Pellicle formation post cure and post rinse?

[Deerwhacker444]

I have successfully made a few batches of bacon using the salt, sugar, cure #1, sealed bag method. I've currently got a new batch curing in the fridge.

After removing the belly from the cure and giving a good wash in water, will a pellicle form in the presence of salt if I add flavored rub to the belly and put the belly in front of a fan.?

I know the salt will draw moisture out of the meat but will the fan outpace the salt and form the pellicle?

I have some peach rub that I was thinking about experimenting with but it does contain a little salt, and I don't want it to hinder pellicle formation.

Thoughts?

 

[mr_whipple]

I've never been sold on pellicles for anything including salmon and such. That and I don't wash my belly bacon after curing. Letting it sit in the fridge uncovered after curing will let it dry slightly and that certainly enhances flavor, but again, I'm a pellicle doubter. I say no need for a fan, but rubbing it and letting it sit in the fridge before smoking is perfectly fine. I'd just watch the salt content of the rub in relation to the amount you cured it with to avoid oversalting.

 

[forktender]

By setting in the refer uncovered, you are in fact getting a pellicle to set.

 

[thirdeye]

Depending on your cure time and type of cure I'm not sure if I would use a rub that contains salt, or maybe test it out on one piece. That said, pellicle formation is different for bacon, fish, or corned beef/pork/turkey you are going to pastrami. Fans certainly help for the first couple of hours, but a 12 to 24 hour hold in your fridge works just fine.

Speaking of fans, I purchased a battery powered fan that fits inside my beer fridge. It really helps with pellicle formation on my home cured items, and also drying things like roasts or steaks. The top photo is a corned beef, the bottom photo is a boneless rib roast.

 

[DougE]

I don't rinse after curing ....... really no need to. I do leave the slabs on an open rack in the fridge over night to let them dry out before smoking. I would not add anything with additional salt after curing, but if I were to, I'd put it on straight out of the cure and on an open rack in the fridge over night.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I don’t worry about pellicule formation on my whole muscle smoking. I equilibrium cure so never a reason to rinse coming out of cure. If it’s wet I pat dry with a paper towel more like a heavy blotting. Then onto a rack in the fridge over night. Next morning I hang the meat at room temp for 1-2 hours to air dry before smoke and to warm the surface up so it doesn’t condensate in the heat of the smoker. If I’m in a hurry I’ll put the meat in the smoker at 120-130* no smoke for about an hour to dry the surface then apply smoke as normal. The pellicule formation may be of some benefit with cold smoke, but I’ve seen no benefit with warm to hot smoke.

 

[Deerwhacker444]

Thanks for all the input. I was completely ignorant of smoking and curing a year ago. 95% of what I've learned came from this forum. It seemed like I read "pellicle, pellicle, pellicle", and even though I thought I had it figured out, I've got lots more learning still to do.

 

[ahakohda]

My opinion. Can be wrong.

Pelicle is very important when you are smoking at lower temperatures. Basically, if you smoking at temperatures bellow 180F, you must have pelicle, be it fish or meat or chicken.

Difference is very visible and you can taste it. If you do , say , canadian bacon and smoking meat while its wet, you will never get a pretty mahogany color plus you will get bitter smoke aftertaste.

If your meat was properly cured, just hang it in room temperature for 4-6 hours, with fan providing indirect air flow. You will only need 20-30 minutes of smoke to get perfect color afterwards. And remember, if you cooking your meat after smoker (sous vide, steam bath etc) your meat will be two shades darker.

Another way to get meat to the "smoke sticky" condition is to place it in 140F smoker without smoke and fully open exhaust, wait till internal temp reaches 104F and add smoke.

All of the above is for "hammy" kind of foods and temps. Not for 220F BBQ.