BACON, mmmm

mango11 · Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 2:13 pm Post subject: BACON, mmmm

I am looking at wet curing some home style bacon, something ive been thinking of doing for ages but have no idea where to get the salts???

Does anyone know where to get pink salt from? aka saltpetre?

I understand as its the main ingredient in gunpowder its not sold anymore, but there have to suppliers around in melbourne of alternative compounds surely???

sixinchrhino · Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:36 pm Post subject:

hi mate,
a lot of culinary shops won't stock it but somewhere like 'the essential ingredient' (you can check locations online, prahran in vic is one) may have it. otherwise, try a stockfeed place as they may have it for horses. I'l ask one of the girls at work to double check that and get back to you.
Cheers
Ryan
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quanger · Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:48 pm Post subject:

Believe it or not I caught the end of a pommy show the other day & I kid you not this tosser cured some bacon in manure & his own urine, then after x amount of days he cooked & ate some

Apparently he wanted to try it because they used to do something like that to cure meats a century or so ago. Mmmmmmmmmmmm, bacon.
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Theshpleen · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:06 am Post subject:

One of my fishing buddies did a smallgoods course at TAFE. I remember him telling me that they don't use Potassium nitrate (saltpetre) coz it's believed to be a carcinogen. The stuff they use instead is Potassium Nitrite. It has the same effect as the nitrate at inhibiting the bacterial growth that is otherwise uneffected by normal salting. Where you get it from, sorry, no idea??.

Dave
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devilfromtas · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 1:37 pm Post subject: Re:

mango11 · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:46 pm Post subject:

thanks guys,

I too caught that program the other night where the guy cured his own bacon and that is what has inspired me to finally do it,

I had a stint a few years ago where i got right into making sausages, it was pretty awesome, i then wanted to do some bacon but had the same issues im encountering now.

Ive checked a few forums etc and found other cures etc, but i want to make a wet cured bacon typical of irish/english bacon, not smoked just cured in brine,

I honestly think the best bacon ive ever tasted was in ireland, mmmmmmm

surely everybody loves bacon!

Oh and nitrates and nitrites are 2 different things and are both needed in differing amounts for different things, when hanging and dry aging you use nitrates from memory as they take 6 months to break down and then turn into nitrates, where as say a wet cure (brine) would use nitrites that would take effect immediatley as you would only cure submerged in brine for a few days as opposed to 6 months etc.

devilfromtas · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:55 pm Post subject: Re:

Timbo45 · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 8:25 pm Post subject:

Funny thing....Ive been looking for the same stuff, saltpeter in incorrect
amounts is pretty dangerous, and old fashioned.....go and see your local butcher and ask for what he uses for frankfurts/salami etc., I think its
called "cure all" or somthing like that, very important that you use the
correct amount per Kilo of meat.
Tim.....
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Theshpleen · Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:42 am Post subject:

That 'Cure all' sounds like a good idea. Whichever way you go, I agree that some home cured smallgoods are absolutely delicious. My friend made me a couple of kilos of bacon and it tasted superb. I've also had home made Pruicutio (spelling?) and that too was great. Bit of a gamble however, as the guy who made it said sometimes you spend a fortune on pork legs, go through the procedure and then 3 months later, cut it open and it's bad. Must hurt to chuck a leg of ham into the bin after all that work.

I'm more of a Biltong maker myself. (Biltong is African style jerky) and have also made Boerwoers (African Sausage) Just writing this down make me want to go the butcher, get out the dehydrator and start making.
Hmmm smallgoods...........
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mango11 · Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 5:26 pm Post subject:

well for those that are interested i came across a site called misty gully something or other, they stock everything in aus, so i ordered 3 different curing salts,

#1-6% nitrite
#1-2% nitrite

Both for wet curing,

and

#2-nitrites and nitrates

For dry curing and ageing,

As said earlier the nitrite activate immediately, then the nitrates break down over time and turn into nitrites for longterm protection against any nasties whilst hanging.

So as soon as it all gets here, ill take some pics etc, and let you all know how i go