Latest adventure in pork from Farmer John Ubaldo. Great source for local Berkshire.
My tentative plan would be to dry cure for a few days and then sous vide for 48 hours. Treat it sort of like I’d treat a shoulder (although this has a big bone going through it).
But I am not beyond asking for suggestions on this one.
Dry cure or brine? IIRC correctly I’ve tended to brine tenderloins and such, not the tougher cuts. Or just dry rub before cooking - no curing time?
There is a close to half-inch layer of fat around the whole thing. Should I trim that off before sous vide? Most sous vide recipes suggest trimming, but I’m thinking if I leave it on, some of the fat will really moisten the meat, and I can peel/drain the excess when I take out the pork.
I’m guessing this will be pretty shreadable - like shoulder.?.
My confidence level is a bit lower than usual on this one - don’t want to screw it up.
I’ll look forward to watching this play out. Take some pics! How much did the 5lbs of pig set you back?
How about a couple of hours of cold smoking and then a long slow braise?
FWIW, I would brine vs. dry cure.
Tex or anyone,
can you explain the diff between brine and dry cure? I realize that is a basic question…but I’m a little green.
Basically, a brine is a hypertonic solution of salt, sugar & spices. It uses osmotic pressure to render a tough and dry cut of critter moist. It “drives” moisture home.
A dry cure is a salt, sugar & spice mixture that is applied to a protein to remove water by the same osmotic pressure, but in reverse. This is how cured salmon, Jamon Iberico, etc are made and can be preserved.
I got the shank and two Flintstones sized chops (that I grilled last night) for $50.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a smoker. Though I have used the “Smoking Gun” on finished meats that I’ve sous vide, just for flavor purposes.
I was really happy using Dan Barber’s dry rub recipe on a pork belly - but there is little danger in the belly drying out too much - and I braised it after.
Maybe it’s chops that I’ve brined? I know I’ve used Fergus Henderson’s brining recipe in the last month or so.
I’ve been thinking about a brine that uses maple instead of sugar - may go that route.
Still not sure about all of that fat.
Chris, if you have a Weber Kettle or even a gas grill, a quick and heavy cold smoke isn’t any chore at all. Maple vs. sugar in a brine is always a good swap.
Not trying to derail here…just trying to educate cuz summer is comin’
a quick and heavy cold smoke
What the hell is that? I have a lot to learn.
Cold smoke vs. hot smoke is just that…the air and smoke temp in the cooking device is either relatively cool or hot. Cold smoke will impart that smokey flavor and if used long enough, it will cure the product. A hot smoke is what folks would consider BBQ (Fleming will cringe) as you impart smoke flavor and cook the product by raising its internal temperature gradually.
When I say a quick cold and heavy smoke, I personally mean that in my Weber Kettle, I get a small fire going with hardwood and then put on quite a bit of smoking wood. I also pack the bottom and top of the Kettle with foil containers filled with ice to keep the temp down. This method is what I use for dry cured salmon that I want to smoke. Not enough fuel to get very hot, but enough to allow the hickory, apple, etc. to smolder and produce smoke. I keep the vents at about 50% so that the relatively short time of smoking provides the maximum amount of smoke contact.
I have done beef shortribs before by cold smoking and then braising in beef stock and wine. Outstanding.
Bill,
So, does the cold smoke “cook” the meat? I guess it’s cured maybe? I’m not sure how that works.
Interesting with the ice aspect to keep temp down. This whole thing is blowing my mind a little.
Thanks.
In the commercial world of cold smoking…no, you are not “cooking” the product as air temps are well below 100 deg F. I am probably somewhere in the area of 125 to 150 deg F, and if in there long enough, yes, it would cook the product to a high enough temp to kill off any pathogens. That is why you either dry cure and then cold smoke…like salmon, or cold smoke and then finish with another method of heating. Lots of ways to double cook things.
Bacon for example.
I dry cure a whole pork belly and the cure removes a pound of water (arbitrary here). Is it bacon yet…no. I smoke the pork belly to 165 deg F internal temp using a modified long and cool smoke method. Is it bacon yet…sorta kinda. I allow the belly to cool to room temp and then slice into thick pieces. Over medium heat and in a skillet, I cook the sliced belly until it is nice and crackling. Is it bacon now…hell yes!
I dry cure a whole pork belly and the cure removes a pound of water (arbitrary here). Is it bacon yet…no. I smoke the pork belly to 165 deg F internal temp using a modified long and cool smoke method. Is it bacon yet…sorta kinda. I allow the belly to cool to room temp and then slice into thick pieces. Over medium heat and in a skillet, I cook the sliced belly until it is nice and crackling. Is it bacon now…hell yes!
Holy sh*T! My afternoon is planned!
Wow, thanks.
Not at all. This is great stuff that will come in handy.
This is an awesome thread!
I wish I had more to contribute besides appreciation. I have always braised Berkshire shanks in the winter, but never really messed with them in the summer. Some great ideas here.
![[worship.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/9/99a8907a1d5b3c023582052741dc72dc9823c044.gif "worship"){kind=small}
