I have 2 kg of pork and Cure #2

[danmerk]

Dave, great link! Thanks mate.

Looking at that blue green mold scares me but I guess its part of the process. So there was obviously no refrigeration there? Have you made this type of product before?

[saucisson]

I make chorizo types and similar and I dry/cure it slowly at 10 deg C in a converted fridge (not because that is an ideal setting that's what the fridge is set at to store my cheese in). If making thin sausages I just dry them on a sunny windowsill where they dry very quickly (more like a biltong).

There are as many different ways of doing it as there are people on this forum. If you follow a recipe/method here you know the poster survived the experience at least once

I'll sort out a few photos of mine for you.

Dave

[danmerk]

Is there a substitute for a starter culture?

[saucisson]

Vernon's recipe has no culture in it, and a number of US recipes I've seen don't, sometimes I seen lowering the pH with red wine or vinegar. I thought of using live yoghurt, but I don't know if this has ever been tried successfully.

Dave

[danmerk]

From a home brewing perspective, we try desperately to keep lacto B out of our beers unless we are making a pLambic. I wonder if I followed the recipe by adding an acid blend of lactic additive (its a brewing thing) to the meat would give the tang as well...

hrm...

[saucisson]

I wonder if it may be the same thing, can you post a link to some details?

Dave

[danmerk]

Here is a culture you can order from many home brewer shops.

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_productdeta ... oductID=17

You can also buy a small bottle of Lactic Acid.

http://pivo.northernbrewer.com/nbstore/ ... ic&x=0&y=0

[saucisson]

Interesting, thanks, the latter one might work, but the former has a yeast in it so probably not. When I say might, it equally may well not, I am not qualified to say.

Maybe try a salami without culture and then look at adding some if you feel something is missing.

Myself I'd be tempted to add a few drops of your lactic culture to a tiny batch to see if it made any difference, but it would be irresponsible of me to suggest any one else do it.

Dave

[danmerk]

Oh indeed. Well I am off to a local butcher tomorrow morning. I plan on getting some pork shoulder, pork belly, some fat, and some beef. I will make some bacon, and some salami. I will use the recipes here per your suggestions. I wont be adding any culture because I do not have any. I am sure it will work out. I will report with some process pics.

Meanwhile, I smoked the salt and cumin I was planning on using for some Landjaeger. Check it out:

[saucisson]

That paprika is a lovely colour.

Here's my holiday chorizo that I made a week ago and has been left at room temperature. It smells really nice

[danmerk]

Room temperature? So you mixed everything up and then stuffed it and left to cure at 20C?

[saucisson]

Yes, but not exactly by design... I made them to take on holiday in order to try and keep them somewhere cool while we were there. Our holiday plans were abandoned when our car broke down on our way there so we came home. I only remembered they were still in our luggage in the hall yesterday

This sausage I normally dry for at least a week or so in very low humidity, while keeping a close eye on it.

These were made 10 days ago, dried in the air for 3 days, then stayed in a plastic bag for a week unloved and forgotten, hence the penicillin mould and they have hardly dried at all. They are out in the air now and I will decide whether they are keepers when they dry a little more. I thought they would make a good work in progress slide show for you

This is meant more as a what not to do tutorial...

I do not condone this method of curing in any way shape or form ...

Dave

[danmerk]

Well here you go:

http://www.danmerk.com/life/2008/06/02/ ... ng-primer/