I have made experiment. I had that idea for some time but 2 weeks ago got it working.
similar pieces - 2 of pork loin, 2 cuts of pork butt, 2 of pork belly. 3 pieces vs. 3 pieces.
days of curing - 3 in brine - and 3 in equilibrium curing locked in vac pouches.
night before smoking i have removed them from brine and vac pouches. They looks like this -
- in my opinion - pieces cured by equilibrium system having better color.
Then I have decided that will give more chances for cured in brine and i have packed 2 pieces (pork loin and pork butt) in beef bung. They were hanged in garage during night. In morning sunlight they looks like these..
After 5 hours in smoker - temp 40-50*C (I can call that was delicate smoking process) they looks like these
By the time of smoking I have made special sous vide set - on picture parts I have used to make it working perfectly.
After smoking process i have again put in vac pouches pieces from equilibrium curing and set them in souse vide pot. Time started to be counted when temp reached 144 F (62*C)
Other 3 pieces I have poached in temp. 75-78*C (168-174 F).
Pice of pork loin have been removed when IT reached 62 *C, piece of pork butt have been removed when IT reached 65*C. Pork belly stays in poaching water for 2.5 hours.
Sous vide pieces - I have removed pork loin after 4.5 hours. Then rised water temp. to 150F and kept remaining two pieces for another 4 hours.
Then they were cooled down and stayed 24 hours in garage, then next 24 hours in refrigerator. They here on picture
Final comparison - pictures of pork loin:
Pork butt :sous vide - (inside pouch little jelly visible on picture)
POrk but - poached
Pork belly - side by side
IMO (these pieces were processed in my polish style of wedzonki)- pork loin - texture, color, juiciness, taste - winner definitely equilibrium cure, sous vide
pork butt - mixed opinion ( beef bung helped a lot for poached piece).
Pork belly - better poached piece but... next time need higher temp. and longer time in sous vide system.
Generally - definitely system of equilibrium curing and sous vide needs more testing for optimal salt and cure doses by value of meat, and temperatures and time for sous vide.
equilibrium cured, sous vide VS. brined and poached
- Butterbean
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Stefan, great post with a lot of of information for all of us to consider. Excellent example demonstrating the many different ways we can prepare whole muscle meats. I was particularly interested in the sous vide vs. poaching results. I have never tried using sous vide for thermal processing of meats because I am concerned that the long cooking time would significantly alter the texture. Did you find much difference?