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Everything You Need to Know About Cured Meats

Cured meats actually come in many different formats and types, it can be hard to categorize some types of cured meats because of this. This article covers some of the nuances and confusion, that are commonly asked around this website, which is focused on cured meats. From my teaching, experiences, and practice across all aspects of the art and craft …

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Best Woods for Smoking Cured Meats

I’ve used about 15 different kinds of wood to smoke-cured meats. Often, I’ve found it easier to categorize wood used for smoking into light, medium, and strong flavors. The best woods for smoking cured meats are often the woods you’ll find locally in abundance and sustainable. Local, Non-resin-filled, deciduous wood is often the best wood for smoking cured meats. This …

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Frequently Asked Questions About Meat Curing

There are a lot of questions that are frequently asked about meat curing that I have to answer from this site. So I thought I would put all of these common FAQs in one article. I love to cure meat and have been doing so for many many years, I’ve been to places in Italy or America specifically just to …

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Cured Meat vs Uncured Meat – Differences

Recently, I delved deeper into the realm of cured and uncured meats, and to my surprise, I discovered that the distinction between the two isn’t solely about the curing process itself. Rather, it lies in the packaging legislative aspects that govern the use of certain additives. Let’s explore this intriguing aspect further. What is the difference between uncured and cured …

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Can you Cure Meat with Just Smoke?

Curing and Smoking is often seen as a similar or the same process and are often related or depending on the recipe. However, the question is – is smoking meat a type of curing? Let’s get into this in detail! I have cured all different types of meat whether it’s red meat or different types of fish. For some things …

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Easiest Ways to Preserve Meat

The easiest ways to preserve meat are using the simplest methods and procedures, this is where I will focus this article. There are many ways you can preserve meat (like canning, dry curing, etc.), however, the easiest ways tend to need the least effort and resources. I’ve often got excess farmed or wild meat, so I’ve explored all the ways …

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How is Cured Meat Made?

Cured meat can be made in many different ways, this article will go into quite a bit of detail about how cured meat is made, the different ways also the types of cured meats get produced. I’ve produced every type and style of cured meats possible using salt, smoke, and acidity either in combination or individually. You’ll likely be surprised …

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Different Cuts and Meat to Use for Making Bacon

Pork is the main type of meat you can use for bacon, however, there are many different meats and styles with various cuts, let’s go into some detail and explore the options. I have been making bacon from farmed and wild meat for over 20 years. I have used many different methods and styles, basically every style there is I …

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4 Ways to Smoke Bacon (Even Without a Smoker)

I thought it would be helpful to write about the main different ways and methods you can use to get smoked bacon, as I’ve started structuring my masterclass in bacon making. You can choose a variety of ways and equipment, depending on what set-up you currently have. To be hopefully helpful, I will include a method to create smoked bacon, …

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The Online ‘Every Bacon Style’ Course

Bacon-making at home can be done in many ways, I am putting together an online course that will show you literally every way possible that I know and have learned over 20 years. I’ve noticed online content has a massive variation in how bacon is made, also there is confusion over the ways you make it. Showcasing it has a …

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Is Bacon a Cured Meat? (Explaining Uncured vs Cured Labelling)

Bacon is a cured meat that comes in many different variations, I have made bacon for 20 years and bought and enjoyed many varieties over the years. Bacon is by far considered one of the most popular meat products due to its amazingly robust flavors and versatility of use. But there are some variations and details I want to talk …

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Best Book for Sausage Making (Sausage or Salami)

If you search for the best book on sausage making, you will find a lot of books about this topic on Google, the good old algorithm. However, you want the best of the best. One answer that will give you that answer is someone who actually reads them, crazy! I want to make sure you’re getting the best book if …

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Is Cold Smoking Bacon Safe? (Detailed Answer)

Cold-smoking bacon and whether it’s safe depends on how you go about it. Just think about the bacon in supermarkets; most are cold-smoked. I’ve been cold smoking bacon and other cured meats for nearly 20 years, and I write on this site, my online resource, which is all about curing and cold smoking. It all started when I had some …

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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 …

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Dry Curing Vs Wet Brining for Meat Curing

The two main methods of curing meat are dry curing and wet brining. I have done both methods in various ways over the years, and it will be helpful to provide explanations about how I do it. As well as which method suits different types of meat curing better. I start with a quick summary of each method and then …

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Smokai Cold & Hot Smoke Generator Review in Detail

Being a super keen guy on curing and smoking all kinds of stuff, I’ve spent hundreds 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 …

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Cold Smoking Process, Theory & Equipment

There is some mystical of cold smoking, maybe it’s the 1,000’s of years of tradition hard-wired into out genetics, maybe. Maybe not. I’ve spent a long time, compiling – what I think is a very useful resource for a full rundown on cold smoking meat (obviously), fruit, spices, or whatever you come with. It’s a part of meat curing that …

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Can Raw Beef be Preserved by Salt? (Popular Options)

You might want to savor your prized cut of beef, but can raw beef be preserved by salt? Whether you are looking to enrich your diet with a high-protein source of beef, or you are simply looking at how to make your share of beef last for longer on your shelf, you might be curious about how to preserve it.  …

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Which Deli Slicer for Jerky?

Which is the best deli slicer to use for slicing up your jerky, here are some ideas I put together. When preparing your own jerky at home, you might opt for a device explicitly designated for this task. But, if you are looking to use your expertise in meat preparation outside of just jerky, then you might want to look …