Started this on May the 15th. Bresaola
Bresaola is just simply cured and then air dried lean beef. For this one I used the eye of round. The recipe I follow for my bresaola is that from Ruhlman's Charcuterie book.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kgnVOWjdr0o/T7Pc4upojuI/AAAAAAAACjo/rsYNaLoJmKc/s1024/DSC_0021.JPG)
I stuffed the meat into a beef bung casing after curing and before air drying. This helps slow down the drying process, and helps prevent case hardening (where the outside of the meat dries out too fast, becomes hard and stops the inside drying out properly). If I had someone video taping this part you guys would have split a gut laughing at me fighting that thing to get inside the casing. ;D
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ub_ery3aAoI/T8JoB4FnwLI/AAAAAAAACnI/gr2BvNsldkE/s1024/DSC_0035.JPG)
After the curing stage you have to rinse it off and air dry for a few hours.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oETtrqD4I4E/T8JoHirGPSI/AAAAAAAACnQ/G3Zd9vZc5ZY/s1024/DSC_0036.JPG)
All stuffed inside the bung. Make sure you prick any air bubbles, you don't want air bubbles.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vlnbFrxcFuE/T8JoXZfWmdI/AAAAAAAACng/4fjLoo4TI7w/s1024/DSC_0039.JPG)
Got the netting around it and off to be hung for 3-4 weeks. This weighed in at 1561g green weight. Hang at 55F and 80% humidity for at least a month – until it has lost 40% of its original weight. This will also get a good spray of Bactoferm Mold-600 tomorrow. The spray is composed of a bacterial culture that's sole purpose is to ensure the beneficial surface mold wins the battle over the pathogenic bacteria and will also slow down drying so not to get case hardening.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8usdejI1xhY/T8JocX4eznI/AAAAAAAACns/SZv3sGqaU7Y/s1024/DSC_0040.JPG)
Should end up with a nice little plate like this
(http://www.mattikaarts.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/bresaola/bresaola-8.jpg)
Now I was going to smoke the other half of the eye of round but the weather is not co-operating. Major thunder storms and rain. Actually under a flood watch for most of the region. :o
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-C20Kj8K5jFs/T8Joqs23ixI/AAAAAAAACn8/M4nYPWyNObg/s640/Radar.jpg)
So off the the slow cooker it went
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MHC4I1OOAXs/T8JocebtgbI/AAAAAAAACno/DalTBgRr4lM/s1024/DSC_0038.JPG)
Thanks for reading. Update in a month ;)
You are going to love the results! Looking forward to the money shot.
Very cool, That should be excellent!!
Be watching and waiting,This is quite interesting.
Well I'm safe, dry and at home but the shopping center in town is under water and more to come so they say
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r7DeEpK5UUQ/T8NoK-A5e8I/AAAAAAAACoI/X0pfkRpX_zY/s912/flood.jpg)
Freaking awesome Don.
Did your beef bung have a slight stank to it :o
The few i got did, but after some soaking and vinegar it was gone.
YIKES
Flood water big time.
Yup there was a slight stank to it as you say :) but did just what you suggested and it was gone. They sure are slimmeeee guys thats for sure. I ended up cutting holes near the top part to help hold onto it so I could slide the meat inside. It was a tight fit.
Drizzle the thinly sliced bresaola with a a bit of EVOO and a little freshly squeezed lemon juice and it is heaven. Had it several places in Milano dressed like that. Delicious.
That looks great devo, look forward to the update
Small update, still a long way to go but today the color got darker so I took some pictures. I never took so many pictures of food before in my life. ;D
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1kZUZTKdVPc/T8TghLPfXAI/AAAAAAAACsE/ishfXqxVumM/s640/DSC_0062.JPG)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4Y-ayxALE7U/T8TgghfxBUI/AAAAAAAACsA/XhQSDY4Wpbo/s640/DSC_0063.JPG)
Keep those pictures coming,we're learning here.lol
White Mold starting to show up
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xhxhr81Fe1Q/T8ra2_m6ecI/AAAAAAAACto/fGPB_CagXlI/s640/DSC_0069.JPG)
Devo, I stuffed an eye of round into a beef bung on May 11th. You are right they are slippery and not the easiest to
use. I also used the bactoform 600. Your bresaola looks like it is a lot larger than the eye of round I used. It ended
up 3lb 11oz. As of yesterday it had lost 30% of its weight but is still somewhat soft so will leave it in for a couple
more weeks.
