Curing and Brining is up

JJC · January 22, 2005, 10:56:11 PM

Hi Jeanne,

The most important thing to do with something like Mortons Sugar Cure, which contains nitrite, is be certain you follow the instructions for how much to use. Sometimes people subsitute these cures for salt in a recipe, or they think that if 1 Tablespoon is good that 10 Tablespoons must be better. Of course there's a level of safety built into the recommended amounts, but nitrites and nitrates can be toxic if used at levels well above the recommended amounts. That being said, however, a lot of research has been analyzed on possible harmful effects of nitrites and nitrates and the solid conclusion is that they are absolutely fine if used at the recommended levels.

Let us know how it turns out! [:p][:)]

John
Newton MA

JJC · January 22, 2005, 10:59:31 PM

Hi Olds,

Just sent you an e-mail with a small change to make to the Curing and Brining section. Based on the comments and suggestions of several Members (thanks to all of you) we should replace the "12 hr - 2 days" recommendation for the brining time of turkey to "1 hour per pound (a good rule of thumb for all poultry)". If I can do this myself, let me know how. Otherwise, thanks for taking care of it. Your work on that board is masterful, man![8D]

John
Newton MA

Oldman · January 23, 2005, 01:33:19 PM

Changes have been made...

Fuzzybear how is the new house? Do you have a lot of snow? How are your dog adjusting?

About this area for the Bradley stuff...well it just kind of happened. I got a feeling it will be months before we see the finished product. Even then there will always be something to add.

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Fuzzybear · January 23, 2005, 03:46:55 PM

Snow/melt/snow/rain/snow/melt...kind of how it's been since moving up here. During the melt, I've got standing water at the back of the house and side of the house - I will need to contract an excavator and have those areas graded to slope away from the house to let the water drain. Thank God I don't have a basement as I'm sure by now it would have been flooded...

The dogs? Well they are warm weather friends and have had a heck of a time adjusting to the cold...I can't let them out yet by themselves as I don't have a fenced yard for them and they would be "yote" bait in a second or maybe from Hawks or Owls too.

We are adjusting slowly but surely and I'm sure we'll all adapt somehow cuz I ain't movin' agin'!!!

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Chattaroy, WA - USA!

tsquared · January 23, 2005, 06:24:21 PM

Glad to hear you're settling in to the new digs, Fuzzy.I was wondering how you were doing. Just wait till spring and you get those beautiful days in the mid 70's--good for smoking!
Tom

jeanne · January 24, 2005, 04:22:45 AM

I smoked my jerky today. It turned out ok. I really need a slicer. Does anyone have any information on a good brand? Thanks.
Jeanne

Oldman · January 24, 2005, 04:37:31 PM

jeanne,

I'm going to give ya a lot of information here. After reading it you might say wow. I don't know if I want to go this route. At the bottom of this posting I will share a secret with ya that might just convince you to go this route.

There are two ways you can go. A new unit made for light use home owners or a good used commercial unit. Next, vertical units are the more dangerous of the two. This is why unless the vertical unit is an auto feeder--auto slicer i.e. Berkel 18 inch vertical, you don't see them in delis or in restaurants. Vertical blade units are known for slicing fingers when you get to the end of what you are slicing.

Next the smallest blade size that is acceptable is 12 inches. Those 10 inch model are generally for very light duty. At the moment your needs might only require a 10 inch model; however, needs change and the cost difference on the used market is not worth the saving of a few dollars.

The two brands that I would look for in a used unit are a Hobart or a Berkel. IMO you will pay more for the Berkel. However, I belive it is made of better metal.

This picture is a Hobart 12 inch manual. It looks like to me to be a single speed unit. (Some units are dual speed.)Used under $1000.00. New around $3200.00.

The is a Berkel 12 inch manual. I also looks like a single speed unit.

All Hobart and Berkel unit have blade sharpeners on them. [:D] This is very important!!!!

Now there are also medium usage slicers. This one below is a Berkel 12 inch model. New it can be found for under $900.00. If I found one of these in a used restaurant supply house in really good shape I would purchase it. I 'm guessing $350.00 to $500.00–used. Below is a ppicture of medium usage slicer. I do not believe that you or your kids, or grand children, as home users, could ever wear this unit out.

