Charcuterie: Dry-Cured Meats

The Old-World technique of dry curing meats was once used out of necessity to preserve the various parts of an animal that couldn’t be consumed before they spoiled. However, today dry curing is done because this technique produces absolutely wonderful meats with incredible flavors and textures. If you’ve never had guanciale that has been dry cured and aged for six months, you haven’t lived! The fat melts in your mouth like some sort of out-of-this-world savory pork candy!

Dry curing takes a great deal of time and patience. It also requires some specialized equipment so that you can control environmental variables that will impact the quality and safety of your product.

Dry-curing chambers are critical for making dry-cured meats.

Minding mold

When I was growing up, if there was mold on some cheese in the fridge, my dad would tell us to cut it off and keep eating. In a way it seemed gross, but he was right; the mold on the cheese was only on the surface, and after it was removed, the cheese was fine to eat. Mold is an environmental variable that, if not managed, can become a real pain in the butt. But not all mold is bad. Did you know that the antibiotic called penicillin comes from a particular type of mold? Mold from the Penicillium family is often found growing on dry-cured meats and aged cheeses. In fact, salamis (see the following figure) can, and often should, be inoculated with these molds as a protection against bad molds.

As a general rule, white molds that are dusty and not puffy or fuzzy are considered safe. Any other color of mold is bad news and should be cleaned off with distilled vinegar as soon as it is noticed. When you work with meat, you will encounter mold. Don’t worry, though; there are several ways to protect yourself against mold:

• Use proper hygiene and sanitation when prepping your products.
• Sanitize your dry-curing chamber by wiping all surfaces down with vinegar and single-use towels.
• After washing your hands, put on single-use food handler gloves.
• Never touch the product with bare hands while it is drying.
• Minimize opening your dry-curing chamber once it is loaded with product.

If you are unsure about the mold on your meat products, clean it off with vinegar and single-use towels.

Before you handle meat, wash your hands, clean and sanitize your work area, and put on single-use food handler gloves.

Drying to preserve

Drying meat reduces the amount of water in protein tissue. This is done to preserve or extend the life of the protein. All bacteria require water to survive and replicate. Removing water is necessary to eliminate these bacteria, which can spoil your products and make you sick. You can also control water content by salting. The recipes and procedures for dry curing meats in this book use a combination of salt and drying to control water activity.

Controlling temperature and humidity is of paramount importance when dry curing. Your drying temperature should be between 50 degrees and 55 degrees Fahrenheit; don’t deviate from this. Your environment should be dry as well, but not too dry. If your environment is too dry, your products will dry too rapidly, causing hardening of the outsides and slowing the drying of the insides. If your environment is too humid, your products will take too long to dry, or may not dry at all. Drying at 70 to 75 percent relative humidity is an ideal range.

Dry-curing chambers have all of these controls built in and automatically managed. If you aren’t using a dry-curing chamber, then you can monitor the humidity with a small digital hydrometer (humidity meter), and the temperature with a digital thermometer, both of which you can purchase on Amazon.com.

Water activity can be approximated by calculating percent weight loss using this formula:

1 – (finished weight / starting weight) = percent weight loss

As a general rule, you want to achieve a minimum of 30 percent weight loss during drying. The more weight the meat loses, the firmer the final product becomes. Fatty products like guanciale may not lose 30 percent because there is less available water in fat.

Each recipe will provide a target percent weight loss. However, if you are still concerned with the level of drying, you can calculate your water activity with an activity meter. Pathogenic bacterial growth is not supported at water activity (a_w) of .85 or less, so this is a desirable minimum to attain for safety.

Tying the knot

I would imagine that sailors make the best charcutiers because of the many knots they know how to tie. Your meats will be hung in the dry-curing chamber so that they are not in contact with any products or surfaces for the duration of the drying process. This is to ensure proper airflow for drying and to reduce potential spoilage during drying. There are several different ways to tie up your products so they can be hung, and in some cases to form the cuts so they take on a specific shape while drying. The only knot you will need to know for the recipes in the next few sections is similar to a square knot. Follow these steps (you can also refer to the following figure):

1. Draw the string so that it is under the coppa.
2. Bring the string up on both sides of the coppa.
3. Cross the string over itself to make an “x”.
4. Wrap one end over the other end three times.
5. Carefully pull each end of the string to cinch down the string.
6. One last time, bring the ends of the string together to form an “x”.
7. Wrap one end over the other side one time, and pull it tight to complete the knot.

This knot is very useful for making charcuterie because it tends not to slip when you tie it off. There are several other ways to tie up your products.

