Preservation is a process that has been used since time immemorial, to store meat that will not be consumed immediately or will be consumed at a later time after it is purchased. Using just a few ingredients - salt, nitrite, and time - the meat changes: from watery and supple to dry and stiff. Over time, the taste of the meat also develops. After draining the water, dry cured meat, the taste becomes MSG - monosodium glutamate (umami) which is strong, tempting and also satisfying to the taste buds. Learn how to dry and wet dry meat for a lot less cost than buying it at a restaurant or convenience store, follow safety standards to avoid rotting meat.
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Method 1 of 2: Dry Preserving Meat
Step 1. Decide what kind of meat you want to use
Ham is a popular choice for preserves, but you can use anything from beef to venison and many other types of meat. With a good piece of meat you can't go wrong, however, if it's your first time preserving meat, you can use easier-to-process meats, such as pork belly or pork rump.
In most cases, use meat with all of the muscle groups that are anatomically related. Pork loin and belly, loin and hind legs or beef back, mutton leg and even duck breast are cuts of meat that are usually dry preserved
Step 2. If necessary, remove excess fat, tendons, or meat
Say you want to try making Capicola charcuterie (cold-cooked meat). You can buy boneless pork shoulder, and then trim the edges of the shoulder meat from the pork butt, until you get two different cuts. You can then use the shoulder cuts to make sausages for example, and use the buttocks in dry cured charcuterie.
Step 3. For larger cuts of meat, you can prick the meat so that the meat absorbs better
You don't have to pierce the meat before applying the salt, but for certain cuts of meat - larger cuts or cuts such as pork belly, which are often covered in a layer of fat - piercing the meat allows the salt and nitrite mixture to absorb more into the meat, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the pickling process..
Step 4. Decide whether you want to preserve using ready-made pickling salt or your own mix
Dry-curing with salt will absorb the juices from the meat and enhance the taste of the meat, but it won't eliminate the possibility of botulism spores developing. To fight botulism, sodium nitrite is often used in combination with salt as "preservative salt," "Instacure #1," and "pink salt." Botulism is a serious disease with symptoms of paralysis and respiratory problems caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
- Observe the manufacturer's instructions for determining the amount of preservative salt to use in conjunction with regular salt. Usually the ratio between pink salt and common salt which is commonly used is 10:90.
- If you know exactly what ingredients you want to go into your cured meats, it's probably best to include the sodium nitrate yourself. (See next step.) Most people find it easier to use ready-made pickling salt, so they don't have to bother measuring the ratio of salt to sodium nitrite.
- Why is pink salt pink? Manufacturers of pink salt deliberately color the salt so as not to be confused with ordinary salt. This is done because large amounts of sodium nitrite are toxic. Inadvertently including pink salt instead of regular salt in your chicken soup, for example, can be dangerous. The pink coloring itself will not affect the final color of the cured meat; while sodium nitrite has an effect.
Step 5. Use a ratio of 2:1000 sodium nitrite and salt, when mixing your own pickling salt
If you want to make your own pickling salt, be sure to use the right ratio of sodium nitrite to salt. For example, for every 2 grams of sodium nitrite, use 1000 grams of salt. Another way to do this is to measure the total weight of the salt, multiply by 0.002 and the result is the weight of sodium nitrite you can use in your pickling salt mix.
Step 6. Mix your seasonings with the pickling salt
The seasoning will add a rich dimension to the flavor of the cured meat. While it's important not to over-season the meat, a good mix of spices will amplify the flavor and give the cured meat its distinctive flavor. Put the spices into the spice grinder, grind the spices then mix with the preservative salt/salt dough. Here are the recommended spices:
- Pepper seeds. Black, green, or white peppercorns are important in most spice mixes. That's the reason people call peppercorns the "king of spices."
- Sugar. A little demerara sugar will add a hint of caramel sweetness to your pickling batter.
- Coriander and mustard seeds. Adds a burnt or roasted smell to meat.
- Star anise. Soft and slightly sweet, adding a little star anise gives it a rich taste. Kinda like peanuts.
- Fennel seeds. Adds a greenish, grassy flavor dimension to cured meats.
- Orange juice. Adds a delicious, sour element that sinks deeper into the leaner meat.
Step 7. Spread the pickling salt and seasoning mixture all over the meat pieces by hand
Cover the tray with parchment paper and fill the bottom of the tray with plenty of pickling salt and seasoning mix. Lay your cuts of meat on top of the pickling salt (fatty part on top if possible) and brush the tops of the meat with the remaining seasoning and salt mixture to coat evenly. If desired, cover the top of the meat with another layer of parchment paper, then place another tray on top, and finally place a pair of bricks or other heavy object to fall on and press the meat down.
