bacon too salty

seattlepitboss · Oct 29, 2013

I made some bacon using the basic cure recipe from "Charcuterie", the one with kosher salt, pink salt, brown sugar, maple syrup and black pepper. I really liked many things about the bacon but I think it was a touch too salty.

Now I'm nearly done with another batch. Can one of you with more experience than I tell me exactly how you rinse your bacon before letting dry and smoking?

Thanks!

seattlepitboss

ButtBurner · Oct 29, 2013

seattlepitboss said:
I made some bacon using the basic cure recipe from "Charcuterie", the one with kosher salt, pink salt, brown sugar, maple syrup and black pepper. I really liked many things about the bacon but I think it was a touch too salty.

Now I'm nearly done with another batch. Can one of you with more experience than I tell me exactly how you rinse your bacon before letting dry and smoking?

Thanks!

seattlepitboss

I soak it for a few hours. Then slice off a small piece and fry it and taste test it

I am not familiar with that recipe but thats what i usually do

ssv3 · Oct 29, 2013

ButtBurner said:
I soak it for a few hours. Then slice off a small piece and fry it and taste test it

I am not familiar with that recipe but thats what i usually do

Exactly! Plus 1

YetiDave · Oct 29, 2013

Yeah just soak it in cold water. In future try just using 3% salt and you shouldn't need to soak - 30g for every kg of meat, if you're dry curing

billfish73 · Oct 29, 2013

I use the same recipe and I soak the bellies for 12 hrs after the cure and then air dry and then smoke. I plan on a full day for the soaking and air dry. Always comes out great and people love how the bacon is not salty, but still flavorful.

seattlepitboss · Oct 30, 2013

Doesn't a prolonged soak remove all the sugar as well as salt?

seattlepitboss

Bbq Bubba · Oct 30, 2013

You have to soak at least 12 hrs and the resting phase is just as important.

Fat Woody · Oct 30, 2013

I use the same basic recipe (I skip the maple syrup and go heavy on black pepper) and usually soak for an hour or two, change water and repeat 3X, then air dry overnight in the fridge. I like my bacon a little on the salty side, so this works for me.

How long are you letting your bacon cure? Usually I let mine go 5-7 days (depends on size/thickness), but you could try reducing the time as long as you're getting a full cure on the meat.

Porcine Perfection · Oct 30, 2013

Too salty? I have yet to have that happen with anything.

YetiDave · Oct 30, 2013

seattlepitboss said:
Doesn't a prolonged soak remove all the sugar as well as salt?

seattlepitboss

Yes, along with any herbs/spices you added to the cure. Just to reiterate the 3% thing... Following that it's virtually impossible for you to cure the bacon for too long - it's known as equilibrium curing, rather than excess salt curing, as the aim is for the meat to absorb as much of the salt as it can rather than trying to let it absorb just enough

tatonka3a2 · Oct 30, 2013

I usually rinse really good and then soak in cold water for about 30 mins and then do the fry test. If it is too salty yet I soak for another 30 mins and then another fry test. I have never soaked longer than a couple of hours.

legendaryhog · Oct 30, 2013

Everyone is correct about the soaking in a pot of water to remove the salt. You can change the water a couple of times too. I too find Michael Rulman's "Charcuterie" bacon recipe too salty. The batch I made from his recipe when I was just starting to cure stuff I ended up using in soups and diced up for veggies or other applications, but not to just eat by itself. Way too salty for me. It was only one pork belly, so no big loss, but lesson learned. Although, "too salty" or "not salty enough" is subjective.

As said above, it is (for the most part) an equilibrium process, so you will reach a maximum amount of salinity that the meat can absorb, but I'm looking for less than that in my bacon, so stopping the process before that occurs will result in a less salty bacon.

Yellowhair42 · Oct 30, 2013

seattlepitboss said:
Doesn't a prolonged soak remove all the sugar as well as salt?

seattlepitboss

Seem counter productive.:crazy:My recipe involves no soaking.Liquid brine for seven days.Take out,let pellicle form and smoke.

bacon too salty

seattlepitboss

is one Smokin' Farker

ButtBurner

Babbling Farker

ssv3

somebody shut me the fark up.

YetiDave

is one Smokin' Farker

billfish73

Knows what a fatty is.

seattlepitboss

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Bbq Bubba

somebody shut me the fark up.

Fat Woody

is one Smokin' Farker

Porcine Perfection

is One Chatty Farker

YetiDave

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tatonka3a2

Knows what a fatty is.

legendaryhog

is Blowin Smoke!

Yellowhair42

is one Smokin' Farker

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