Am I a Foodie?
Man, that is a hard question for me to answer. Probably a little. But not for avant garde type stuff. I just like eating stuff I haven't before and eating stuff I like to eat.
No fishy flavors. Or rot. Not really interested in that. That leaves out fishy fish, sea bugs, fish embryos, and that pressurized rot in a can from Scandinavia. I can do fish if you fry it till it loses it's fish flavor.
I really liked this pepper bacon they sell, but it got so darned expensive, I quit buying it. Instead, I started buying pork bellies and making my own. It's pretty easy. I follow Tim Farmer's 3 Day Bacon recipe.
1/3 cup maple surple
1/3 cup kosher salt (I use canning salt)
1/3 cup brown sugar
black pepper to taste (1/4 to 1/2 cup for me)
Rinse the belly, pat dry with a towel, mix the stuff, stick it in a ziplock bag or baking dish, then put the belly meat down on the mix. Seal up, refirgerate. Flip every day, or not. I don't cause why bother. THEN..... pull it out, rinse off, pat dry, smoke for a bit and it's did. I picked up a cheapo meat slicer that I hate, but it does sort of work. I've gone to slicing it as needed lately. I may try one of those vintage hand crank types. Trying to wean myself from electric type stuff.
I use this device to smoke with. Look on warehouse deals. Saved 40% doing that. Yeah, wean off'n electricity.... sure.....
I've made a lot of this over the past year, so I'm pretty comfortable with the process now. Did you know that smoking meat has an antibacterial property? I found that I only need to smoke it for about an hour to give a really good flavor. Normally, I'll cut it into quarters and freeze 3 of the 4.
Hey..... when did I buy that.......
So, digging into the freezer I found a pork loin. I really liked the tenderness of this cut and always try and keep one handy. Did you know Canadian Bacon can be made with this cut? So today's recipe is:
After boiling the brine up, letting it cool and cutting the 10 lbs of loin into 4 lengths, I stuck it all in this device:
It has a burp cover in it, so I can make sure the meat is covered completely. Now, it goes in the cooler for 3-4 days, and then the smoker. I'll update when I find out if it's any good or not.....
I don't use pink salt. Even though I have it. Why bother if I have a freezer. But if times get sporty, I can do that.
I've about given up on Kimchi. I've tried it twice and both times, it has nearly conquered the kitchen and started moving troops on the living areas..... Uh, no. Maybe I'll try it's cousin sour kraut next. Those Huns are always on the advance it seems.
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| Settle down there Atilla. |
Pretty interesting....
ReplyDeleteMy kids have said they've never tasted better bacon. And they have traveled out of state! ;)
DeleteWow STxAR! I had no idea you made bacon! Good on you sir. I have read about the process but never tried it. We did see how traditional Virginia hams were made once - really interesting (anything packed in salt interests me).
ReplyDeleteI have never tried to make Kim Chee, but would like to try sauerkraut. I have done it once or twice but not with ideal equipment. I really need a formal sauerkraut crock. Lehman's sells one (which sadly, I did not get for Christmas) - I may have to buy it myself.
Hey, buy that burp bucket for 12 bux. It flat works. The kimchi I made smelled amazing. Both times I tried, I had problems remembering I had made it. I sat unmoleted for months... My guess is it was okay, but if it wasn't, total system shutdown was a possibility. No thanks for that.
DeletePart of my issue was, I've never had kimchee before. So I really didn't know what is was SUPPOSED to smell and taste like.
Kraut I know. So if it goes wrong, I might could tell. I managed to do fermented dill pickles once. And that flavor was addicting. Like nothing I'd ever eaten before or since. Finding pickling cukes down here is impossible. I failed to harvest any last year AND this year. Found out the bugs carry the wilt, so IF I can keep them off next year, I should be good to go.
I highly recommend the Crazy Korean stuff. It has this inner burp lid that forces the product below the level of the juice. When it builds pressure, it moves up, and you can burp it back and start the process again. Very well thought out.
Kimchee is great - so good for you. We very much like it here and eat it somewhat regularly. I need to eat it more regularly.
DeleteThat sounds like a brilliant design.
Buy it and try it. WAY cheaper than a crock.
DeleteI'll go down to the Korean grocery next week and pick some up. I tried a packet too long ago to remember how it tasted.
This area is a winter garden. Spinach, cabbage, broccoli, etc... Hopefully I'll be ready to try again in a couple months when the stuff gets harvested.
Not exactly what I think of when I hear the term "makin' bacon". Glad your bacon experiment is working out well.
ReplyDeleteYes sir, that has a different connotation to me as well ;) I'll update the blog on the Canadian Bacon experiment when I'm done.
DeleteI'm a foodie about some things because I've learned the difference between good food well prepared and good food poorly prepared.
ReplyDeleteThe less said about poor food that is poorly prepared, the better.
But I've never ever liked anything spicy, and from my earliest memories I hated the smell of vinegar.
Our fermentation experiments involve grape juice!
Leave the grape juice long enough, and it'll be vinegar. I've read a grape leaf will introduce the proper bacillus for fermenting pickles in a brine solution.
DeleteI always liked pickles and relish and chow chow. We used to slice fresh cucumbers and soak them overnight in vinegar and water for quick pickles. I'd sprinkle some salt on them and they were amazing.
My daughter has a sensory issue with vinegar at times. It was awful when she was young.
I married into a Mexican family, and learned to eat spicy. But jalapenos will blaze a trail straight to the exit. I steer clear of those. The Thai peppers seem to work okay. But a little goes a long way with them.
Knowing what you like and what is off limits is freeing in a way.