Self-porking - that's how it works
Salting with pickling salt is not only useful for preserving, it also develops flavors that make cured meat so tasty and spicy.
In addition, dry meat also gains juiciness after preparation and of course, it can also be preserved for much longer.
The salt for curing is obtained from the nice butcher who bought his meat. This should be stored so that it can not be confused with regular table salt.
You can also make it yourself, it consists of 99.5% of table salt and 0.5% of potassium nitrite, but also pay attention here and do not use it for normal seasoning.
To salt smaller quantities of meat is best prepared to a brine, the mixing ratio:
- 250 g pickling salt,
- 1 tbsp sugar and
- 1 L of water (1/4 L for a smaller piece of meat)
preparation
- The water is boiled up with the sugar and the salt and stops until it has cooled completely.
- Put the meat in a sufficiently large freezer bag and pour the brine over the meat so that it is covered. Well closed with a clamp and stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator depending on the size of the piece of meat 4-14 days pulls through the meat.
- Larger quantities of meat, which only fit into a large stone pitcher or other large container with narrow spaces, are salted dry, the meat is rubbed well with the pickling salt (about 40 g per 1 kg) into the pot, and weighted.
- In the following days, the meat is turned more frequently until a lake has formed, which barely covers the meat. If that does not work, you can pour brine on the third day.
- Small pieces of meat are cured for about 4 days, larger ones such as meat strands for 14 days and whole, large hams for about 4-5 weeks.
- When curing larger quantities of meat, use a room or cellar that is unheated in winter to store meat, but in summer it is better to use it only in the fridge.
- If you like, you can add laurel, thyme, rosemary, juniper berries, cloves or allspice to your pickles.
- After curing, the meat can be cold-smoked or frozen until further use.
