Pancetta Update

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Scogar
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Pancetta Update

Post by Scogar » Wed Feb 24, 2021 17:49

This conversation started with Albertaed asking about Drying in the Basement with No Chamber viewtopic.php?f=5&t=9246&p=44173&hilit=pancetta#p44173 but rather than continue to highjack that thread I'll start a new one. Today the pancetta has aged/dried for three weeks. Here is the data
  • Timing Weight % Loss
    Week-0 2865g 0.00%
    Week-1 2478g 13.5%
    Week-2 2300g 19.7%
    Week-3 2200g 23.2%
I was able to get a drying chamber to work (An old red bull grocery store cooler) with the inkbird temp controller and a humidy controller. The humidity controller didn't actually control anything but I used it as a humidistat. My temp stayed near 52F while my humidity remained around 68-70%.

To keep the humidity this low in the early days I kept the door cracked by using a yogurt lid. Basement temp was only about 5-10F warmer so it didn't result in cycling the compressor excessively. I "think" I'm happy with things so far but as this is my first dry run (pun intended) I'm not sure if I should try to eke out another week or three. I did get white mold that started to green in the center and that can be seen here:
Image
I have learned enough on this site not to be too concerned with this but having read some of the Fermenting Sausages by Marianksi I have to label this as wild mold. So I wiped it with vinegar as best I could but couldn't get into all the nooks and crannies.
Image

My question is, should I try to get some more drying out of this? I'm not looking for shelf stable just something I can use as a cooked ingredient. If you look at the first pic, the fat on the left hand side is still a little soft whereas the right hand (thin side) of the pancetta is pretty resilient to being pushed on. Any other thoughts would be welcome as this is the precursor to my soo-to-be dried, fermented sausage launch

Thanks, Scott

PS - just realized I didn't include recipe. I'll put that together and add it to this post in a bit
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Scogar
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Re: Pancetta Update

Post by Scogar » Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:56

The pancetta was started on January 18th. This recipe was from OurDailyBrine.com. The process was as follows:

The pork belly was first washed with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water to reduce the bacteria present on the pork. The salt, cure, and sugar were measured out and placed in a bowl. The remaining spices were measured out and ground in a spice mill until fine. At which time all ingredients were combined, the belly placed in a ziplock bag, and the spices coated over both sides of the belly. The meat allowed to cure in the fridge for two weeks, flipping every couple days until about Feb 1st and then thoroughly rinsed under tap water and allowed to dry in chamber thus far

Pork Belly 2856 g
2.75% kosher salt 78.54 g
0.25% cure #1 7.14 g
1.75% brown sugar 50 g
1.8% whole black pepper 51.4 g
0.5% red pepper flakes 14.28 g
0.5% juniper berries 14.28 g
0.25% garlic powder 7.14 g
0.25% thyme, dried 7.14 g
0.15% bay leaf, dried 4.284 g
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Re: Pancetta Update

Post by Scogar » Wed Mar 03, 2021 19:49

I decided to let this go one more week, so it made it four weeks in the chamber. The weight had dropped so that in the end it had lost 26.6% from it's starting weight post cure. The biggest reason I let it go another week was to dissipate the vinegar odor (and expected flavor) from its wash last week. This was my first "controlled" drying experience of any kind and I think it worked. I would do a number of things differently next time...and there will be a next time. But here is the final product:
Image
It is pretty tasty but just as I have found with bacon, I don't like my salt content so high. I'll have to do some more reading but I bet that I do need the salt up there as there is no "protection" from the bad beasties other than the salt content. Additionally, I think the spice recipe I found was also more complex and busier than a true and typical Italian pancetta. Before I make it again, I want to get a good commercial example of a true pancetta to understand the flavor nuances better...not the Boar's Head version :lol: and unfortunately I am relying on some old memories of eating at relatives houses in and around the north end of Boston MA. And 20 plus years is too long to hold onto a memory of what good pancetta should taste like.
Image
I think it evident that there is some case hardening on the nonskin side but at 60-70% humidity even early on I shouldn't be surprised. But live and learn - this should help me make better decisions on the dry sausages I hope to still make this year. Lastly, I read about keeping the skin on so one could use it as a flavorant in a pot of something or other. I liked that idea and I'm not too bothered by it even now but I do think I will practice my skills at tying and going skinless. The only reason I didn't roll this time was that I was afraid that I couldn't get it tight enough to keep out unwarranted molds.
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Re: Pancetta Update

Post by Albertaed » Wed Mar 03, 2021 23:20

Looks good Scogar. I’m going to have to give it a go one of these days
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