Reverting to type

So first things first, I need to feedback on the replacement marmalade as I rather disgracefully completely forgot to do so in my last post.  They're both really good (and I can be a bit of a marmalade snob sometimes).  The whisky and orange version has a pretty hefty kick to it, (Kirsty ain't no stinge on the booze) especially for a predominantly breakfast product, although as of yet I've not had anyone giving me questioning looks on the train to work as if I were a raging alcoholic.  There's probably plenty of them on my train route anyway.  I did initially think maybe the peel was in too large pieces, but there's enough give to them without being too soft.  I tried that one first, which I'm glad of because I, much like their creator prefer the lemon and honey version.  I prefer fruit to be sharp and acidic, and generally expect it from citrus, but the sweetness here is certainly not misplaced and the lemons' natural piquancy comes through.  It also has a better set, and while both could be described as 'spreadable' it's far from detrimental.  Watch out, Frank Cooper.

Anyway, my new culinary project is curing meat.  I've had the desire and interest to try this out for a while now, and so I think in part this blog has had a hand in finally doing so.  It's something that appeals to me directly on two levels (actually maybe three, I guess).  Firstly, cured meat, and in particular pork varieties, is fucking amazing.  When I visited my friend Timo in Madrid a few years ago I came back armed to the teeth with a twenty-one inch chorizo (yes, I measured it - if it had been any longer it wouldn't have been able to fit in my bag) and a pretty huge slab (at least 1.5kg I seem to remember) of jamón ibérico, albeit I think just the grain-fed variety as it didn't cost me any of my limbs.  Even so, I delighted in scoffing at how comparatively little these cost me, and even more so in having a supply of fantastic Spanish pork products for a couple of months afterwards. 

Secondly, cured meat is a product that came about by necessity.  Before someone invented the fridge, some little genius came up with the idea of rubbing salt on meat to extend its edibility span, and in the process incidentally discovered a way of arguably making it better (in fact in the case of pork I'd probably say inarguably).

Thirdly, the possibilities are almost endless in terms of flavourings, combinations and such, before you even get down to finer details such as the animal's diet.  It's no wonder there are so many varieties of cured meat that are protected by EU Designations of Origin as so many are direct expressions of the region in which they are produced, down to the breed of animal or the mix of spices and other flavourings, or the curing method itself.

As with all things concerning meat, especially new ventures my first port of call was Mr Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall; firstly The River Cottage Meat Book, and then The River Cottage Cookbook, which contains more detail in curing processes.  I decided to start with seemingly the easiest method, bacon.  It is the simplest of all those described in the book, and I think the shortest, so conservatively and almost certainly wisely struck me as the best place to begin, rather than go rushing in and potentially bollocks up a whole pig leg or something.

Dry-cured bacon

1 whole pork belly, bone in, divided into 3 pieces
malt vinegar
1kg salt (we use pure, dried vacuum salt)
1kg sugar (we prefer demerera or soft brown)

OPTIONAL FLAVOURINGS
a few bay leaves, finely chopped
about 20 juniper berries, lightly crushed
25g freshly ground black pepper

Rub the belly pieces all over with a cloth soaked in malt vinegar - or spritz them with vinegar from a spray bottle.  This subtly alters the pH of the meat surface and accelerates the curing process.

In a clean, non-metallic container, thoroughly mix the salt and sugar and any of the flavouring ingredients you want to use (none are essential).  Put a thin layer of this cure in the base of a clean box or tray, big enough to hold the belly pieces.  Add the first piece of belly, skin side down, and lightly rub a handful of cure into it.  Put the next belly on top, rub it with cure, then repeat with the final piece.

Leave the box, covered, in a cool place.  Keep the leftover cure mix in an airtight container.  After twenty-four hours you will see that the meat has leached salty liquid into the bottom of the container.  Remove the bellies, pour off this liquid, and rub the bellies lightly again with fresh cure mix.  Re-stack the bellies, preferably moving the one from the bottom to the top.

Repeat this process daily.  Your bacon will be ready after just four days, though if you cure it for longer (up to two weeks) it will keep for longer.

Wash all the cure from the bellies under a cold running tap, then clean their surfaces with a cloth soaked in malt vinegar and pat them dry.  Hang the bellies in a well-venlitated, cool, dry place such as a ventilated garage or outhouse - or even an unheated spare room with a window open - for 5-10 days and they are then ready to use.  You can keep the bacon hanging in a cool place - again, it must be very well ventilated - or store it in the fridge for around a month.  Take slices as you need them, removing the bones as you come to them.

So I took myself over to HG Walter's butchers in Barons Court Saturday morning and purchased a big slab of belly pork (just under 2kg, about £13 - despite the best efforts of wanky chefs, belly pork is still a pretty cheap cut.)  Again, my conservatism led to me just buying one slab, rather than a whole belly.  I figured it best to get my head for curing, and also see just how quickly 2kg of bacon can be eaten, before churning out vast quantities and most likely blocking my arteries.  I was informed by the butcher the cut came from a cross-breed of Hampshire and Duroc pigs.  I'm not entirely sure what that tells me about my bacon, but it's definitely something I can see myself experimenting with.  Also, for reference I'm using plain old table salt and demerera sugar.

As you can see on one side of the belly, it came complete with nipples, which led to me immediately texting Kirsty a close up picture of one as I knew she'd well appreciate it.  I started the curing process on Sunday night, so should be ready to hang anytime from Thursday.  Depending on my working hours (and I'm almost certainly going to be working a hideous double weekend shift) I may cure it for up to a week.  Obviously the longer it cures for, as well as keeping for longer it becomes more salty, so for a first time I don't want to cure it for any more than about a week.  I'm also, as a first time get-the-basics-down-to-a-tee exercise, not using any of the flavourings suggested.  I'll try some or all of them on my second attempt.  I'm using a wooden wine box, as it was readily available.  It does have room for more bellies than I'm curing, so if I end up doing more in one go I think it may end up becoming my curing box.  I'm keeping it in the cellar (one of the benefits of a Victorian house that used to be a shop).

Monday
So I came home from work early having finished everything and there being no point in me kicking around for an hour and a half and went straight down to check on my bacon.  As you can see from the picture quite a lot of liquid has leached from the belly, although there wasn't sufficient to pour away.  I think this is mainly due to the fact that I'm using ⅓ of the amount of meat in a box big enough for all of it.  I decided to take all the curing mix that was soaked out and replace it with fresh mix, although thinking about it afterwards I don't think I need to go that far.  Depending on how it is tonight (Tuesday) I think I may replace just the mix immediately underneath the belly.  As a result of all that liquid removal the meat has stiffened quite significantly.  Before, if you held it it would droop where there wasn't support beneath it.  Now, when I picked it up it momentarily stayed rigid before giving slightly.  The skin on the underside has changed from a pale skin tone and has reddened quite deeply, as well as becoming quite crisp to the touch.

I won't update this daily, as I think it may well be quite repetitive, but at some stage I will.  If not when it comes to hanging then certainly when it come to being eaten.