3 replies to this topic

[Emily_R]

Hi everyone --

So I used Ruhlman's recipe for pancetta a few months back with great success. I just recently started a new batch, and I'm puzzled. This belly was bigger, and thicker in parts, but I did scale up the amount of cure appropriately. However its been curing in the fridge for 10 or 11 days now, and still feels fairly squishy to me. I can't remember how firm my last batch was, so I'm not sure if this is ok... Any suggestions for what I should do? How firm does it need to be? Should I make more cure and add it now? Should I just hang it up and figure its probably okay?

Thanks!
Emily

[Butterbean]

10 or 11 days sounds more than plenty to me. You need to take it out and wash it off good, maybe even soak it for 20 minutes then hang it to dry. This might take a day or three depending on the weather. Once dry you can roll and tie, stuff or just hang as is in a cool place with about 50% humidity then let it dry and firm up. Might take a couple to three weeks but you will feel it firming. Hope this was helpful. BTW - its not so much the time it is in the salt that actually does the curing but the drying time and equalization time. Longer you keep it submerged in salt the saltier the end product will be. You can over salt it to the point that its just fatback. 7 days is a good number for me for a balanced pancetta. JMO

Edited by Butterbean, 03 February 2012 - 06:36 PM.

[Emily_R]

Thanks Butterbean -- I gave it a very thorough rinse and then a short soak to help reduce the saltiness. Hopefully it won't be too bad given how thick it is... I'll report back!

[Butterbean]

I'm sure it will be fine. I'm not one to split hairs on stuff but sometimes subjective things like firmness can conjure different meanings to different people. Also, the pH of the meat will have an influence on its ability to hold water so it may take longer on some than others to firm up. I just like the 7 day rule myself.(I begin counting the day after prep) Easy for me to remember. Will look forward to hearing how it goes. Are you planning on rolling it or what?