Documenting details

When you are making dry-cured meats, a lot of time will pass from when you start to when you finish. Make sure you don’t forget any critical details by documenting everything as you go. A tried-and-true method for doing this is with small hang tags. Here is a list of what you should document on your product hang tags:

• Name of the product
• Date the product went into the dry-curing chamber
• Weight of the product in grams when it went into the dry-curing chamber
• Recipe (just record the ingredients and their percentages)
• Date the product came out of the dry-curing chamber to be weighed
• [Weight of the product when it was weighed> + [percent of weight loss>

Place the hang tag on the hook or strings used to hang the product in your dry-curing chamber. This will make your life much easier as you check in on your sleeping meat treats throughout the year!

Pancetta Tesa (Flat Pancetta)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cure Time: 14 days

Dry Time: approximately 60–120 days

Target Weight Loss: 35 percent

Ingredients

(3%) sea salt

(.25%) pink salt #1

(.5%) coarse ground juniper berry

(.5%) red pepper flake

(.5%) coarse ground coriander

(.25%) dry rosemary

(1%) crushed fresh garlic clove

(.13%) crumbled bay leaf

Pork belly, skin off

1 food-safe plastic bag

1. Weigh your pork belly and convert the weight into grams.
2. Calculate the ingredient weights by multiplying the weight of the pork belly by the percent provided for each ingredient.
3. Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
4. Place the pork belly in a food-safe plastic bag, protein side up.
5. Apply approximately 50 percent of the seasoning mixture to the protein side and rub it into the tissue, being sure to cover the entire surface.
6. Leave the pork belly in the bag, and flip it over so that it is fat side up.
7. Apply the remaining seasoning mixture to the fat side, being sure to cover the entire surface.
8. Wrap the pork belly in the bag, being sure to remove as much as air as possible.
9. Lay the pork belly flat in your refrigerator and leave it to cure for 14 days.
10. Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator and run a meat “S” hook through one corner of the pork belly.
11. Hang the pork belly in your dry-curing chamber to dry at a temperature between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and a humidity between 60 and 65 percent.
12. After 60 days, remove the hanging pork belly from the dry-curing chamber. Weigh it and calculate the weight loss percent using the formula provided earlier in the section, “Drying to preserve.” If the target weight loss hasn’t been reached, let the pancetta continue drying in the dry-curing chamber. Check again in two weeks.
13. Once the pancetta has reached the target weight loss, cut it into small chunks and vacuum pack each piece individually. I suggest you store them in the fridge, as this will ensure higher flavor quality much longer.

If you don’t have a dry-curing chamber, you can always try hanging the pancetta in a dark, cool spot in your basement.

Curing your pancetta in a vacuum-sealed bag will speed the process and reduce premature oxidation.

Guanciale

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cure Time: 14 days

Dry Time: approximately 60–120 days

Target Weight Loss: 30 percent

Ingredients

(3%) sea salt

(.25%) pink salt #1

(1%) coarse ground black pepper

(.5%) coarse ground juniper berry

(.5%) red pepper flake

(.5%) coarse ground coriander

(1%) crushed fresh garlic clove

Pork jowl, skin off

1 food-safe plastic bag

1. Weigh your pork jowl and convert the weight into grams.
2. Calculate the ingredient weights by multiplying the weight of the pork jowl by the percentage provided for each ingredient.
3. Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
4. Place the pork jowl in a food-safe plastic bag, protein side up.
5. Apply approximately 50 percent of the seasoning mixture to the protein side and rub it into the tissue, being sure to cover the entire surface.
6. Leave the pork jowl in the bag, and flip it so that it is fat side up.
7. Apply the remaining seasoning mixture to the fat side, being sure to cover the entire surface.
8. Wrap the pork jowl in the bag, being sure to remove as much as air as possible.
9. Lay the pork jowl flat in your refrigerator and leave it to cure for 14 days.
10. Remove the pork jowl from the refrigerator and run a meat “S” hook through the thin end of the pork jowl.
11. Hang the pork jowl in your dry-curing chamber to dry at a temperature between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity between 60 and 65 percent.
12. After 60 days, remove the hanging pork jowl from the dry-curing chamber. Weigh it and calculate the weight loss percent using the formula provided earlier in the section, “Drying to preserve.” If the target percent weight loss hasn’t been reached, let the guanciale continue drying in the dry-curing chamber. Check again in two weeks.
13. Once the guanciale has reached the target weight loss, vacuum pack it whole and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in a Ziploc bag.

If you don’t have a dry-curing chamber, you can always try hanging the guanciale in a dark, cool spot in your basement.

Curing your guanciale in a vacuum-sealed bag will speed the process and reduce premature oxidation.