Ok now one to the secret. For 6 months I looked for a high quality used radiant gas grill. I got a Castile 30 inch for $650.00. It was 6 months old and one half of it had never been used. It sold new from $2100.00--$2,500.00. Yes it took me 6 months to find what I wanted, but the effort was worth the looking. Also, look at the ratio of used verse new in cost for a unit that is all but new! In this case it is between 32% and 38% of new. That is a heck of a savings for a unit that will outlast you, your children and all of your grandchildren.

My suggestion is for you to find every hole in the wall that sells used restaurant equipment. Sooner or later you will run across the correct unit and the guy is really going to want to sell it. When you start looking go into these places as a "lost-woman!" Humbly lost. Ask them what should I look for? How can I tell when a slicer is too used? When they ask you how much you are going to be using it, reply a lot but I'm not sure as I have family that will be using it too.

Ask about the sharping stones, and how do they work. Are they worn-out? If so that unit has seen some usage. If the unit looks rather used and it has new stones I might think twice about purchasing that unit. It takes a lot of usage to wear out a set of stones. On the other hand the slicer might have been owned by a person who will not have a small trailing cut edge, so he sharpens it 10 times per day.

At this point you got to use some common sense and look the whole unit over. Stones are just one of the areas you need to look at. Another is the drive unit itself--the piece with the handle on it to push with. Is it loose? If so, it is because the drive unit is not tightened down or is it because the bushings are worn-out?

Next when the unit is running and you push down on the center guard of the blade does the outer edge of the guard rub on the blade..if so I would think twice before I purchased that unit.

In closing this rather long reply I will say I have owned half a dozen Hobarts--all good units. However, without a doubt the finest unit I ever owned was a vertical 18" auto feed, auto slicer by Berkel. It was a TANK! Not only in Power, in Speed, but the cut never ragged-out onthe back end of the slice, This thing was also a TANK in Size....40-50 pounds. I bet 20 years after I owned it, is still slicing the finest of roast beef. [^] Many a year has past since then and I've kicked myself a many time for selling it.

<hr noshade size="1">Now this is the one I would imagine that nsxbill would purchase as he is into toys.

This digital Vertical Auto Feeder, Auto slicer---Price for new? Who knows? LOL

Or I could see nsxbill getting into this puppy~~~!
Berkel 180GS Slicer with Interleaver: Automatic Slicer/Stacker/Shingler with Conveyor & Stand. 24" Product Table and 14 1/2" S.S. Knife, 1 Speed - 50 Slices per Minute. 1/3 HP, 115/60/1. Berkel Interlever for 180GS: Choice of Cut-offs in either 3 ½", 4" or 4½". 115-220/50-60/1 This unit is from $4000-$5000 used.

Sorry nsxbill...just having fun with ya.<hr noshade size="1">

One more item I laugh about are all of the grinders etc. I see listed for the home user....What a ripe off in pricing.

How about $250.00 for a good used unit like this one!

One last point concerning used Restaurant equipment. You would be shocked at the number of people that get into the restaurant business and don't know which end of a carrot goes into a stock pot.

I remember back in 1977 I purchase an entire Cafeteria Serving Line-- I'm talking about a hundred footer of both hot and cold units, not some small buffet line. I got it for $6,100.00. It was less than 2 years old--12 gauge stainless steel. Included in that price was also a brixing soda machine, a slicer, and two stainless steel refrigerators and a stainless steel freeze! New at that time I would guess $60,000.00 minumim.

I could go on like the time I got 200 settings of real flatware. Not that chrome stuff....for a dollar per setting, but I won't. I will stop here.

It just takes time and a lot of looking is all. If you go this route in the end you will have something that WORKS smoothly, never breaks or wears-out. Talk about the WoW factor...just wait until your friends and family see what you got as a toy...
Olds

http://rminor.com

jeanne · January 24, 2005, 05:52:24 PM

Thank you for all the information. I will ponder it for a while. [^]

Oldman · January 24, 2005, 08:20:34 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Thank you for all the information. I will ponder it for a while. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You are welcome!
Olds

Opps I was editing it jeanie as you posted...the last part. Sorry.

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