I have never really understood this pellicle stuff. Yes, the pellicle is achieved basically by letting the meat or fish surface dry and get sticky before it is put on the smoke. I ran across the pellicle idea again this morning while reading the instructions for someone's bacon kit. Just curiosity, really, as I bagged up a belly with cure yesterday to spend a week or so in the fridge. We're out of bacon. :shocked:
But ... If I put the belly into cold smoke, how is that different than "forming the pellicle" in plain air before putting the meat into the smoke for a 24 hour ride? If it's going to get sticky in a half hour in plain air, it's going to get sticky in the smoker too.
Same-o question with hot smoking. "Pellicle" seems to come up more when talking about fish, so maybe having a sticky surface prior to going into a briefer smoke experience kind of makes sense. The fish might not get sticky until halfway through the ride, so maybe a non-pellicle fish would absorb less smoke. Maybe.
Thoughts?
But ... If I put the belly into cold smoke, how is that different than "forming the pellicle" in plain air before putting the meat into the smoke for a 24 hour ride? If it's going to get sticky in a half hour in plain air, it's going to get sticky in the smoker too.
Same-o question with hot smoking. "Pellicle" seems to come up more when talking about fish, so maybe having a sticky surface prior to going into a briefer smoke experience kind of makes sense. The fish might not get sticky until halfway through the ride, so maybe a non-pellicle fish would absorb less smoke. Maybe.
Thoughts?