the Ruhlman book Charcuterie.

Are you using the formula on page 185 ?

Keith is an expert on this stuff , so if you just got started , tell him exactly what you're doing or have done .
I've only done Umai stuff , but glancing at that recipe ( yes I have the book . It was a gift ) , his salt amount is way high , as is normal for most of his stuff .
Umai uses 3 % salt by weight , Ruhlmann's amount says " about " 1/2 cup or 125 grams .
I'm no expert , but that seems extreme to me .

You picture Tender quick above . Are you using that just for the pressed ham ?
Cure 2 for the Coppa ?

I would re group and outline your process . That book has a lot of what I consider to be errors .

Also , here's a chopped ham loaf I did awhile back . You may or may not be interested .

Chopped Ham Loaf .

I bought some " Sugar cured Country Ham pieces " at the store the other day . When I got around to them I realized they were raw . Not smoked or cooked . They were fully cured though . So when I made the franks the other day I saved a pound of grind and used it to mix with the chunks ...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[SMOKEOCD]

There, I posted them for you.

Thanks for that, posted it from the phone. Will use a real computer next time, hopefully better results.

 

[SMOKEOCD]

Are you using the formula on page 185 ?

Keith is an expert on this stuff , so if you just got started , tell him exactly what you're doing or have done .
I've only done Umai stuff , but glancing at that recipe ( yes I have the book . It was a gift ) , his salt amount is way high , as is normal for most of his stuff .
Umai uses 3 % salt by weight , Ruhlmann's amount says " about " 1/2 cup or 125 grams .
I'm no expert , but that seems extreme to me .

You picture Tender quick above . Are you using that just for the pressed ham ?
Cure 2 for the Coppa ?

I would re group and outline your process . That book has a lot of what I consider to be errors .

Also , here's a chopped ham loaf I did awhile back . You may or may not be interested .

Chopped Ham Loaf .

I bought some " Sugar cured Country Ham pieces " at the store the other day . When I got around to them I realized they were raw . Not smoked or cooked . They were fully cured though . So when I made the franks the other day I saved a pound of grind and used it to mix with the chunks ...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Ive seen the Ham thread before, thanks for the link. There’s not too many people making it, yours is one of the few threads showing up when I search on the web.
I use tenderquick for everything currently. I’ll probably roll it in Paprika and Cayenne once it’s done, but I mostly prefer just smoke and salt(tenderquick).
Honestly no big process to speak of. I weighed it, just over 2 lbs and used just over 2tbl of tenderquick. Gallon ziplock, massage it all around and into the fridge.
BTW - I know this place is SERIOUSLY full of talent, that’s why I posted here. I don’t think I did anything wrong, but am open to criticism.
Thanks to everyone.

 

[voyager 663rd]

Thanks for that, clover it from the phone. Will use a real computer next time, hopefully better results.

Just use the DESKTOP view/setting on your cell, NOT mobile. Easy as ...capicola

 

[chopsaw]

I know this place is SERIOUSLY full of talent, that’s why I posted here. I don’t think I did anything wrong, but am open to criticism.
Thanks to everyone.

OK , cool . I was on the fence about commenting , but I saw the Tender quick , and the mention of Ruhlman's book ,, I was just making sure what you were doing .

Anyway , I'm a TQ fan . I use it a lot for certain things . You know the amounts to use .
I have done Coppa with the umai bags and also with Tender quick .


The TQ coppa went 14 days in the cure , then rinsed and smoked / cooked .
Ruhlmans direction won't cross over into using TQ . So I personally wouldn't hold it 45 days .
Let it go 2 weeks and hang it in the smoker . Take the IT to 152 ish .
Keep use posted . That a great looking hunk of pork you have .

 

[SMOKEOCD]

OK , cool . I was on the fence about commenting , but I saw the Tender quick , and the mention of Ruhlman's book ,, I was just making sure what you were doing .

Anyway , I'm a TQ fan . I use it a lot for certain things . You know the amounts to use .
I have done Coppa with the umai bags and also with Tender quick .
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The TQ coppa went 14 days in the cure , then rinsed and smoked / cooked .
Ruhlmans direction won't cross over into using TQ . So I personally wouldn't hold it 45 days .
Let it go 2 weeks and hang it in the smoker . Take the IT to 152 ish .
Keep use posted . That a great looking hunk of pork you have .

Thank you. Can I ask where the 152 IT comes from, and won’t that change the texture of the final product? I’ve been doing pork loin, pork tenderloin and pork belly cold smoked and air dried for decades. We eat it as antipasto, so texture is a big deal. Can you continue to dry it after the hot smoke? I’ll need to do a side by side to see the difference, but in the meantime I’m enjoying the advice and conversation.
I bought two more shoulders to pluck the coppas from ( so I can hot smoke one and cold smoke the other), and two nice eye of round, right about 2.5 lbs each.
Cold smoking season will be over soon so I’ve got to get in a few more things before spring is here.

 

[SMOKEOCD]

Since Ruhlman has been ruled out, should I even buy any other book? Just read every post here? The aspic recipe in that book is pretty tasty though. I like a good portion of meat jello once or twice every winter.

 

[chopsaw]

I’ve been doing pork loin, pork tenderloin and pork belly cold smoked and air dried for decades.

If you have a proven method , by all means do what you know .
I've done dried cure with Umai .
I don't use TQ to do that . If you do and it works , like I said no reason to change .

The coppa above would be considered Coppa cotto . Cooked . 152 is a safe finished temp since it hasn't been fully dried to a weight loss percentage .

This is a pork cushion I did with cure 2 and Umai bags .
Yes the texture is different .

 

[SMOKEOCD]

I’m doing multiples this time so I can try what I would call the modern way. I at least need to start weighing the meat, I’ve been going by texture but would like to be more scientific about it.
Here’s the two eyes, I’ll post results - I guess towards the end of March.

Take a pic works, any way I try to attach a pic it just show a link that needs to be clicked. Sad thing is I’m in IT, I’ll get it eventually.