Let's Talk BBQ
Cured Meats & Food Preservation => Cured meats & Food Preservation => Charcuterie: Ham, Bacon, Sausage, etc. => Topic started by: ACW3 on April 23, 2013, 07:52:55 PM
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A while back Rick (Nepas) made some Bresaola. After seeing his post, I bought one of the Charcuterie kits from Umai. I have had some pork bellies in my freezer to make some bacon with one of these days. So I decided to make Pancetta instead (this is just dry cured bacon) using the recipe and dry bags from Umai.
After thawing two pieces of pork belly, I broke out the skinning knives I bought for hunting. Even though I have had the knives for a number of years, I had never used them to skin any of the big game that I have shot. We always took the game to a meat processor. So, I got to finally use them. I removed the skin from each piece of pork belly. The knives worked great!
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/002_zpsf3f07b14.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/002_zpsf3f07b14.jpg.html)
This is the finished pork belly, ready to be coated with the dry rub.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/003_zps98299413.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/003_zps98299413.jpg.html)
Here is the dry rub mix. It uses InstaCure #2 (not Cure #1) since the Pancetta will be dry cured.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/004_zps4d632471.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/004_zps4d632471.jpg.html)
The final picture shows the pork bellies coated generously with the dry rub. They will be refrigerated for the next 7 to 10 days.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/005_zpsf50d96bd.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/005_zpsf50d96bd.jpg.html)
I will post the next set of steps in the dry curing process in about 10 days..
Art
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Will be watching Art...
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Great timing Art! Just the other day I was looking at a Pancetta recipes!
I'll be watching this one unfold.
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i'm looking forward to this. its great seeing ya cook more buddy. ;)
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Drooling already!
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I'm watching this one too Art. Off to a great start!
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Art
Thats going to be real good.
I took the Bresaola to the bbq in Florida, it went fast and i didnt get pics cuz i was doing other things.
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Definately watching this one. Pam
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Well, the pork belly pieces have been in the dry cure for ten days. Time to rinse and dry them. I decided to dry cure both versions of pancetta, slab (stesa) and rolled (arrotolata). The larger piece had a more uniform thickness and thus lends itself nicely to being rolled. The other three pieces are either too small or a little too thick to roll, so I will dry cure them as a slab. I will put the two small “sample sized” pieces in one small dry bag. I may pull these out after 30 days to see how I am doing.
The first picture shows the pork belly pieces still in the dry cure.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/001_zpsdb7af1ad.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/001_zpsdb7af1ad.jpg.html)
The second picture shows the rinsed and dried pieces.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/002_zpsf5e93df9.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/002_zpsf5e93df9.jpg.html)
The third picture shows the one arrotolata and the three stesas.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/003_zps75c17eaa.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/003_zps75c17eaa.jpg.html)
The final picture show them dry bagged and ready to go into the refrigerator for at least 30 days.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/005_zps04e23f83.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/005_zps04e23f83.jpg.html)
See you in a month or so.
Art
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I have been checking how “solid” the pancetta has been since I cured it and used the Umai dry cure bags. The two smaller pieces were pulled several weeks ago and thinly sliced and added to some green beans. Basically, I wasn’t impressed. Then again, there wasn’t much fat in those two small pieces. The real test would be when I sliced each piece.
The slab (stesa) Pancetta in the slicer.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/001_zpsf82a858c.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/001_zpsf82a858c.jpg.html)
Here is some of the sliced slab Pancetta. Looks just like bacon!!
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/002_zps0ac9c0cf.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/002_zps0ac9c0cf.jpg.html)
The rolled (arrotolata) Pancetta before I removed the twine. Looks good and feels good. Kind of firm, but not a brick, either.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/003_zps1bf2089f.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/003_zps1bf2089f.jpg.html)
Here is the rolled Pancetta on the slicer and a few early slices.
(http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/acwiesemann/004_zps8ba53d24.jpg) (http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/acwiesemann/media/004_zps8ba53d24.jpg.html)
I must say that the Pancetta came out much better than I would have expected after tasting the sample pieces. My wife gave it her “Seal of Approval”. It must be good!
I will have to finish vacuum packaging the sliced Pancetta later. It seems I have blown a fuse. I need to find another fuse for my vacuum sealer.
Art
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Wow! I am impressed.
Ed
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Looks really good Art!
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That looks really good. Nice job!
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Nice job Art!
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Yum, Art, YUM!!!
It looks nice and dense. Great job buddy!
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Art
Looks mighty fine there.
WTG
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Art, Great job. I love pancetta chopped and mixed into ground beef for hamburger. Dee
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That looks delicious.
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We just got back from Italy, and that looks as good as any Pancetta I had over there!
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Some great looking bacon Art!!! Love the pancetta! Don
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Thank you everyone. It turned out better than I had hoped. I will probably make this again.
Art
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You know....I will have my griddle on when we do the demo cooking at the Trans. Co Farmer's Mkt.......And - if you bring your griddle......I can think of a lot of wonderful ways to taste a little of that.... ;) :D ;D