Whole Muscle Curing - 2 questions

[Mmmm Meat]

1. I saw a link or a reference someplace recently for a website that calculates curing salts and curing time based on two variables - weight and diameter of the muscle. (I think it was diameter, possibly circumference), that provides a way to calculate how long to cure a muscle prior to drying. Does anybody have a link for a website that provides a method to determine curing time for various size muscles?

2. I've got a Coppa that is taking it's time drying - it just hit 30% weight loss after six weeks but I'm thinking it needs to dry further - something like 37% - 40%. I'm curious what level of drying others here have found to be their preference when curing a Coppa.

Thanks for any insights.

 

[indaswamp]

Here is the one I use by Dr. Blonder:
https://genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/nitritecuringcalculator.html

 

[indaswamp]

Yep. 35-38% weight loss IMO on coppa...better flavor, easier to slice.

 

[Fueling Around]

I use the Blonder calculator(s), too.
Here's the link to the brine calculator.
https://genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/saltbrinecalculator.html

Do read all of his articles on food
https://genuineideas.com/food.html

Another popular one is Digging Dog Farm
http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

 

[Mmmm Meat]

Thanks Inda - that's what I was looking for. I book marked it (though when you have a few hundred bookmarks, finding a page you know is in that list is more daunting than just Googling it again).

(edit) - I thought this was it. I'm looking for is a dry equilibrium brine calculator. Calculating the amount of cure is easy. Determining the brining time based on the size of the meat is what I'm looking for. Any other suggestions?

I'll read those Blonder articles Fueling Around - thanks for the links.

 

[Mmmm Meat]

I think this is the link - same website - Genuine Ideas. 2Guys and a Cooler Bresaola webpage listed this as one of the links.

salt brining calculator

I've got a pork tenderloin that's been dry brined for about a week. I'm thinking it's done. Next question - can I get it into a beef middle, 'cause I've got nothing else to encase it in. I guess I could just truss it and hang it as is......

 

[Fueling Around]

...
(edit) - I thought this was it. I'm looking for is a dry equilibrium brine calculator. Calculating the amount of cure is easy. Determining the brining time based on the size of the meat is what I'm looking for. Any other suggestions?

I'll read those Blonder articles Fueling Around - thanks for the links.

Dr. Blonder formulas cover both wet and dry methods based on meat size. Follow the instructions to go wet or dry which is ZERO in the liquid. Be accurate on the meat size plus add 10-20% time for a complete cure
The 1 tsp of cure per 5# meat formula is for ground meat (sausage) only. It is not for whole meat cures which will be much more cure and longer times

 

[Fueling Around]

I think this is the link - same website - Genuine Ideas. 2Guys and a Cooler Bresaola webpage listed this as one of the links.

salt brining calculator

I've got a pork tenderloin that's been dry brined for about a week. I'm thinking it's done. Next question - can I get it into a beef middle, 'cause I've got nothing else to encase it in. I guess I could just truss it and hang it as is......

indaswamp is a resident expert for questions AFTER you start the process.

 

[indaswamp]

Largest beef middles run 60-65mm; if the loin is larger dia. than that, you can cut 2 casings 1" longer than the loin you want to case, then run your knife in the middle lengthwise and open it up into a sheet. Over lay the two sheets of casing at least 1/2" or more on the long side...use this to wrap the loin. Truss it very good so there are no gaps and smooth the casing down flat so that the two casings will dry together. I have done this....it works.

 

[daveomak]

May I suggest getting at least 2 of Marianski's books....
IMO, most folks have used his writings to educate themselves... May as well get the facts from the horses mouth.... "so to speak..."
I have found, many folks have incorrectly quoted these books... You can't always get good information second hand...

....

 

[zwiller]

I have seen a few errors in Blonder's work and his style is just not for me. I looked at his calculator and see a few things I don't like. IE minimum safe ppm of cure... Seems like it should be a default or at least referenced. 2 guys is a little better but admit if I see volume measurements in any "cure calculator" I pass... I like this one the best but admit I have my own. http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

I also highly recommend Marianski (the green one). There are a few diagrams that show how curing works and my takeaway was that injection is a must for whole muscle for best results. I realize coppa is traditionally dry cured but I would use at least 5% water and inject to ensure product consistency (and speed up the process).

 

[Mmmm Meat]

May I suggest getting at least 2 of Marianski's books....
IMO, most folks have used his writings to educate themselves... May as well get the facts from the horses mouth.... "so to speak..."
I have found, many folks have incorrectly quoted these books... You can't always get good information second hand...


View attachment 493391....View attachment 493393

You already talked me into buying the first one. Since you're twisting my arm, I'll probably pick up the second one soon

 

[Mmmm Meat]

Largest beef middles run 60-65mm; if the loin is larger dia. than that, you can cut 2 casings 1" longer than the loin you want to case, then run your knife in the middle lengthwise and open it up into a sheet. Over lay the two sheets of casing at least 1/2" or more on the long side...use this to wrap the loin. Truss it very good so there are no gaps and smooth the casing down flat so that the two casings will dry together. I have done this....it works.

It was a really small tenderloin - max 2 inches in diameter. All I have is 50 - 52 beef middles, and they have a limit in their ability to expand much. I got the tenderloin in about 2/3rds of the way before the casing split, I finished packing it in there as best I could made a patch out of the excess casing and covered the split area, then trussed it. There was still a gap and a bit of exposed meat by the time I was done with it, but I figured I could have just put it in netting without casing at all so my patch would work well enough.

I did see somewhere that a method similar to yours that used two cut casings sutured together with a curved surgeon's needle that created tight closure around the meat.