Wet curing is a procedure that aims to improve the taste of meat, give it the right color and extend its shelf life. The process is immersing the meat in the curing brine, which consists of pickling salt and spices such as sugar, garlic and herbs. The meat should be completely covered with it. Sometimes, to speed up the process, brine is also injected inside to penetrate evenly and quickly.
Thanks to curing, the meat is preserved nice pink color and its freshness lasts longer. Thanks to proper preservation, we prevent the growth of bacteria. We can be sure that the meat prepared in this way will remain intact for a long time.
Wet curing can be used for . It allows you to obtain the appropriate structure and taste ham or bacon. Its advantage is that it can be easily performed at home.
Curing is not to be confused with . Both methods of preparing meat are intended to improving the taste and texture of the product. However, they differ in the ingredients they use and the meat preparation process itself. As a result, we will obtain two different products with different properties.
The main ingredient of the pickling liquid is sun. It can be enriched with spices or sugar – but they do not play the main role. In the case of marinating, the basis is fat or acid – vinegar, lemon juice, wine, oil or olive oil are often used. It helps tenderize the meat and give it the right flavor. Marinating is a shorter process. It usually lasts from several hours to several days. In turn, curing lasts from several days to even several weeks.
It’s worth remembering that marinating is not intended for long-term storage of meat and will not prolong its freshness. Pickling, in turn, is a way of preserving it.
Curing is a fairly simple process that can be easily performed at home. The key is getting the right ingredients and patience. This way, preparing cold meats for the holidays will surely be successful.
First of all, we will need: curing salt. The standard one is most often used 10 percent solution. We will need 400 ml of water and 40-48 g of pickling salt per kilogram of meat. Mix the ingredients and dip the meat in them. We must remember to it was completely covered with the solution. If we want to add flavor to the ham, we can add our favorite spices to the brine, such as: bay leaf, allspice or peppercorns.
The process should be carried out for 7 days at a relatively low temperature – from 4 to 10 p.m. C. Lower temperatures slow down the process, while higher temperatures increase the risk of meat spoilage and the brine.
If we want to speed up the process, we can prepare a stronger pickle with a higher salt content. During curing, we can also inject the ham with brine. Meat preserved in this way is suitable for baking, grilling and smoking.
Source: Terazgotuje.pl, wedliniarz.com
