Steven Grostick - Preserving Meats - NMSFC 2012 Preserving Meats Techniques of Salting, Curing and Smoking Meats Presented By: Steven Grostick Executive Chef, Toasted Oak Grill and Market 27790 Novi Road, Novi Michigan 1.248.277.6000 Overview The process of preserving meats has been a necessity for thousands of years, and the processes of salting, curing and smoking date back to early man. Before refrigeration, this process allowed for a surplus of foods to survive throughout the winter months. In times of early war, preserved meats, seafood and vegetables were needed for survival during long distance battle. Preservation of food, at one point, was only a means for survival. Today, however, the “trend” has caught on through several avenues: The influx of “foodies”, restaurants and the readily available knowledge on the internet and in recent books on the topic. The keys to success when attempting these processes in the home kitchen are easier than most think. Time, care, thought and common sense are the most important ingredients when beginning the process. However, a fresh piece of meat, salt and a smoker help too. We are going to discuss some basic avenues to get started in preserving some simple meats at home, like bacon, dried meats and seafood. Throughout, we will also discuss the different salts used, some methods of preparation, dry cures, brines, smoking and timing. One reason these methods are scarcely used in the home kitchen or even in restaurants today is because of the time and care involved in the process. Steven Grostick - Preserving Meats - NMSFC 2012 Salts Salting and curing draws moisture from the meat through the process of osmosis, meaning simply pulling moisture from the meat and inhibiting the growth of bacteria. When dealing with fresh pork, the most important bacteria we need to prevent from forming is Botulism. Salt is used as the primary preserving mechanism and quite frankly, it gives a sense of comfort in knowing only salt was used to preserve your food, have you ever read the list of ingredients from store bought bologna? It is a well-known fact that time does not cause meat to spoil, it is the microbes and bacteria that attack the foods when exposed to air and water. When used as a preservative, salt disables and inhibits the growth of these bacteria. Salt dehydrates meats by pulling water out of it; it works even deeper into the cell structure by dehydrating the bacteria causing microbes in the meat that cause decay and spoilage. When curing any meat product, the most pure salt to use in this process is Kosher salt. Iodized salt contains Iodine and is not a pure salt to cure with. There are other “salts” used in the preservation of meats called “curing salts”. These salts contain nitrites and nitrates; these are used to preserve the natural red or pink color of the meats being used, prevents the rancidity of fat, preserves the natural flavors and like salt in this process, inhibits the growth of bacteria. These nitrites have many brand names to include Pink Salt, T.C.M., DQ Curing Salt, Prague Powder #1, Insta Cure #1. This particular salt is dyed pink so as not to confuse it with regular salt and the breakdown is 93.75 percent salt and 6.25 percent nitrite. Nitrites have the important job of preventing botulism poisoning in sausages and other foods that are smoked. Nitrates are sometimes added to pink salt and are used for long term dry cuing of sausages and are usually called by the same brand names but sold as #2. Salt is the active ingredient when curing any meat product, sugar is added to take away the harshness of the salt flavor and you can add various seasonings to help flavor your cured meat product or sausage. Curing Methods and Processes There are two initial curing methods used in the preservation of meats, dry curing and brining. Dry curing is a method using a dry mix of spices, salts and sugar to draw the moisture out of meat over a longer period of time. Examples of a dry cured product are bacon, pancetta (Italian bacon), salt pork, and air-dried hams such as prosciutto and Serrano. In the process of a simple smoked bacon, here is a basic dry cure recipe to use: 1 pound kosher salt 8 ounces sugar 2 ounces pink salt -Mix all ingredients together and this can be stored indefinitely in an airtight container. Steven Grostick - Preserving Meats - NMSFC 2012 1 3-5# slab of pork belly Enough basic dry cure to dredge -Dredge the fresh pork belly in enough basic dry cure to coat all sides evenly. -Place the belly in a plastic or non-reactive metal container and cover with saran wrap. -Refrigerate “on cure” for 7 days, flipping it over and re-covering it every other day. -When the belly has cured for 7 days, feel the thickest part to make sure it is firm. -The belly is firm to the touch; rinse it under cold water to remove any excess cure mix. -Smoke or roast at 200 degrees for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature is 150 degrees. -Cool completely under refrigeration, it will hold for up to 3 weeks, or frozen for 3 months. Once you have mastered this process, you can start to have fun and add different flavorings to suit your taste. Some ideas for sweeter bacon are ½ cup of molasses, maple syrup or dark brown sugar. Savory ideas are crushed garlic, bay leaves and crushed peppercorns. Brining meat is simply using a dry cure with the addition of water to impart flavor and help to produce a tender, juicy piece of meat. Examples of brined meats are smoked chickens, smoked pork loins, smoked salmon. Brines are actually a salt-water mixture and earlier we spoke of salt dehydrating meats. Salt in a water mixture helps expand the cell structure in the meat, which then imparts the flavors within the brine throughout the entire product. An easy all purpose brine recipe for any smoked meat: 1 gallon cold water 1 cup Kosher Salt ½ cup sugar -Combine all of the ingredients and bring to a boil. -Cool completely in the refrigerator. -Submerge the meat under the brine by weighing it down with some plates. -For whole chickens, 12-14 hours, Pork Loins 14-16 hours, chicken breasts 1-2 hours, fillet of fish 2-3 hours. -Pull from the brine, rinse under cool water, rest for 12 hours under refrigeration, smoke or roast to 165 degrees. Again, you can impart any desired flavor into this basic recipe. For a pork product, apple cider, onions, orange, mustard. For seafood, fresh dill and lemon can be used, and the possibilities are endless for chicken products, I tend to use ½ beer and ½ water. Steven Grostick - Preserving Meats - NMSFC 2012 Benefits of Preserving Your Own Meats Preserving meat at home is a great way to become more self sufficient with your food supply. Whether you are raising livestock, chickens or an avid hunter, preserving meats can help keep you fed all year long. We have discussed a couple of “easier” recipes and methods to get you started in the process of home meat preservation. There are so many more methods and procedures to discuss, but, as time allows, this could be a whole lot of information and in not wanting to overload anyone, we have stuck to the basics. Included is a small list of websites and books to further the knowledge needed in drying meats, making sausage and jerky and smoking meats. This has become a way of life for me as a Chef, I do it day in and day out, but I coach many people who cure, and smoke as a hobby. www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage-making/curing www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/he155w.htm Charcuterie – Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn Primal Cuts – Cooking with America’s Best Butchers Home Smoking and Curing – How to Smoke – Cure Meat, Fish and Game Keith Erlandson.