Search found 16 matches

by Tatoosh
Tue Dec 29, 2015 09:09
Forum: Smoked pork products
Topic: Equilibrium Brine & Cure - Pork Chops
Replies: 1
Views: 4853

Equilibrium Brine & Cure - Pork Chops

Background: I have been doing a cured pork chop, done via a brine, and then smoked for some time. My problem was variable results. This was due to a couple of factors. First is I have been using the traditional gradient brine aka pickle which simply means there is more salt in the brine than I want ...
by Tatoosh
Tue Dec 22, 2015 11:09
Forum: Smoked pork products
Topic: bacon tips n tricks
Replies: 26
Views: 26806

Great thread on bacon tips! Do u dry cure or wet brine I dry cure - both Gradient and Equilibrium approaches. do you remove skin before or after I get my pork belly skin off. do you hang on hooks or on trays. (Skin side up or down) In rack standing on side How long you cure for 5-10 days For Gradien...
by Tatoosh
Tue Dec 22, 2015 10:46
Forum: Technology basis
Topic: Calculating Legal Amounts Of Sodium Nitrite
Replies: 37
Views: 46716

Thanks, I'll open a separate thread on my project. And I do appreciate your feedback.
by Tatoosh
Sun Dec 20, 2015 16:16
Forum: Technology basis
Topic: Calculating Legal Amounts Of Sodium Nitrite
Replies: 37
Views: 46716

Okay, a question on brine - sorry if I should be posting this in a different section or starting its own thread. When I EQ cure bacon, I use 2.5% salt. That works well and gives me a finished product that is not too salty, but does have some salt taste to it. I'm planning on using that as a guide fo...
by Tatoosh
Sun Dec 20, 2015 09:31
Forum: Technology basis
Topic: Calculating Legal Amounts Of Sodium Nitrite
Replies: 37
Views: 46716

Mabutay! Sana mabutay ka rin! I have not made ham yet. My pork chops is the closest thing to ham that I've done. I really should get off my duff and try one. But we are moving back to the States next year and my projects here are my normal routine - dry cured bacon, fresh sausages, and smoked turkey...
by Tatoosh
Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:13
Forum: Technology basis
Topic: Calculating Legal Amounts Of Sodium Nitrite
Replies: 37
Views: 46716

Hi folks! Merry Christmas to all of you - or whatever holiday you happen to celebrate! I'm working on solid meats - bone-in pork chops to be exact. I've been using a Gradient Brine approach for the last few years, but want to move to an Equilibrium Brine (EQ) approach so that my end product is more ...
by Tatoosh
Fri Feb 27, 2015 20:59
Forum: Fishes
Topic: Wahoo Dry Cure & Cold Smoke?
Replies: 2
Views: 5059

Mabuhay Redzed! Yes, I am in Baguio City. It is a bit polluted and the gridlock during rush hour is secondary only to Manila. But I love the place dearly. Cool breezes, good schools (by Philippine standards), and the frequent rain storms that remind me of Oregon make me feel quite at home here. I he...
by Tatoosh
Tue Feb 24, 2015 03:00
Forum: Fishes
Topic: Wahoo Dry Cure & Cold Smoke?
Replies: 2
Views: 5059

Wahoo Dry Cure & Cold Smoke?

I am looking to do a gravlax style dry cure for local fresh caught Wahoo and then a cold smoke with cherry or maple pellets. My initial plan, once I get the ingredients assembled, is to cure the Wahoo in a refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours (overnight) - then rinse off, dry, and allow to form a pellicle...
by Tatoosh
Thu Apr 18, 2013 06:10
Forum: For beginners
Topic: Salometer - puzzling label
Replies: 14
Views: 10278

Thanks for the insight and sharing your expertise. I did find the brine page earlier, but was uncertain what my bit of kit was scaled in. I will give it a couple of tests so I can use it with more certainty. I look forward to doing a wet brine ham. We only have sea salt available here, unless we use...
by Tatoosh
Wed Apr 17, 2013 16:57
Forum: For beginners
Topic: Salometer - puzzling label
Replies: 14
Views: 10278

Salometer - puzzling label

I purchased a Salometer from Allied Kenco so that I could do a better wet cure ham. I was surprised when it arrived. It was labeled as "Per Cent Scale For Salt or Brine 60F" and runs 0 to 100. So I take it I should treat those as the degrees discussed on this website in various places, not actual sa...
by Tatoosh
Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:50
Forum: For beginners
Topic: frankfurters
Replies: 60
Views: 35060

I did hotdogs for the first time a few days back. I don't have a food processor so the traditional home kitchen approach was not possible. I ran my 75 beef/25 pork fat mixture through my grinder four times. I had planned on stepping down the size of grinding plate after the first two passes. About 5...
by Tatoosh
Mon Aug 27, 2012 12:51
Forum: Smoked pork products
Topic: Making Some Honey & Chili Bacon
Replies: 2
Views: 3481

That looks great! I'd love to get an A-Maze-N pellet box for cold smoking. Maybe one of these days. The box itself isn't so bad, but getting the pellets shipped over is the big challenge.
by Tatoosh
Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:50
Forum: Hardware
Topic: Pyrex bacon press
Replies: 6
Views: 11799

I have a lot of stainless steel pot lids in my kitchen that are flat on the bottom (no lip extending down). Those times I don't do my bacon in the oven, I grab one of the lids and use it as cheap and handy bacon press. Seems to work fine.
by Tatoosh
Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:45
Forum: Smokehouses. Construction and Maintenance.
Topic: Gas or electric heating for smoker
Replies: 13
Views: 10734

I have contemplated the same question and I tend toward the propane solution, turned down and then possibly using a mixture of charcoal and wood for smoking. But the propane is not being used a primary heat for most smoking, but as a supplemental source and to keep the charcoal going. A friend in th...
by Tatoosh
Wed Jul 25, 2012 09:30
Forum: Recipes from around the world
Topic: [CAN] Dynamite Dills
Replies: 8
Views: 7369

Super looking pickles! While city folk have been at the mercy of retailers (though there used to be stores that primarily made and sold pickles years ago), rural households used to make many items. Moving out of the USA to the Philippines made me start looking at how to make things I wanted but they...