The Poultry Keeper The Independent Forum for Poultry Keepers    FAQ   Search     Register   Log in  Making bacon Goto page 1, 2  Next          The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Recipes Author Message stephen Site Admin Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 5069 Location: Billinge, Skåne, Sweden. Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 11:09 am    Post subject: Making bacon It's a work in progress at the moment, as we've only set it going this morning, but Nigel's hunger for proper bacon has led us to have a go at making some. This year it's with bought pork, but hopefully next year... http://www.alledal.nu/content/view/36/29/ Back to top CP Moderator Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 15425 Location: Hampshire Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:37 pm    Post subject: The results should be deliciously interesting! Back to top stephen Site Admin Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 5069 Location: Billinge, Skåne, Sweden. Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:21 pm    Post subject: I hope so! Only 6 days till we can try it out... Interesting thing is that curing time is based on the thickness of meat rather than weight, so 1 1/2lbs will take the same amount of time as 10 lbs. Back to top Itsybitsy Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:27 pm    Post subject: Where's all the fat gone It's the best bit!! I made some earlier in the year, nicest bacon I've ever had, but I did leave all the fat on and you never needed any extra to cook it in. Some of it I rubbed in wholegrain mustard mix in with the cure, it added a certain something. Itsybitsy Back to top stephen Site Admin Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 5069 Location: Billinge, Skåne, Sweden. Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 6:23 am    Post subject: The piece of meat we picked up for our test run doesn't have much fat on it. But once we've got the technique, it'll be a piece with fat on, no worries! Back to top Itsybitsy Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 12:50 pm    Post subject: Phew - thank goodness for that When I did mine, I had helped a friend kill a pig, so we had loads to go at, which is why I was able to experiment with the mustard, I was (as always) a bit hap hazzard about timings although I did weigh correctly, so I failed to turn it in the fridge as often as it should have been, and it got left in longer than the stated time, but it was fine and well worth the minimum effort that has to be put in to it I also had a go at salami and bought the cure, that's a bit more technical as you have to get the humidity right for the first 24(?) hours and then the drying , you don't realise all this till you have bought the cure, and it's a raw meat product so it has to be right, I managed with the humidity and then hung them in my outside shed to dry, but somewhere after a few weeks I lost the plot (interest) and so they ended up in the bin, well the mould didn't look right and I don't want to die just yet I will have another go sometime. Itsybitsy Back to top milkmaid Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7153 Location: isle of lewis Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:41 pm    Post subject: always wanted a go at salami how do you manage the humidity my uncle used to make a fantastic salami ,a french one with chill ,i wish i had paid attention ,i'll have to have a go at the bacon after christmas,when i can get in the fridge Back to top Itsybitsy Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1356 Location: Leicestershire Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 7:14 pm    Post subject: milkmaid wrote: always wanted a go at salami how do you manage the humidity Being the hap hazzard type of person that I am I didn't read the instructions properly before I started, the humidity was necessary to stop the salamis drying out before the cure has time to ferment. I ended up in my understairs cupboard where there is a freezer so it's always warmish, I hung the salamis from the platform of a pair of open step ladders and covered the lot with a bin liner, then I placed a bowl of hot water on the floor underneath so the steam rose up into the bin liner, I changed the water a couple of times before I went to bed to keep it hot (I'm sure I didn't use boiling as that would have raised the temperature too much) In the morning they were still moist so it worked, I've thought about it as well and they only needed that for 12 hours (not 24 as I said earlier) I hung them to then dry in my brick outside shed (which also houses a freezer) and had a fan on them for several days, then I decided they were drying out too much - you are supposed to weigh them so you can check at the end and I did weigh them at the begining, anyway I don't think they needed the fan, then something happened and I bundled them together and kind of forgot to seperate them again, they started to grow mould - which is as salami should be but this was a black mould not white and that was it really, I wasn't happy with the way things had gone and as I said it's a raw meat product and you can cause serious food poisioning with such things and I wasn't prepared to risk it so I chucked them. Next time I will be better organised. I think I did the humidity right although I have no way of checking it but the skins were a good indicator cos sausage skins dry out quickly and these were fine and moist the next day, it was the slow drying which was wrong, I think my shed was too warm - maybe better now in winter. Itsybitsy Back to top milkmaid Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7153 Location: isle of lewis Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 7:48 pm    Post subject: thanks for that another one for the list ,after my uncles homemade i'm gioing to try to spell this are you ready for a laugh sossi so ,and salami's ,shop brought stuff just isn't enough ,although it could be the wine and sun that's missing Back to top stephen Site Admin Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 5069 Location: Billinge, Skåne, Sweden. Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:23 pm    Post subject: Well it was tested today http://www.alledal.nu/content/view/37/29/ A better piece of bacon is now underway for Christmas Back to top milkmaid Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7153 Location: isle of lewis Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:15 pm    Post subject: oh says wow ,he's going to have a go lovely job ,love the colour of the eggs Back to top CP Moderator Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 15425 Location: Hampshire Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:57 am    Post subject: Yum, yum! Back to top NannyP Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 11303 Location: 86310 Nr St Savin Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 5:16 am    Post subject: Yum FEED ME Back to top mojo Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 10482 Location: GLENAY north deux sevre FRANCE Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 11:49 am    Post subject: AND ME..........real bacon is very hard to find in france Back to top stephen Site Admin Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 5069 Location: Billinge, Skåne, Sweden. Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 12:43 pm    Post subject: It amazes me that we are so close to Denmark, where so much bacon comes from, yet it's nearly impossible to find. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Recipes All times are GMT + 1 Hour Goto page 1, 2  Next Page 1 of 2 Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group