Being a super keen guy on curing and smoking all kinds of stuff, I’ve spent hundred’s if not thousands of hours smoking over the years (not just meat either). As I’ve learned many of the in’s and out’s of cold smoking over 20 odd years, like everything I’m still learning. But it’s kind of become second nature too. Smokai is …
Does Cured Meat Need to be Cooked?
Because cured meats come in many different types and variations, whether you have to cook them or not depends on a few things. Meat curing has fascinated me for a long time. I’ve gone across Europe (especially Italy) purely to savor the types of cured meats they have there. For example Calabrian Njuda (a spreadable pork sausage, or Parma from …
What Does Cured Meat Mean?
The meaning of cured meat seems like a pretty simple question, but due to the variations and different types of cured meat, I want to get into more detail. For instance, some cured meats like dry cured meats are ready-to-eat like prosciutto or dry cured picante salami. Then, on the other hand, you have dry cured cold smoked bacon which …
Is Cold Smoking Bacon Safe? (Detailed Answer)
Cold smoking bacon and whether it’s safe or not comes down to how you go about it. Just think about the bacon in supermarkets, most are cold smoked actually. I’ve been cold smoking bacon and other cured meats for nearly 20 years, and my blog is all about curing and cold smoking. It all started when I had some friends …
How to Smoke Bacon With a Pellet Tube Smoker
Using a pellet grill for smoking bacon is pretty straightforward when using a pellet tube smoker. However, there are some key points that I’ve learned over the years that can help make things easier and more straightforward. Of course, like most things, experience and going through the learning curve is part of the process. The bacon we normally eat at …
Can I Cure Meat Without Nitrates/Nitrites (Pink Curing Salt)
Over the years I’ve done a lot of meat curing using sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. Another name for these is pink curing salt. A question that comes up a lot around here, is whether you need to use them to make cured meats. Curing meat also has a wide meaning, whether it’s dry cured or smoked/cooked (hot smoking). So …
What Salami Does Not Need to be Refrigerated? (And Types)
Some salami needs to be kept in the refrigerator and some do not. I have made salami for a few decades and this question people ask often wanting to take salami on a trip or holiday. Even though there are thousands of variations of salamis, most of the ones I make don’t need refrigeration because there are a dry cured …
Why Does my Bacon Taste Like Ham?
Bacon can definitely taste like ham, and there is one main reason why this happens. It comes down to the technique that’s used to make the bacon. I’ve been making bacon and ham for nearly 20 years and have tried many different techniques. Hams comes in many varieties and so does bacon! But the main reason is this one below: …
Curing Bacon at Home (Guide, Links and Pictures)
Cold smoking bacon at home is probably my favorite type of curing and cold smoking that I do. I have refined my process over many years and wanted to share a breakdown step-by-step on how I do this. For me cold smoked bacon is real bacon. The other main method is hot smoking bacon until it’s cooked means you really …
InkBird Humidity Controller Review
I want to give some insight about InkBird humidity controllers since this is a key component to review when you’re looking at building a DIY meat curing chamber. Or you may have other projects needing an environmentally controlled environment with a humidity controller. Primarily I’m using the humidity controller for salami fermentation and growing mushrooms. When I first started off …
Bad Molds, Good Molds and Cured Meat – Pictures too
When it comes to curing meat especially dry-cured meat over a few months or more, the aspects of mold are one of the more challenging hurdles I’ve found in the beginning. There’s not a lot of detail online or in many of the meat curing books that I’ve read about the good mold and the bad mold. So I hope …