- Do not use a metal tray without parchment paper underneath to perform this step. Because the metal reacts with salt and sodium nitrite. When using a metal tray as the bottom layer, always use a layer of parchment paper between the tray and the salt dough.
- If you have a round piece of meat and want it to be more or less round, you don't have to put anything heavy on it to forge it. Salt will do it naturally. Weighting is more suitable for pork belly meat, for example, which you will later grind into certain shapes.
Step 8. Store the meat in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days
Leave the meat slightly exposed to allow sufficient airflow. After 7 to 10 days, most of the liquid in the meat should have been absorbed by the salt.
Step 9. After 7 to 10 days, remove the meat from the refrigerator and when to remove the salt/seasoning mixture
Rinse with cold water, remove as much salt/seasoning as possible and place on a rack to dry in the open air for a while. Using a thick paper towel, wipe off any excess liquid, to make sure the meat is dry, before moving on to the next step.
Step 10. Roll up the meat (optional)
Most cured meats don't need to be rolled to form at this stage, but some do. If you're using pork belly for example, and are trying to make pancetta, you'll start with a rectangular piece of pork belly and roll up the long sides very tight. The tighter the roll, the less room for mold or other bacteria to settle in.
If you do plan to roll the cured meats, it's easy to start with a square, or usually rectangular, cut of the meat on all four sides until you get a neat rectangle. Save the small pieces for soup or cook the fat separately
Step 11. Tightly wrap the meat in cheesecloth
Wrap the meat in cheesecloth tightly, this will help remove any liquid that has built up on the outside of the meat, keeping it dry while it is curing. Wrap both sides of the meat in cheesecloth, and secure the ends of the fabric by tying them into a knot. If possible, make a second knot over the first so you can attach the cloth to hang the meat.
Step 12. Tie your meat off to help keep it in shape while curing (optional)
When you're working with a rolled piece of meat, tying it up will help the meat roll up tight and keep its shape. Use twine for the meat and tie every 2.5 cm until the meat is tied. Remove any dangling threads with a knife.
Step 13. Label the meat and hang it in a dark, cool place for two weeks to two months
A large refrigerator that people can enter is ideal, but any place where there is not much light and the temperature is less than 21 degrees Celsius will do.
Step 14. Serve
Once you've removed the cloth and knotted, thinly slice the cured meat and enjoy. Store meat that is not consumed immediately in the refrigerator.
Method 2 of 2: Wet Preservation of Meat
Step 1. Choose your cut of meat
Wet curing is perfect for ham or other smoked meat recipes. Try wet preserving ham for your Christmas party, for example, then as a cover for the smoked meat preservation process for a delicious meat.
Step 2. Prepare your preservative brine
To wet preserve meat, all you need to do is make a salting solution or a simple salt solution, and then add nitrite to the pickling salt (which will preserve the meat). Try this basic pickling solution recipe, or look for a pickling solution recipe that uses nitrites for a different taste. Use the following ingredients to boil with 3.8 liters of water, then let the stew cool completely:
- 2 cups palm sugar
- 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
- 1/2 cup pickles/preservatives
- 8 tsp light red salt (not to be confused with sodium nitrite)
Step 3. Put your meat in a brining bag
Marinating bags are important for processing larger cuts of meat such as Christmas party ham. Smaller cuts of meat can be stored in a sealed freezer bag only, but make sure the bag is large enough for the meat and marinade solution. For larger cuts of meat, place the marinade bag in a tube or large container first, and then fill it with the marinating solution. Add 2 to 4 liters of ice water to the salting bag to dilute the concentrate of the salting solution. Stir well before sealing.
Step 4. Marinate your meat for one day for every 900g of meat in the refrigerator
If you have 4500g of meat, marinate for about two and a half days. Turn the meat every 24 hours if possible. The salt in the marinating solution tends to be thicker in the bottom half of the salting solution and turning the meat over will allow the solution to soak evenly into the meat.
Change the marinade solution after 7 days during the pickling process to help prevent the meat from going stale
Step 5. Rinse the cured meats with cold fresh water to get rid of the salt crystallizing on the surface of the meat
Step 6. Place the meat on a wire mesh sieve to drain for 24 hours in a well-ventilated place and then store in the refrigerator for 30 days
Step 7. Smoke the meat
Wet-cured meats, such as ham, are especially delicious once smoked. Smoke the cured meat in a smoker and serve the meat on your special occasion.