On 5-21-2012 I stuffed another bung with pork for Coppa and started drying it. Didn't have to spray that one as
the mold on the bresaola transferred.
(http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q484/pdanders/IMG_0266.jpg)
(http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q484/pdanders/IMG_0267.jpg)
Coppa was put into net , bresaola was tied.
Looks good Paul. I like this dry cure stuff just as much as smoking meat. I had some coppa going but it was chunks of pork so I trashed that idea and got a whole muscle to try. It needs to cure till the 15th at least before it goes in the chamber.
My coppa is also chunks but after talking with a friend in Italy I decided to go ahead and try it. He told me there
are as many ways to make coppa as bacon. True coppa is a specific muscle but many times people he knows make
it out of leftover pieces from other projects.
So I went ahead and used the chunks and tried to pack it very tightly. I will let you know how it turns out.
I have not looked at my Bresaola in a few days so I thought I should check on it. Looks to be doing very well. :)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XV3Vga5CzVg/T9MfrcRN26I/AAAAAAAACz4/41_-Z3GZMrU/s1024/DSC_0072.JPG)
I look forward to seeing how this turns out! Looks great so far!
Kevin
Looks great! What style "salami's" are hanging next to it?
Quote from: sjmcdowall on June 11, 2012, 01:32:13 PM
Looks great! What style "salami's" are hanging next to it?
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=28354.0
Going to let it loose another 235g before I test it out. Starting to firm up very nicely
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aa7WGwWWg7Y/T-EghO6VUEI/AAAAAAAAC3U/aF2HLqBs67M/s1024/DSC_0091.JPG)
Man that looks like its going to be so good!
so is there a reason why you cut the strings? Sure is white and purty :)
Quote from: Keymaster on June 20, 2012, 04:21:32 PM
so is there a reason why you cut the strings? Sure is white and purty :)
Never cut the strings Aaron, just out of the picture from what I can tell
Quote from: devo on June 20, 2012, 04:32:25 PM
Quote from: Keymaster on June 20, 2012, 04:21:32 PM
so is there a reason why you cut the strings? Sure is white and purty :)
Never cut the strings Aaron, just out of the picture from what I can tell
I thought what you meant by "letting it loose" you cut some string but I see now thanks!! You all spell diferent in canada like Colour we spell color and Loose we spell lose. Soury ;)
Who said I can Spele ??? ???
Cut when it lost about 35% of it's green weight.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--X3o27gBTnI/T_HDLJVSx9I/AAAAAAAAC6s/gaXXJZ0QAGY/s1024/DSC_0009.JPG)
The small piece I sliced up with out the casing on
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9Zt1r8Hv_bY/T_HDP4xNaII/AAAAAAAAC60/5FTAfsHpfJQ/s1024/DSC_0010.JPG)
Sliced
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Xyb2yT47Kf8/T_HDV1DGKdI/AAAAAAAAC68/t4iWhPdFEXo/s1024/DSC_0011.JPG)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-XXj5TkYwvH8/T_HDeRpiKWI/AAAAAAAAC7Q/U8AyYHSjtVY/s1024/DSC_0012.JPG)
Not something I would do again for myself. Tastes alright but nothing I would go out of my way for.
WOW! NICE color you got on those.
Looks good but the meat is a lot fatter than the Italian stuff. Try this, make a layer one slice deep on a platter. Squeeze some fresh ripe lemon juice over it - dropwise. From a lemon, not from a bottle or one of those plastic things. Drizzle a bit of single varietal EVOO over it. Let sit for 20 min and then give it a taste. That's the way we eat it. Also works a treat for uncooked artichoke hearts sliced literally paper thin.
That looks insane! That one of my favorites to make and eat.
:) :) :)
....sorry it was not what you expected.
Quote from: 3rensho on July 02, 2012, 09:56:29 AM
Looks good but the meat is a lot fatter than the Italian stuff. Try this, make a layer one slice deep on a platter. Squeeze some fresh ripe lemon juice over it - dropwise. From a lemon, not from a bottle or one of those plastic things. Drizzle a bit of single varietal EVOO over it. Let sit for 20 min and then give it a taste. That's the way we eat it. Also works a treat for uncooked artichoke hearts sliced literally paper thin.
Ya tried all that stuff, just not my cup of tea. Must be something you grow up on as I can't see the or should I say taste the experience you have with it.