Due to the fat content of pork jowls, the drying process can be much slower and you may not hit 30 percent weight loss. If after 90 days you have not reached 30 percent weight loss, the jowl may not loose any more. Take it down and give it a slice.

Coppa

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cure Time: 14 days

Dry Time: approximately 60–120 days

Target Weight Loss: 35 percent

Ingredients

(3%) sea salt

(.25%) pink salt #1

(.5%) coarse ground black pepper

(.25%) coarse ground juniper berry

(.25%) crumbled whole hop cones

(.4%) coarse ground coriander

(.125%) crumbled bay leaf

Pork coppa (also known as pork collar, or money muscle)

1 food-safe plastic bag

1. Weigh the pork and convert the weight into grams.
2. Calculate the ingredient weights by multiplying the weight of the pork by the percent provided for each ingredient.
3. Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
4. Place the pork in a food-safe plastic bag; if you have a vacuum sealer, use a vacuum bag.
5. Evenly apply the seasoning mixture to each side of the pork.
6. With the pork in the bag, remove as much as air as possible, or vacuum seal it if you are using a vacuum bag.
7. Cure the pork in the refrigerator for 14 days.
8. Remove the cured pork from the refrigerator and tie it to compress and form the coppa. Tie it using the basic knot described earlier in the section, “Tying the knot.” Tie your first knot 1 inch from the end of the coppa. Then tie additional knots every inch. Make sure that you cinch the knots tight to compress the coppa. When you tie your last knot, do not trim the string; instead, tie it off to form a loop to hang it with.
9. Hang the coppa in your dry-curing chamber to dry at a temperature between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity between 60 and 65 percent.
10. After 30 days, remove the hanging coppa from the dry-curing chamber. Weigh it and calculate the weight loss percent using the formula provided earlier in the section, “Drying to preserve.” If the target percent weight loss hasn’t been reached, let the coppa continue drying in the dry-curing chamber. Check again in two weeks.
11. Once the coppa has reached the target weight loss, vacuum pack it whole and store it in the fridge for 30 to 60 days. This will allow any available moisture to even out and soften the outside of the coppa, which will likely have hardened during drying. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in a Ziploc bag.
12. Slice the coppa as you eat it. Do not slice it for storage, as it will oxidize and taste like bland pork.

If you don’t have a dry-curing chamber, you can always try hanging the coppa in a dark, cool spot in your basement.

Vary it! Try different spices in different quantities to achieve a variety of results.

Bresaola

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cure Time: 14 days

Dry Time: approximately 60–120 days

Target Weight Loss: 35–40 percent

Ingredients

(3%) sea salt

(.25%) pink salt #1

(.5%) coarse ground black pepper

Beef eye round (trimmed to be no more than 3–4 inches thick)

1 food-safe plastic bag

1. Weigh the beef and convert the weight into grams.
2. Calculate the ingredient weights by multiplying the weight of the beef by the percent provided for each ingredient.
3. Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
4. Place the beef in a food-safe plastic bag; if you have a vacuum sealer, use a vacuum bag.
5. Evenly apply the seasoning mixture to each side of the beef.
6. Wrap the beef in the plastic bag, being sure to remove as much as air as possible; if you have a vacuum sealer, use a vacuum bag.
7. Cure the beef in the refrigerator for 14 days.
8. Remove the cured beef from the refrigerator and tie it to compress and form the bresaola. Tie it using the basic knot described earlier in the section, “Tying the knot.” Tie your first knot 1 inch from the end of the bresaola. Then tie additional knots every inch. Make sure that you cinch the knots tight to compress the bresaola. When you tie your last knot, do not trim the string; instead, tie it off to form a loop to hang it with.
9. Hang the bresaola in your dry-curing chamber to dry at a temperature between 50 degrees and 60 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity between 60 and 65 percent.
10. After 30 days, remove the hanging bresaola from the dry-curing chamber. Weigh it and calculate the weight loss percent using the formula provided earlier in the section, “Drying to preserve.” If the target percent weight loss hasn’t been reached, let the bresaola continue drying in the dry-curing chamber. Check again in two weeks.
11. Once the bresaola has reached the target weight loss, vacuum pack it whole and store it in the fridge for 30 to 60 days. This will allow any available moisture to even out and soften the outside of the bresaola, which will likely have hardened during drying. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in a Ziploc bag.
12. Slice the bresaola as you eat it. Do not slice it for storage, as it will oxidize and taste like bland meat.

If you don’t have a dry-curing chamber, you can always try hanging the bresaola in a dark, cool spot in your basement.

Vary it! Try different spices in different quantities to achieve a variety of results.