First time to have a go

[johnfb]

Hey Wizard
After you cure the bacon can you breakdown the process to add the extra flavour:
When do you add the extra flavour?
Before or after you add the cure blend?
Is it left in the fridge for the same amount of time...and any other info you might have

Cheers
John

[wallie]

Hi WW
Seeing your post on Bacon flavours:

Black treacle
Mixed Herbs
Chilli Flakes
Brown Sugar
Juniper Berries

Reminds me of some I made a while ago which I also rubbed in Black treacle the taste was quite good but when sliced the outside edges were black of the treacle, which did not look very good.
Was yours like this?

wallie

[jpj]

wallie: treacle / molasses will always stain the bacon, you could say that was part of its appeal.

johnfb: apply the extra flavouring after you've applied the cure and cure the meat for the same time as you normally would

[johnfb]

Thanks JPJ

[johnfb]

Ok. So the cure arrived and I hope to start my curing this weekend.

One more question for the wise:

It says on the download from this site that the ratio of cure is asa follows:

30grms per Kilo for Traditional
40grms per kilo for smoked
50grms per kilo for sweet

Stupid queestion, but does this mean the weight of the cure or is there a different cure to make these flavours. I mean if I add 40 grms of the cure I bought will it make a smoked bacon??

Also, if the loin of pork I am going to cure is say, 3 inches thick, this means I leave it in the fridge for 1 day per half inch, meaning 6 days plus 2 a total of 8.
Is this correct?

thanks

[jpj]

if you bought the 'traditional cure' then NO increasing the amount will not make a "smoked" product. the smoked cure (containing a special smoked powder) is sold seperately.
yes your calculations are correct based on that formula.
however, it will not harm your bacon to leave it in the cure for longer

[johnfb]

Hi JPJ
Makes sense...but just want to be sure

Thanks for the advice once again

John

[saucisson]

Hmmmm bacon... after curing and smoking as above, I put the the big joint to sleep in a drawer at the bottom of my "cave" for a couple of weeks to mature, then cut a cross section across the middle for a photoshoot/in order to put it in the freezer



edit: photo is after putting it in the freezer, because I forgot to take the photo earlier

[johnfb]

Hi Dave

If I follow the instructions on the pack and cure for the required time and dry for a day in the fridge and then eat will I notice a big differance in the flavour as opposed to leaving it mature a few days or weeks longer?

John

[saucisson]

The longer you leave it the more mature it gets, becoming more like parma/serono/farmhouse ham with time. Don't worry though, once you taste it after a day in the fridge it probably won't get a chance to mature much more

Edit: thinking about it, I smoked it on the 25th, so that's ~10 days maturing.

[johnfb]

Thanks Dave for the reply

[johnfb]

And we're off.

No turning back now



all trimmed and weighed




My little porky baby, all wrapped up and ready for curing.

Only 7 days to go. MMMMMMMMMMMMM.

[saucisson]

It will be ready the day before my birthday

[johnfb]

Then I will toast your birthday with a lovely bacon butty.
Happy birthday for next week!

[largewhite]

Many thanks John, you are absolutely right about the info here.